African American/Black

Black History Month: Mason Nation Recommends

Jeannine Harvey — Wed, 10 Jan 2024 15:43:28 +0000

Black History Month: Mason Nation Recommends Jeannine Harvey Wed, 01/10/2024 - 10:43

For many, Black and African Heritage Month is a time for learning, sharing, and community. Presented here are read, watch, and listen to recommendations from students, staff, and faculty around campus. This list will grow throughout the month with additions added to the top of the page.

compiled and edited by Shayla Brown

Updated 23 February 2023

Read The Black Count: Glory, Revolution, Betrayal, and the Real Count of Monte Cristo by Tom Reiss. This 2012 novel was recommended by Anne Reynolds, the Office of University Advancement and Alumni Relations director of advancement communication. It won the Pulitzer Prize for biography and recounts the story of General Alex Dumas, the real-life father of Alexandre Dumas -- author of The Three Musketeers and The Count of Monte Cristo. “General Dumas was a brilliant commander of armies during the French Revolution and was also the son of an enslaved person, born in Saint-Domingue (now Haiti). The book is a great story of his military exploits but also explores the multi-racial society that 18th-century France tried to establish,” said Reynolds.

Watch “High on the Hog: How African American Cuisine Transformed America” on Netflix, recommended by Patriot parent Duane Diviney. The 2021 docuseries is based on the culinary narrative history book High on the Hog: A Culinary Journey from Africa to America by Jessica B. Harris. This series shows that Black food is American food. “Black and African Heritage Month annually offers a time to reflect upon how foundational the cultures and experiences of Americans of African descent are to America's past, present, and future,” Diviney said.

Read Blues People by Leroi Jones (Amiri Baraka), recommended by alum and assistant professor of jazz studies John Kocur. This book, published 60 years ago, is one of the first full-length books on jazz and blues by a Black author, Kocur said. “Baraka pulled no punches as he honestly assessed ‘The Negro Experience in White America and the Music that Developed from it’ as the subtitle puts it,” Kocur said. “I first read it as a graduate student at Howard University, and it has stuck with me ever since.”

Experience another recommendation by Kocur, who also suggests listening to the 2021 album We Are by Jon Batiste, a mix of jazz, soul, pop, hip-hop, and R&B. The album has 13 songs and is just under 38 minutes. It is Batiste’s sixth album and won the 2022 Grammy Award for Album of the Year. It includes award-winning songs such as “Freedom,” “I Need You,” and “Cry.”

Updated 16 February 2023

Read (and watch) “Kindred” written by Octavia Butler,

recommended by Amanda Leigh Bryan, an assistant professor with the English department. This is a story of a time-traveling Black heroine whose trip through time explores the effects of racism, sexism, and White supremacy in the past and the present. “I am loving watching Kindred! It's an amazing retelling of Butler's work,” said Bryan. The novel was turned into a science-fiction series on Hulu in December 2022.

Read “Pregnant Girl: A Story of Teen Motherhood, College, and Creating a Better Future for Young Families” by Nicole Lynn Lewis, recommended by Kelly Chandler, the programs administrator at the Stearns Center for Teaching and Learning. This nonfiction book is written by a Black woman who is from the NOVA area. She also owns a DC nonprofit called Generation Hope, which focuses on supporting pregnant and parenting teens pursuing a college education. “Her story is one of resilience and inspiration and is also extremely informative for faculty, staff, and administration when it comes to the difficulties and barriers that pregnant/parenting students may face, especially those of color. Students would also enjoy and learn from the book, regardless of whether they are pregnant/parenting or a person of color themselves,” said Chandler.

Listen to the podcast Affirmations for Black Girls hosted by Tyra The Creative, recommended by Davita Colclough, a campus planner Facilities. This podcast provides a space for Black women to be open and vulnerable, to express themselves and their feelings without shame or judgment. Tyra The Creative focuses on reflection while touching on topics such as relationships, faith, careers, self-love, and personal development.

