Concurrent Sessions

When Advising Meets Archivism: Using Archives to Help Students Learn Their Organizations’ Impact
Presenter: Racquel Gill, M.Div., Duke University
School of Global and International Studies, Room 1118

During the summer of 2022, the presenter began to frequent the archives at Duke University to learn about the organization where she serves as staff advisor for the student choir, United in Praise. Through this research, she crafted a detailed and accurate history of the Duke University gospel choir, formally called the Modern Black Mass Choir. She found artifacts that could be used as a digital exhibit and learned about other university gospel choirs connected with the Modern Black Mass Choir, such as the Yale Gospel Choir. The following was gained from this brief research project.

1. A recognition of the significance of gospel choirs on historically white university campuses. In the advent and genesis of Black cultural centers and a few years post-integration, student-led gospel choirs served as a central hub for Black student engagement and a point of connectivity for Black students across campuses.
2. Access to relevant data allowed for the creation of an alum database and an emerging alum network of those who were actively involved and in the leadership of the organization.
3. A realization of the importance of accurate and detailed record keeping for student organizations, particularly Black affinity groups. The records kept in our organizations today can help facilitate conversation about the history of diversity at our institutions tomorrow.
4. Institutional knowledge about the role and legacy of Black campus ministry at a predominately white institution in the American South that would help the presenter revitalize and re-imagine her professional responsibilities working at the intersections of race, faith, and culture with emerging adults.

Not Just Telling Stories: Using Assessment and Data Analysis to Tell the Story of Your Work
Presenter: Cherisse Smith, M.S.Ed., University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
School of Global and International Studies, Room 1122

This presentation demonstrates the transformative power of assessment data in crafting an impactful narrative for securing large-scale program funding for our Black cultural centers. By harnessing the insights provided by assessment data, the significance and achievements of our center, attracting potential funders, and fostering sustained support for our initiatives can effectively be articulated. Throughout the presentation, the presenter delves into the essential role of assessment data in understanding the evolving needs of our students, evaluating the center’s effectiveness, and identifying areas for growth. A compelling and authentic narrative that resonates with potential funders can be constructed by presenting data-driven evidence of the positive impact our center has on the lives of our constituents.

To supplement this exploration, the presenter will host a brief but engaging workshop on crafting a narrative for large-scale program funding. Participants will gain practical skills in the art of storytelling, learning how to effectively communicate our center’s mission, objectives, and success stories. Emphasizing the importance of impactful narratives that transcend mere data, the workshop will equip participants with various storytelling techniques, including written proposals, visual presentations, and testimonials.

What to Accept, How to Take Care of It, and What to Politely Refuse: Recommendations for Black Culture Centers from an Archival Perspective
Presenters: Devan R. Donaldson, Ph.D., Indiana University; Dina Kellams, M.L.S., Indiana University
School of Global and International Studies,1100

Increasingly, Black Culture Centers (BCCs) are faced with donations of materials from alums, faculty, staff, and members of the broader community. These materials include photographs, yearbooks, scrapbooks, cassette tapes, DVDs, paintings, clothing, architectural drawings, maps, flyers, and diplomas. However, BCCs cannot keep everything, and even if they could, many BCCs need to have trained archivists or the necessary resources to provide access to these materials or preserve them for the long term.

This interactive critical discussion centers on recommendations from an archival science professor, Devan Ray Donaldson, and a university archivist, Dina Kellams, on what to accept, how to take care of it, and what to politely refuse. The structure of the session is as follows.

First, the presenters will begin by discussing recommendations based on the importance of a BCC’s mission statement. For example, it is recommended that if the materials in question for donation do not match or advance a BCC’s institutional mission, this is grounds for politely refusing a potential donation.

Second, the presenters will provide recommendations for storage, preservation, and providing access to a broad range of materials that potential donors may want to give BCCs, including letters, diaries, correspondence, photographs, architectural drawings, diplomas, maps, Greek life ephemera, scrapbooks, artwork/paintings, posters, flyers, cassette tapes, VHS tapes, and DVDs.

Third, the presenters will lead an interactive discussion with participation from the audience on the following themes:

1. What is the mission statement of your BCC?
2. What types of materials do people give to your BCC? Do those materials reflect or detract from your BCC’s mission?
3. What are some of your BCC’s preservation challenges?
4. What are some of your BCC’s challenges to providing access to materials?

Archives of African American Music and Culture: A "Tour" of the Past, Present, and Future
Presenter: Mia Watts, Indiana University
Global and International Studies Building, Room 1122

Join Head of Collections Mia Watts for an in-depth tour of the past, present, and future of the Archives of African American Music and Culture (AAAMC). Watts will give further insight into how the AAAMC works to preserve and elevate Black music and culture while continuing to bring archival collections alive.

Sorrow Damned Up in the Corner of Their Eyes: Strategies and Best Practices for Serving Anti-Black Black Students in Cultural Centers – A Panel Discussion
Presenters:
Sean Palmer, M.Div., University of North Carolina-Wilmington
Mario Pile, M.Ed., University of Idaho
Meligha Garfield, M.P.A., University of Utah
Global and International Studies Building, Room 1106

Zora Neale Hurston’s timeless quote, “BUT I AM NOT tragically colored. There is no great sorrow dammed up in my soul, nor lurking behind my eyes,” stands as a powerful rejoinder to the critiques of her contemporary, Richard Wright. Her words serve as a declaration of resilience and self-assuredness, settled in a positive sense of self. However, within the broader context of educational settings, particularly at Predominantly White Institutions (PWI), some Black students bring with them a form of baggage around their blackness(es).

