Africana Studies Commons^™

A Stolen Culture: The Harmful Effects Of Cultural Appropriation, Amirah Lockhart

Honors Theses

Entertainment has always been an outlet from reality, no matter the culture. Whether in the form of music or television, entertainment has something for everyone. Different factors influence the content of the entertainment being consumed, but culture is one of the most important and decisive elements. The appropriation of entertainers in their work is not always immediately obvious to all consumers of entertainment, but members of the affected culture are quick to notice and usually shut out. I argue that the cultural appropriation of Black culture in most cases facilitates results that are harmful and damaging to the Black community. …

The Legend Of Neptune: A Portrait Of Enslavement And Emancipation In 18th-Century Worcester County, Massachusetts, Brigitte Lewis

Honors Theses

“The Legend of Neptune” tracks the life of a man named Neptune, who was enslaved at my childhood home in Still River, MA 01467 for fifteen years during 1742-1757. The general topic of this undergraduate thesis is slavery in seventeenth and eighteenth-century central Massachusetts; the main topic is uncovering the voice, history, and stories of an identified enslaved and then free Black man named Neptune. The project uses a vast array of primary sources to construct a narrative that centers Neptune’s life and experiences, supported by secondary historical research. This project also tells a counternarrative to the official history of …

The Correlation Between Traditional And Modern Day Performance Poetry: Where Music And Poetry Collide, Jaya Hodges

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

"Music and poetry have similar roots that have made them both into what they are today. From chants to church hymns, they both have kept the Black community intact during times of sorrow and grief. The words that ride along the rhythm and structure of any song brings an unforgettable emotion out of these art forms. This paper will discuss how they have merged themselves together along with the influences they have made within Jame Weldon's "Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing" and Lauryn Hill's "Doo Wop (That Thing)".

“Did Emmett Till Die In Vain? Organized Labor Says No!”: The United Packinghouse Workers And Civil Rights Unionism In The Mid-1950s, Matthew Nichter

Faculty Publications

Emmett Till’s mangled face is seared into our collective memory, a tragic epitome of the brutal violence that upheld white supremacy in the Jim Crow South. But Till's murder was more than just a tragedy: it also inspired an outpouring of determined protest, in which labor unions played a prominent role. The United Packinghouse Workers of America (UPWA) campaigned energetically on behalf of Emmett Till, from the stockyards of Chicago to the sugar refineries of Louisiana. Packinghouse workers petitioned, marched, and rallied to demand justice; the UPWA organized the first mass meeting addressed by Till’s mother, Mamie Bradley; and an …

Black Apollo Of Science: The Life Of Ernest Everett Just - Summarizing Timeline, Sumitography And Concept Poster, Lillie R. Jenkins

Perkins Faculty Research and Special Events

This two-part chronology is based on Kenneth R. Manning’s biography, Black Apollo of Science: The Life of Ernest Everett Just (1983). Like other such timelines, this one details Just’s life and pioneering research work. Additionally, and distinctively, this timetable lays out Just’s pioneering fund-seeking and his work mentoring African American female co-researchers (Part 1). A sumitography featuring the United States Postal Service’s postage stamp (1996) recognizes Just’s innovative thinking in biology (Part 2). Following this logic, the author includes a proof-of-concept poster commending E.E. Just’s work as a forward-thinking administrator. This timeline summarizes, chronicles, and aims to re-frame Just’s …

Amjambo Africa! (April 2021), Kathreen Harrison

Amjambo Africa!

In this Issue

COVID-19 denial in Burundi and Tanzania.....................2

Cameroonian deportations..3

In Her Presence .................4/5

Health care

Vaccine Q&A

Amjambo’s 3rd birthday.......6

MEBIC..................................10

Dr. Shah on vaccine safety.11

Magufuli of Tanzania..........12

World Market Basket..........14

Farming

African donuts

Soil safety..............................15

Baking Academy.................18

Bikes for all Mainers...........19

Childcare..............................20

Finance................................21

Columns & letters..............................24/25/26/27

Bangor/DEI..........................28

Novruz Festival....................29

Gisele Mukundwa...............31

Musical diversity.................31

Translations

French..................................7

Swahili.................................8

Somali..................................9

Kinyarwanda.....................22

Portuguese.........................23

A Rhetorical History Of Black Studies: Black Power & Epistemology, Kayla Corbin

Honors Theses

In this thesis, using my own experiences and research, I will map out a rhetorical history of Black studies and its relationship with the Black Power Movement in the late 1960s. Using Foucault’s method of genealogy, I will highlight the distinct epistemological assumptions that inform Black studies as a discipline by looking at the material conditions and moment in which the discipline was created. In order to do this, my thesis will interrogate three interrelated discourses of Black studies at the university level: first, the larger history of student activism and its relation to Black studies; second, my own approach …

Afn 121 Yoruba Tradition And Culture, Remi Alapo

Open Educational Resources

A class presentation as part of the discussion on West Africa about the instructor’s Yoruba Heritage, Research, Tradition and Culture in the AFN 121 course: History of African Civilizations on April 20, 2021.