Experience The Legacy Museum: From Enslavement to Mass Incarceration in Montgomery, Alabama, recommended by Jalen Stubbs, a senior Communication major. The museum “displays Black History in full effect, dating from when our ancestors were shipped to America to the present. This museum will have you leaving in tears of not only sadness but tears of joy for what Black people have persevered through,” said Stubbs. The museum also offers exhibits such as the National Memorial for Peace and Justice and a world-class art gallery with works from some of the most celebrated Black artists in the country.

Updated 08 February 2023

Experience the online exhibit “Black is Beautiful: The Photography of Kwame Brathwaite” recommended by Office of University Branding web content creator Jeannine Harvey. The virtual exhibit of Kwame Brathwaite’s photography popularized the political slogan “Black is Beautiful” throughout the late 1950s and 1960s. “It still resonates as powerfully today as it did at the height of the second Harlem Renaissance,” said Harvey. This exhibit features 40 portraits and behind-the-scenes photos of the artistic community in the colorful city of Harlem.

Read “Non-Negotiable Self-Care: A No-Nonsense Approach to Making

Self-Care Your #1 Priority” by Deon Brown, a licensed clinical psychotherapist. This recommendation came from associate dean of University Life Lewis Forrest. It takes on the various reasons why we put self-care on the back burner and how we can change that about ourselves. This non-fiction read is for readers of all demographics and incorporates resources in each chapter for readers to utilize while working on their self-care habits.

Watch Black Art: In the Absence of Light, a 2021 HBO American documentary film directed and produced by Sam Pollard. This film was recommended by the senior director of communications in the College of Engineering and Computing’s Dean's Office, Martha Bushong. It follows various Black American artists and their contributions to the contemporary art world. The documentary is inspired by the work of artist David Driskell who passed away in 2020. It spotlights current Black artists such as Theaster Gates, Kerry James Marshall, and more.

Listen to The 1619 Podcast by The New York Times, hosted by Nikole Hannah-Jones, who also writes for the NYT Magazine. “I thought it was beautifully made and the storytelling was incredible,” said recommender Philip Wilkerson, employer engagement consultant at University Career Services. The podcast looks at the shadow of American slavery and its effects on today’s society. This audio series is for anyone who enjoys listening to podcasts learning about American history. You can tune in on the NYT website with Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or Stitcher.

01 February 2023

Experience the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC), recommended by staff member Kimbley Green of the Office of University Advancement and Alumni Relations. The museum is dedicated to celebrating the accomplishments, past and present, of the Black community and educating those who visit the building. “The outside of the building is made of beautiful bronze-colored panels, and the inside immerses visitors in endless stories. The museum has education initiatives dedicated to a variety of areas from STEM to early childhood education. Although the focus is African American history, the museum also celebrates the achievements of other underrepresented groups, such as the LGBTQ+ and Latinx communities.” The museum currently has four centers and four exhibitions that showcase the Black experience for visitors to explore.

Watch the Netflix Docu-series When They See Us, recommended by Communication major David Kendrick. The show, directed by Ava DuVernay, tells the tragic story of the Exonerated 5. During a biased police investigation, five Black and Brown men were wrongly accused and convicted of a violent crime. The story spans over 25 years, from their teenage to adult years, as these men navigate a world that sees them as nothing but criminals. The series includes well-known actors such as Michael K. Williams and Joshua Jackson and an award-winning performance from Jharrel Jerome.

Read The Black Guy Dies First: Black Horror Cinema from Fodder to Oscar by Robin R. Means Coleman and Mark H. Harris, recommended by graduate admissions and outreach manager and master’s candidate in English Rafaella Silva. “The Black Guy Dies First is a fantastic look into one of horror's most common clichés: the Black character dies first,” Silva said. “As a horror fan and student of English cultural studies, I am always looking into ways to analyze every plot point from a socio-political perspective as horror films are a reflection of the contemporary societies they are produced in, and the information in this book is the foundation on how to do so. With amusing commentary and well-explained analysis, I recommend this book to any passionate horror fan.” From the 1968 Civil Rights Act and the assassination of Dr. King to cinematic masterpieces such as “Candyman” and “Get Out,” this book explores themes, stereotypes, and the characterization of Black bodies in horror. Read all about the journey of Black characters in horror in cinema with this recommendation.

(This can also be experienced in the form of a documentary called Horror Noire: A History of Black Horror, directed by Xavier Burgin and featuring esteemed actors such as Tony Todd, Jordan Peele, and Loretta Devine.)

Listen to the Mix(ed) Tape Podcast recommended by College of Public Health assistant professor of social work Melissa Villodas, hosted by two Afro-Latin PhDs, Mason’s very own Villodas and economist Andrés Hincapié. Each episode brings listeners multiple guests with diverse perspectives on various topics. Created in July 2020, Mix(ed) Tape Podcast is entering its third year. You can find it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and more.

Thanks for joining us on this journey.

Topics

Black African Heritage

African American/Black

Black Lives Next Door

Author, activist Brian P. Jones talks about Black education in DuBois lecture

Shayla Brown — Thu, 23 Feb 2023 17:18:23 +0000

Author, activist Brian P. Jones talks about Black education in DuBois lecture Shayla Brown Thu, 02/23/2023 - 12:18

In This Story

LaNitra M. Berger, PhD

Dr. Brian P. Jones speaking at Mason's 2023 W.E.B. DuBois Lecture. Photo by Shayla Brown.

When Brian P. Jones was teaching in Harlem in the early 2000s, he fought against what he saw as a movement to privatize public education, which he feared would rip the rug out from the education of his almost all Black students.

“It got me thinking about patterns of Black education and how Black students themselves have so often challenged patterns of social engineering,” said Jones. “That's what brought me all the way back to Tuskegee; there was no book on that, so I wrote the book.”

His book, “The Tuskegee Student Uprising: A History,” was the focus of his talk as ��AV’s 2023 W.E.B. Du Bois Lecture Series guest speaker hosted by the African and African American Studies Program.

Jones is currently the director of the Center for Educators and Schools at the New York Public Library.

“[The series] invites noted national scholars to come and speak about their research on the Black experience, and how it connects to the legacy of Du Bois,” said LaNitra Berger, director of African and African American Studies Program. “As soon I saw Dr. Jones’s book, I knew that it was exactly the kind of book that we would want our students to read, and the kind of conversation we would want to have as a Mason community.”

Jones, whose father went to Tuskegee, conducted six years of research on the university and its students. He and his father took a road trip to the university to dig through some of the archives, he said.

Tuskegee arose after the overthrow of Reconstruction. “Reconstruction,” Jones said, “is interesting because we're looking at a moment of Black power whose effects are democracy, and actually are of great benefit to the majority White population.”

Du Bois called this “a moment in the sun,” said Jones. It is mentioned in Du Bois’s book, “Black Reconstruction: 1860-1880,” and references the time between slavery and Jim Crow.

“It was overthrown with violence, with terror, with intimidation, and murder. Schools that were built, were then burned,” said Jones. When Booker T. Washington founded the Tuskegee Institute as a teacher-training school in 1881, he downplayed the idea that Black people should fight for civil and political rights, and emphasized education, hard work, and land ownership instead.

As part of his talk, Jones shared photos that he took or found during his research. The images included student strikes from 1896 and 1903, and the statue of Booker T. Washington that greets visitors to the Tuskegee campus in Alabama that shows him holding the Veil of Ignorance over an enslaved person—some argue he is pulling it up, while others argue he is putting it down. He also shared photos of some of his interview subjects including the first Black woman elected student body president at Tuskegee, Gwen Patton.

“To me, Gwen Patton represents the political savvy of Tuskegee students whose radicalization and intellectual development was largely happening off campus. She would participate in sit-ins and other protests off campus before going back to class, said Jones.

Dr. Brian P. Jones signs copies of his book after the lecture. Photo by Shayla Brown.