On Being Seen Or For Those Who Break Like Me, Shanisha K. Branch

English Theses & Dissertations

The nature of truly seeing is something I’ve had a hard time grappling with. If you understand the difficultly of seeing and wanting others to see you that same, then these pages are for you.

The Fundamental Jolt: The Native’S Untethering From The Character Of The Colonized Subject Through The Inherent Dialectics Of Colonial Violence, Maleyah Peterson , '21

Senior Theses, Projects, and Awards

No abstract provided.

A Widened Angle Of View: Teaching Theology And Racial Embodiment, Mara Brecht

Journal of Global Catholicism

Today’s undergraduate students are digital natives, shaped by constant access to information and countless experiences of encountering the world through the convenience of a screen. The ostensible comfort students have with difference gives way to a paradox, and one that’s made especially apparent in the theology classroom: Students are comfortable with seeing difference and particularity at a distance, but not adept at locating difference and particularity “at home.” I contend that Catholics & Cultures can help students from the dominant culture—namely, white students who comprise the vast majority of Catholic college students—destabilize their notion of the Catholic tradition as tightly …

A Review Of Nwauche’S “The Protection Of Cultural And Traditional Expressions In Africa”., Abiola A. A. Inniss

Journal of Social, Behavioral, and Health Sciences

A review of The Protection of Traditional Cultural Expressions in Africa, by Enyinna Nwauche

Utilizing Art & Culture To Support The Success Sequence, Kelvin M. Walston, Tarita Johnson

National Youth Advocacy & Resilience Conference

This presentation will demonstrate how Hip Hop and African American History are used as educational teaching tools in our evidenced based program to promote social, emotional, and violence prevention skills. Explorations from the African diaspora, historical trauma, slavery, post traumatic slave syndrome to decoding and deconstructing hip hop elements all intersect to provide the basis of violence prevention, and more profoundly social and emotional balance.

Cameroon's Biya Is Africa's Oldest President: Assessing His 38 Years In Power, Julius A. Amin

History Faculty Publications

Cameroon’s President Paul Biya celebrated his 88th birthday recently, making him the oldest president in Africa. He has been in power for 38 years. Birthday celebrations held across the country were met with protest by the opposition, demanding that he step down. So, how has he acquitted himself in office, and what has been his legacy for Cameroon?

Amjambo Africa! (March 2021), Kathreen Harrison

Amjambo Africa!

In this Issue

Museveni of Uganda..........2/3

College applications andscholarships ........................4/5

Publisher’s Editorial/BetterDays Ahead? ..........................6

Translations

French ............................7/24

Swahili............................8/24

Somali ............................9/24

Kinyarwanda...............20/24

Portuguese ...................21/24

Influential Black leaders .....10

Community masks fromTracey Sesselberg.................11

World Market Basket ..........12

Fishermen feed MainersHealthy cooking with Yvonne ElingaOrganization updates .........13

Burundi Star.........................14

Messan Jordan Benissan inCamden ................................15

Photo essay/Onyx Emelo ...16

Helping kids in Angola.......17

News from Africa................18

Avoiding scams & fraud .....19

Biden proposes immigration changes .................................27

Women, Peace And Security In Zimbabwe - The Case Of Conflict In Non War Zones, Rutendo Chabikwa

Journal of African Conflicts and Peace Studies

The Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda is the United Nation’s (UN) key policy instrument for addressing gender violence in conflict zones. However, the agenda has been preoccupied with “hot” conflicts, and its application and relevance to sustained, but “low level” conflict situations is poorly conceptualized. This research considers this issue through a case study of Zimbabwe since 2000. I make the case for broadening the understanding of conflict as found in the WPS agenda.

This paper addresses the question: ‘How does the case of Zimbabwe exemplify the need for a broader understanding of conflict within the WPS agenda as …

Amjambo Africa! (February 2021), Kathreen Harrison

Amjambo Africa!