During the question-and-answer portion of the lecture, a student asked Jones, “How did you feel while you were interviewing the student activist?”

“I talked to 21 former Tuskegee students and community members. I remember feeling a sense of pride that I was able to help them pass along a story that they held,” said Jones. “It’s little bit daunting to have somebody give to you something that's so important to them, and to try to do it justice.”

Du Bois touched many academic subjects including art history, education, politics, and sociology, said Berger. “His scope was so wide in terms of the ideas that he infused that naming the lecture after him allows us to invite scholars from almost any discipline.”

“There are many brilliant Black student movements across many campuses who aren’t just going to take the world as it is, they’re going to change it,” said Jones.

Topics

African and African American Studies

Guest Speaker

Campus News

African American/Black

Black African Heritage

College of Humanities and Social Sciences

NEH grant supports historian’s work to reveal hidden history

Colleen Rich — Thu, 09 Feb 2023 19:49:27 +0000

NEH grant supports historian’s work to reveal hidden history Colleen Rich Thu, 02/09/2023 - 14:49

��AV historian Yevette Richards Jordan focuses her research lens on African American history, with an emphasis on racist violence from the 1920s through the 1940s. For the past several years, however, her work has led her to uncover a hidden history of racial violence that struck her own family, and the trauma of that violence that continues today.

Yevette Richards Jordan. Photo provided

“I’ve been researching racist violence in northern Louisiana for probably about a good six years,” said Richards, an associate professor in the Department of History and Art History of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences. “I became interested in it through stories that I’d heard from my family about lynchings that had occurred—and one particular lynching I could find no evidence of for years and years. It was a very violent incident in which a 13-year-old girl named Carrie Lee, but called Blossom, and a 22-year-old mother, named Mary, were killed, and their own mother Lizzie was shot, and their sister-in-law Emma was shot.

“Years later I found references to this violent event and the victims were listed as ‘unknown,’ ‘unidentified.’ I knew the backstory and I could connect this backstory to these names and these unnamed persons.”

With the help of a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities, Richards will continue to pursue the details of this hidden narrative. Her project, Between Piney Woods and Cotton Fields: Tracing Racist Violence through Family Networks of Northern Louisiana, received $60,000 in funding, part of the NEH’s August 2022 announcement of grants that will support humanities projects nationwide. In his announcement, National Humanities Alliance executive director Stephen Kidd stressed the importance of the projects being funded. “We are immensely proud of the NEH’s impact across the U.S. and will continue advocating for increased federal support for future grants in 2023 and beyond,” he said.

Richards’s work illustrates this impact. Her project examines multigenerational family networks in early 20th-century Louisiana, and their connection to broader racial dynamics and power structures in the United States. The research cuts close to home.

W. C. Williams lynching memorial column at the National Memorial for Peace and Justice in Montgomery, Alabama. Photo provided

“There are two lynching events: the Taylor sisters, and then W.C. Williams,” said Richards. “And I’m not directly related to W. C. Williams, but I have cousins who are related to him. So I am also able to see how Black families are interconnected. Black families who are the victims are interconnected.”

The Williams incident was well known, she said. “His lynching in 1938 represented the last mass daytime lynching in Louisiana, and thousands of people came out to view his body.”

She had a more difficult time learning about the Taylor sisters. “I found that I’m related to them through my mother’s side—her grandmother,” she said. “I first learned about the Taylor sisters through my cousins, the Caldwell cousins, who told me that their father’s first wife had been lynched. No one ever mentioned it, and it was just a vague memory for many of my other older cousins. But these particular Caldwell cousins told me that their father would talk about his first wife, Mary, usually around Christmas, and talk about what happened. But there were few details about the Taylor sisters that they knew beyond this immediate violent event.”