In This Issue

buyoya’s legacy ............................2/3

lockdown in Tchad .....................2/3

lewiston equity Committee .......4/5

editorial ...........................................6

News from africa ..........................10

MlK Day ..................................10/15

Diversity Northern light .............11

World Market basket ...................12

basbousa with Nahla alsafarSomali cooperativesyouth programming ...............13/24

‘Temperature’ by Zoza ................14

Jalali to release new book ............15

Immigration reform ......................16

Help with tax season ....................19

Columns ...................................22/23

Pam leo .........................................26

Translations

French ...........................................7

Swahili ..........................................8

Somali ...........................................9

Kinyarwanda .............................20

Portuguese ................................21

Silences Of New York History: Legacies Of The New York Slave Revolt Of 1712, Jelissa N. Caldwell

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Silences of New York History is an interactive website project dedicated to the study and uplifting of little-known historical narratives of Black history weaved within the main narrative of New York City history. It is designed to be an accessible platform of primary and secondary sources for 4^th-12^th grade students wanting a supplementary archive of information and histories that may not be directly taught in public school education. This project focuses on the New York Slave Revolt of 1712 because it is the first recorded Black, enslaved uprising in the city’s history. By focusing on this early …

Teaching Choral Music Of The African Diaspora In The United States: Toward A “Living Black History”, H. Roz Woll

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

In higher education choral curricula, the opportunity to study the breathtakingly rich scope of music rooted in Africa and the African diaspora with rigor and depth is often marginalized, neglected, or missing. If studied, it may be framed in the context of “other music” in contrast to music of the Western European canon, creating an oppositional framework rather than an interdependent one. Moreover, opportunities to study the political economy of this music in relationship to race, class, gender, and religion are lacking. This has multiple ramifications for music students’ preparedness to engage in global habits of citizenship in support of …

Echoes From The Great Divide: On The Faltering Philosophical Dialogue Between Africa And The West, Peter Abspoel

Comparative Philosophy

Even in the field of comparative or cross-cultural philosophy, distinctive contributions by African philosophers are often side-lined – that is, relegated to niche publications. Why is it so hard for African philosophers to draw their Western colleagues (other than specialists in African philosophy) into a real dialogue? An attempt is made to describe the field of tension; it is shown that some of the reflexes that manifest themselves in it reveal not just the attachment to specific perspectives or frames of reference, but also implicit ideas about the nature of the “philosophical game”. On the Western side, motives constitutive of …

Hip-Hop Poetry And Political Transformation: Citing Examples From Tanzania, Method Samwel

Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences

This article describes the role of hip-hop in political transformation of African countries, citing examples from Tanzania. The article presents that hip-hop artists view the political systems of most African countries as the source of the continent’s socio-economic crisis and, therefore, demand for change of African political systems and behaviours. This article is a result of a qualitative research that deployed various research methods, including text collection and analysis, transcription, interviews, and administration of questionnaires. Hip hop texts were collected, transcribed, and analysed. Data collection, analysis and interpretation were guided by the reader response literary theory, which views the interpretation …

Gus Solomons Jr.: Analyzing The Dances Of An Early Black Postmodernist, Zsuzsanna Orban

Theses and Dissertations

Gus Solomons jr. was one of the first Black dancers to participate in the Judson Dance Theater workshops, but was never fully integrated into the white, postmodern dance world. This thesis looks at several of his works which exemplify his use of site-specificity and innovative technologies, including dual-screen video dances.

Amjambo Africa! (January 2021), Kathreen Harrison

Amjambo Africa!

In This Issue

COVID and women......................2/3

Reza Jalali..........................................4

Editorial............................................6

Translations

French ............................................7

Swahili............................................8

Somali ............................................9

Kinyarwanda...............................20

Portuguese..................................21

News from Africa..........................10

Scholarship.....................................11

Year in Review..........................12/13

Celebrating Diversity....................16

Finance .............................................9

Insurance........................................22

Roseline Souebele.........................22

Rupal Shah.....................................23

Dora Mills.......................................23

Long Hungry Winter.....................24

Education Academy ................26/27

From The Volga To The Mississippi: African Americans And The Soviet Experiment, Daniel Candee

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

This thesis investigates the role of African American Communists in the struggle for Black liberation during the interwar period. Making a vital intervention into the field, this work attempts to debunk the harmful Cold-War stereotype of African American Communists as “puppets of Moscow” while simultaneously engaging critically with the relationship between Black liberation and international Communism. Drawing on a vast array of secondary and archival sources, this work charts a course between a vision of the Comintern as an avenging anti-colonial angel, and a cynical force disinterested in Black Liberation.