Richards’s search for information has been hampered by the age of many of the people who knew the truth about the Taylors and Williams, but also by their concern for safety. “Some people never spoke to me,” she said. “They’re elderly, in their 80s and 90s, and they would say a little bit but then they would avoid me. I tried to be sensitive to the fact that they’re still living there, and even though they’ve outlived many of the people who were perpetrators, they realize that their descendants still live there, and the fear was so great at the time that this violence happened, it still carries over with them.”

Richards has also found a relatedness among the perpetrators of the violence. “As I researched the incidents, I came to see that many of the white family members were interconnected; they were connected to each other as cousins,” she said. “Looking at the white family networks, I also began to see the connections that they had with state power. And with the police and judges. And many of them were Klan leaders, as well, leaders of the 1920s Klan. This evidence helped me to understand how this violence could remain so submerged and hidden.”

Despite the obstacles in tracing the lives of the Taylor sisters, W. C. Williams, and the people who have sought to erase those memories, Richards perseveres in bringing the stories to light. "I’ve already developed, with my graduate students, a course on race and lynching,” she said. “That course has helped me in my background research into this area. Once this book is written, it will be included in that course.”

Topics

College of Humanities and Social Sciences

Research

Black African Heritage

African American/Black

Department of History and Art History

Student artwork honors Dr. Martin Luther King Jr and civil rights leaders

John Hollis — Wed, 08 Feb 2023 20:31:56 +0000

Student artwork honors Dr. Martin Luther King Jr and civil rights leaders John Hollis Wed, 02/08/2023 - 15:31

Freshman Skye Callaway won the MLK Art Competition.
Photo by Cristian Torres/Strategic Communications

He walked so that those following behind could run.

That was ��AV freshman Skye Callaway’s powerful message with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in mind behind her winning submission in this year’s MLK Art Competition. Winners of the competition, which was sponsored by the Center for Culture, Equity and Empowerment, were announced during the MLK Evening of Reflection on Jan. 30.

“Being a student and an activist, I realized that without Martin Luther King, we wouldn’t really know a lot about peaceful protests and the right things to do,” said Callaway, an integrative studies major from Long Island, New York. “We are the next generation of activists, but he really paved the way for what we do.”

Callaway dubbed her work “The Blueprint” and used blue ink as a reference to the blueprint left by Dr. King that she aimed to celebrate in her artwork.

“I wanted to focus on how all the division, discrimination, and more happening right now has led to a new age of protesters and ‘freedom fighters,’ ” she said in the artist’s statement about her work. “And how we now know what path to follow because MLK was the blueprint. He walked so we can run.”

Anna Simakova, a freshman art and visual technology major originally from Moscow and now living in Vienna, Virginia, was the contest’s runner-up with her painting, “On the Edge of the World.” The painting depicts a little girl holding a balloon, symbolizing endless possibilities.

“I focused my attention on the central object,” Simakova said, “highlighting that the girl enters this life stage alone and the whole universe is open for her. She is small, fragile and as light as a balloon, but she fearlessly pursues her dream.”

Mason's annual MLK Evening of Reflection was held this year on January 30. Photo by DeRon Rockingham/Creative Services

Acknowledging that activism takes many forms, including art, the Center for Culture, Equity and Empowerment put out a call for illustrators, painters, and graphic designers of all backgrounds wishing to have their works displayed during the MLK Evening of Reflection, which also included a panel discussion on ways to help in the fight for justice.

“Often forgotten is the importance of visual art in the realm of activism," said Caroline Jacques, assistant director of the Center for Culture, Equity and Empowerment. "Throughout history, we’ve seen the power of art and how it can evoke many different emotions, from pain to pride. This year, we wanted to remind the Mason Nation of the relevance of this medium in the continuous fight for justice.”

Artists were asked to speak to the theme of this year’s MLK Remembrance events of “Lighting the Pathway: Renewing, Reviving, Restoring and Remembering the Dream.” Artists submitting work were asked to speak to what the theme meant to them and the ways that Dr. King has inspired people to find their path in the fight for social justice, equity and access for all people.

During the Evening of Reflection, event participants voted on the artwork, and the results were announced near the end of the event.

See more student art entries.

Topics

Center for Culture Equity and Empowerment

Students

Black African Heritage

African American/Black

Martin Luther King

Black History Month Student Exhibit

Jeannine Harvey — Mon, 30 Jan 2023 15:43:00 +0000

Black History Month Student Exhibit Jeannine Harvey Mon, 01/30/2023 - 10:43

Remembering History and Celebrating Black and African Heritage

Student Exhibit

In honor of Black and African Heritage Month and Martin Luther King Jr. Day, students were asked to submit works of art to be displayed during the MLK Evening of Reflection. Please enjoy the powerful works below.

A Look Beyond by Isabella Cuevas

Artists Statement: A look beyond — a profound vision transforming minds while transforming through the minds. His inspiration revitalizes seeds of justice and freedom, reflected in each of us in a unified but unique way. The timeless message is filled with life and humanity, something embedded in all, potential deep within.

Hidden in plain sight by Asiya Freeman

Artists Statement: I created the "Hidden in plain sight " piece in 2019 for my Painting 1 final. After researching how the police originated, I wanted to use a white police officer with a KKK hood to represent racism, police brutality, and white supremacy. Some people aren't aware that The origins of modern-day policing can be traced back to the "Slave Patrol. The mission of the slave patrol was to "establish a system of terror and squash slave uprisings with the capacity to pursue, apprehend, and return runaway slaves to their owners. Tactics included using excessive force to control and produce desired slave behavior". Many people, especially at a PWI, don't know the history or are simply avoiding the truth. " Hidden in plain sight" is the elephant in the room; it makes some people uncomfortable, but the message is clear and exposes the history.

Freedom Fighters by Skye Callaway

Artists Statement: I wanted to focus on how all the division, discrimination, and more happening right now has led to a new age of protesters and “freedom fighters.” And how we now know what path to follow because MLK was the blueprint. He walked so we can run.

"they tried to bury us but they didn't know we were seeds" by Aseeyah Walker

Artists Statement: This painting is inspired by the quote: "they tried to bury us, but they didn't know we were seeds." I have placed a black power fist in the middle of a sunflower. In American history, black people have had many challenges and barriers placed in front of us to prevent us from succeeding. However, we have persevered, fought against oppression, developed a beautiful culture, and flourished in black excellence. This painting demonstrates how African Americans created something out of nothing. It shows what unity and black pride does for the people.

On the Edge of the World by Anna Simokova

Artists Statement: In the painting “On the edge of the World,” I depicted a little girl holding a balloon, thus symbolizing new endless possibilities. I focused my attention on the central object, highlighting that the girl enters this life stage alone, and the whole universe is open for her. She is small, fragile, and light as a balloon, but she fearlessly pursues her dream!

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Student artwork honors Dr. Martin Luther King Jr and Civil Rights leaders

Topics

African American/Black

Black African Heritage

black artists

Center for Culture Equity and Empowerment

Martin Luther King

student activism

GMU – NSBE awarded Small Chapter of the Year

Rena Malai — Tue, 12 Apr 2022 15:47:31 +0000

GMU – NSBE awarded Small Chapter of the Year Rena Malai Tue, 04/12/2022 - 11:47

The George Mason National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) chapter received the Region 2 Small Chapter of the Year Award. The award was presented to Mason NSBE members at the NSBE national convention held March 23 – March 27 in Anaheim, California.

The award is a testament to the hard work the GMU – NSBE executive board has done this academic year to serve the Black STEM community on campus and uphold the NSBE mission.

The GMU – NSBE chapter hosted various social, academic, and career development events for STEM majors to have fun and bond with their peers, while strengthening their professional development skills. Events included a Spa Destress, Black History Month Jeopardy, Career Fair Prep, and an Engineering Career Panel. The chapter also hosted a month long Python coding workshop for beginners.

NSBE gives students the opportunity to pursue leadership positions and enhance team building skills. Members participate and plan academic and professional events that enhance technical skillsets and prepare them for future careers in STEM.