Tracing the developing relationship between Black intellectuals and the Comintern …

Appropriation Of Artisans' Intellectual Property In Fashion Design Accessories: Piracy Disguised As Giving Back?, Clovia Hamilton

Technology & Society Faculty Publications

Creative industries are industries focused on the creation and exploitation of intellectual propert, including art, fashion design, and related creative services, such as advertisement and sales. During a trip to Burkina Faso in \Nest Africa, Keri Fosse was taught by an African woman how to wrap newborns with fabric in a manner that creates a strong bond and frees the mother's hands for other tasks. Burkina Faso has a craft culture and is known for its woven cotton and the textile art of Bogolan. Bogolan is a technique original to Mali and involves the tradition of dyeing threads with bright …

Mobilization Of Women In Africa: The 2019 Sudanese Uprising, Mahder Habtemariam Serekberhan

African American Studies - All Scholarship

In 2019 we witnessed the possibilities of a multi-ethnic, multi-religious, multi-racial, multi-cultural, and multi-gendered democracy and a bottom-up democratization process led by women. Sudanese youth and women led and participated in mobilization and demonstration that not only reflected the mass character of the social formation, but also managed to subvert the Islamist military dependent capitalist state (and its apparatus). Over the span of 30 years, the regime, under Omar al-Bashir, managed to entrench and escalate structures and systems of exploitation and oppression necessary for capital accumulation. The intensified neoliberalization and militarization, at the expense of women’s super-exploitation, was made possible …

The Intersection Between Black Hair And The Environment: Hair As A Site For Environmental Justice And Sustainability, Dafina Matiku

Scripps Senior Theses

Currently, we are facing several global crises that include but are not limited to climate change, food insecurity, pollution of the body and environment, as well as racial, gender, and class inequities. This thesis seeks to understand how the natural hair movement, which strives to omit toxic chemicals while embracing textured hair, can be a tool of reconnecting to nature. As humans we are intrinsically part of ecosystems and nature, we must find our niche in it instead of occupying and destroying our environment entirely. The methodology includes compiling a small array of experiences that show the nuance of hair …

A Qualitative Examination Of The Preparedness Of African American Pastors To Address Issues Of Addiction, Shuntay Tarver, Chaniece Winfield, Judith Preston, Alexis Wilkerson, Pastor Isaac Shorter

Counseling & Human Services Faculty Publications

This study qualitatively explored the preparedness of African American pastors to meet the needs of parishioners with addictions. Findings indicated that African American pastors do not always perceive themselves to be prepared to address issues of addiction, and existing cultural barriers challenge collaboration between human services practitioners and African American pastors. Findings also revealed that despite existing cultural barriers, African American pastors are willing to collaborate with professionals who offer educational opportunities in culturally relevant ways. Human services professionals’ ability to understand cultural nuances of African American pastors is of paramount concern to effectively enhance the quality of life for …

African American History To Emancipation, Aka: History In The Early Modern Atlantic World, Laurie Woodard

Open Educational Resources

African American History to Emancipation explores the history, memory, and representation of enslavement and abolition in the United States. The key questions we are posing are: how do we recover the unrecoverable and how do we remember the “unrememberable?” We will consider the history of enslavement in the Atlantic World, its legacies in the United States, the gaps in our knowledge, the global trauma of Atlantic World Slavery, and contemporary and contemporaneous representations. Key themes include: the formation of the Atlantic World, enslavement, the transatlantic slave trade, slavery in the United States, the formation of African American cultures, the emergence …

"A Past Unremembered: The Transformative Legacy Of The Black Speculative Imagination" Exhibition Catalog, Julian Chambliss, Phillip Cunningham

2020-2021 Afrofuturism Syllabus - Week 20 - "A Past Unremembered: The Transformative Legacy of the Black Speculative Imagination" Exhibit

Exhibition catalog for "A Past Unremembered: The Transformative Legacy of the Black Speculative Imagination," co-curated by Dr. Julian Chambliss and Dr. Phillip Cunningham as part of the annual Zora Neale Hurston Festival of the Arts and Humanities. The exhibit locates Afrofuturist thought in earlier eras of American history and focuses on how African American writers of the 19th and early 20th centuries used speculative/science fiction to imagine a better, freer, more equitable future for Black people.