Founded in 1992, GMU – NSBE is the premier organization for African American students pursuing STEM degrees at George Mason. According to Mason NSBE members, being part of the organization is an important asset to bring together STEM students across various disciplines.

Topics

National Society of Black Engineers

STEM

diversity

African American/Black

“We, too, have a seat at the table” — Law students reflect on Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson’s historic confirmation

Mariam Aburdeineh — Sun, 10 Apr 2022 21:43:08 +0000

“We, too, have a seat at the table” — Law students reflect on Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson’s historic confirmation Mariam Aburdeineh Sun, 04/10/2022 - 17:43

Of the 115 judges who have served on the U.S. Supreme Court, 108 of them have been White men. This summer, Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson will spark a change, as she becomes the first Black woman to serve as a justice in the court’s 233-year history. She was confirmed by the Senate on April 7.

“I’m beyond thrilled that she got confirmed to serve on the Supreme Court, and I look forward to seeing the court one day becoming even more representative of what this nation looks like,” said Sally Alghazali, a third-year law student at ��AV’s Antonin Scalia Law School.

Several students of color, including leaders of Mason’s Black Law Students Association (BLSA), said Judge Jackson’s accomplishment gives them renewed confidence that there is a place for them.

Here’s what they had to say:

Sahara Shrestha

“When you see someone so qualified, like Judge Jackson, achieve success and get the recognition she deserves, it is incredibly inspiring and encouraging,” said Shrestha, a third-year law student and first-generation Nepalese-American.

“It makes me want to dream bigger about the possibilities of where my legal career could take me and other young women of color…. I still walk into legal spaces, whether it be the classroom, courtroom, or workplace, feeling like I am the only person who looks like me or thinks like me. Judge Jackson becoming a Supreme Court justice is a step toward ensuring that the legal field, including the highest court in our nation, is representative of all of us.”

Chinyelum (Chi-Chi) Olele

Vice President of BLSA

“Seeing another Black woman reach the mountaintop of her career and shatter the glass ceiling is exciting,” said Olele, a first-year law student from Nigeria who grew up in Virginia Beach.

“Watching her navigate the hearing poised and with a smile was inspirational. Judge Jackson's confirmation is a representation of what America is. America is a country of possibilities, and as an immigrant, I know that the possibilities are endless.”

Bianca Hancock-Siggers
President of BLSA

Bianca Hancock-Siggers

“Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson being on track to become the first Black woman to sit on the Supreme Court is not a ‘small favor’ from heaven, this is faith with work!” said Hancock-Siggers, a third-year law student from Indianapolis, Indiana.

“I often look around my law classes and ask myself, ‘Am I supposed to be here, am I good enough?’ Judge Jackson has helped to me answer that question in the affirmative. I look at her and know, although I am underrepresented in this community, I am not lesser. I do not have to conform my views or alter my appearance to find success.

“I am looking forward to seeing the diversity in experience that Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson will bring to the Supreme Court of the United States.”

Sally Alghazali

“Judge Jackson’s confirmation gives me hope and drives more determination in me to continue in this field,” Alghazali said.

Alghazali, who moved to the United States from Baghdad, Iraq, in 2013 as a refugee, said Judge Jackson’s confirmation gives her hope and determination to continue in the legal field. She said she was struck by Judge Jackson’s anecdote about another Black woman approaching her in the hall at Harvard and telling her to persevere, and that in turn was what Jackson said she would tell other Black American youth trying to do what she did.

“As a first-gen and diverse law student, this is what her confirmation means to me: that no matter how much people doubt me for being different or not ‘fitting in,’ I can reach my goals with determination and perseverance. Judge Jackson showed me and all those who don’t fit the ‘typical’ image of an American lawyer that we, too, have a seat at the table.”

Shanessa Guidry
BLSA/Pre-Law Liaison

Shanessa Guidry

“A couple weeks ago, I considered quitting law school because I started to feel like I didn't belong, and when I look around, I really don't see anyone who looks like me,” said Guidry, a first-year law student from Rocky Mount, North Carolina, who spent 20 years working at U.S. Department of Defense.

“When I was thinking about quitting [law school], an African American colleague sent me the clip from Senator Cory Booker when he addressed Judge Jackson. [Booker] told her, ‘You got here how every Black woman in America who’s gotten anywhere has done. By being, like Ginger Rogers said, 'I did everything Fred Astaire did, but backwards in heels.’ He told Judge Jackson, 'You have earned this spot, you are worthy,' and 'Don’t worry, … God has got you.' I have those words in the back of my mind as I make it through my first year. Her nomination and her confirmation mean the world to me at this point, as a middle-aged woman who's choosing to pursue this degree.”

Topics

Campus News

Students

Antonin Scalia Law School

law

Scalia Law School

African American/Black

diversity

Combining Black Racial Groups Hides Health Disparities in Breastfeeding

John Brandon Cantrell — Wed, 23 Mar 2022 15:19:30 +0000

Combining Black Racial Groups Hides Health Disparities in Breastfeeding John Brandon C… Wed, 03/23/2022 - 11:19

In This Story

Amira Roess, PhD, MPH

A new study from Amira Roess in the Department of Global and Community Health highlights the differences in breastfeeding initiation between African Americans and Black immigrants enrolled in the Washington, D.C. WIC supplemental nutrition program.

Illnesses such as sudden infant death syndrome, asthma, and obesity disproportionally affect African American populations, and researchers have long underscored that lower breastfeeding among African Americans is a reason why. A goal of the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) is to address this disparity in breastfeeding rates. However, the current way data are reported hides important differences among Black American subgroups and biases data. To understand the potential differences in breastfeeding initiation within this population, a group of researchers are comparing patterns in breastfeeding initiation between two Black subgroups, African Americans and Black immigrants, for clues.

A new study from Amira Roess, professor in the Department of Global and Community Health, showed that breastfeeding rates are significantly lower for African Americans compared to Black Immigrants and other race/ethnic groups.

“By looking more carefully at African Americans and Black immigrants we can see that combining the two can hide important health disparities since Black immigrant populations tend to have higher breastfeeding rates,” said Roess. “Without detailed breastfeeding initiation data by more nuanced race/ethnicity definitions, the potential for poorly targeted interventions and policies exists, and opportunities to improve breastfeeding may be missed.”

This research gathered data from participants in Washington, DC’s Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) from 2007-19. The Centers for Disease Control’s Healthy People 2020 provided 10-year objectives (ending in 2020) to increase American’s health, and one goal was to increase the number of infants who were breastfed. This goal was met nationally (81.9%), but not met for all racial subgroups. People in the non-Hispanic Black demographic had the lowest reported breastfeeding initiation (73.7%), which fell well below the Healthy People 2020’s goals. Roess’s study further dissected the non-Hispanic Black demographic into subgroups and found that African Americans have a lower breastfeeding rate (39.9%) than Black immigrants (69.6%). Overall, breastfeeding initiation for both groups increased over time in the study population, which mirrored the national trend, but at lower rates.

The paper titled “Disparities in Breastfeeding Initiation Among African American and Black Immigrant WIC Recipients in the District of Columbia, 2007–2019” was published online in March 2022 in the American Journal of Public Health.

The study defined African Americans as those self-reporting as African American, not Hispanic, and speaking English only. Black immigrants were defined as those self-reporting as African American and speaking a language other than English. Researchers acknowledged this definition may underestimate the Black immigrant population, especially because some may come from English-language countries.

The research team included Rebecca C. Robert from the Conway School of Nursing, Catholic University of America; Doris Kuehn, Emily Woody, Swathi Vinjamuri, and Paulette Thompson from the DC Department of Health, District of Columbia Women Infant Child State Agency; and Nwanneamaka Ume and Brianna Ericson from Milken Institute School of Public Health, George Washington University. Ume was supported by a fellowship from the Clara Schiffer Project on Women’s Health.