This panel discussion considers the complex issue of students who find themselves feeling “tragically colored.” Such a sentiment can lead to a profound sense of sorrow, isolation, and alienation. These students may perceive their racial and ethnic backgrounds as burdens rather than sources of strength or wings for their journey. This transformation from the assertive optimism of Hurston’s words to a perception of tragedy is a crucial point of discussion. The panel features three directors who bring their unique perspectives and experiences to the forefront. Together, they explore the dynamics of anti-Blackness in PWI spaces and how it manifests itself not only in individual students but also in their perceptions of their peers as the spaces they pollute. They consider the multifaceted challenges these students face in an environment where they may feel marginalized, tokenized, or misunderstood.

The discussion centers on the urgent need to support students who carry the weight of their racial identity in their pursuits. By addressing this pressing issue, the panel aims to highlight strategies and best practices for promoting a more inclusive, equitable, and nurturing educational environment. The panelists will draw from their collective expertise and personal insights to offer a comprehensive exploration of anti-Blackness and its impact on students within the context of PWI spaces. By fostering a greater understanding of these dynamics, this panel discussion strives to inspire positive change and empower educators and institutions to support students better, ensuring they no longer perceive themselves as “tragically colored” but instead find the wings they need to soar.

The following will be presented symposium style during the same session in Room 1108

Tell It Like It Is: Cultural Center Spaces as Local Archives
Presenter: Anne Marie Edwards, Ph.D., Purdue University

Black cultural centers often serve as local archives for the people in the community: faculty, staff, alums, and community members. It is incumbent upon these spaces to understand best practices and policies in archive development. Often, these skills are outside the scope of education for most center staff. This proposed project will present an idea to develop a toolkit for university cultural centers to protect the cultural heritage of the communities they serve. This toolkit will comprise best practices, standards, and training for center staff on how university cultural centers can work with under-represented and/or minority communities to preserve and archive community history and heritage by adapting existing cultural center resources. This project will be piloted at Purdue University’s historic Black Cultural Center. This process will produce a digital toolkit that will be available for public use and can be replicated at university campuses and cultural sites around the country. This critical discussion will assist center staff in understanding the importance of archival practices and the role of cultural centers in preserving local history.

These Walls Can Talk...Reimagining Black Cultural Centers as Living Archives
Presenter: Rosevelt Nobel, Ph.D., Vanderbilt University

To many, Black cultural centers at Historically White Institutions (HWIs) are places of community, belonging, and safety. In this session, you will learn how these centers can also be spaces of empowerment and resilience through their ability to tell and preserve the Black experience on campus. The presenter explores the innovative ways in which an oral history project provided rich content and inspiration for a creative living archive inside the Bishop Joseph Johnson Black Cultural Center. This is where the walls talk, motivate, uplift, educate, and uniquely tell the history of the Black experience at Vanderbilt University. The session highlights how cultural centers can use artifacts such as photos, newspaper articles, video clips, and artwork to convey powerful messages about what it means to survive and thrive while Black at an HWI.

On Intersectional Ground? Examining the Efficacy of Black Cultural Centers in the Age of Intersectionality
Presenter: Bakari K. Lumumba, M.P.A., Lumumba Speaks
Global and International Studies Building, Room 1106

Time-resistant challenges have appeared generationally via accusations of Black cultural centers (BCC) promoting racial balkanization and a separatist agenda (Ocampo, 2008; Patton, 2010), the belief that BCCs are archaic and improvident institutions that serve a diminutive percentage of the student body that should yield to multicultural centers as the definitive racially based identity center on campus (Princes, 2005), to the contemporary culture wars that place the existence of BCCs in a liminal position as campus administrators, acquiesce to the pressures of ultra-conservative bureaucrats (Knox, 2023).

This session highlights the role BCCs play in the racing of space (Banning & Strange, 2015; Mills, 1997). BCCs serve as a decolonial counter space of identity and resistance to the isolating Eurocentric behavioral expectations and the materiality of Historically White institution’s campus ecology (Smith, 2010) via the concept of Marronage (Marronage is a concept that reflects the practice of African flight (Sankofa), or the intention of becoming free) (Roberts, 2015). While concomitantly interrogating how BCCs can shift the focus of intersectionality from an abstract theory to a concrete practice ensconced by students’ diurnal embodied experiences of solidarity, peer mentoring, and creating community.

“The More Things Change…”: Experiences of Black Women in Higher Education Leadership Roles”
Presenters: Mary F. Howard-Hamilton, Ed.D., Kelsey Bogard, Ph.D. and Kandace G. Hinton, Ph.D.
Indiana State University
Global and International Studies Building, Room 1128

Out of over 106,000 women in student and academic affairs administration, African American women accounted for just over 14,000 (National Center for Education Statistics, 2013). African American women in leadership roles experience racism and sexism, suffer from unhealthy coping habits, and must work twice as hard to be acknowledged for the work they do on campus, if there is acknowledgment at all. It is recommended that African American women currently in or moving toward leadership roles establish safeguards to protect their mental and physical health, seek out and establish a supportive base, and ensure that the institution can support them financially as well as in their professional realm. Moreover, African American women provide a positive impact on women and help African American women be successful (Glover, 2012; Solomon, 1985; Sterling, 1984).

The narrative of Black administrators has been overshadowed or unacknowledged by those in the higher education community in comparison to White administrators (Herdlien et al., 2008). Moreover, historians have paid little attention to the unique roles and significant contributions of Black women leaders (Herdlien et al., 2008). Black women provide a positive impact for all women and help Black women in particular be successful (Glover, 2012; Solomon, 1985; Sterling, 1984). The more things change, the more things remain normative. The presenters for this workshop will share the narratives and historical data collected from three research studies on Black women leaders in the academy.

Reclaiming the Souls of Black Children: Toward Self-Reflective Collectivism
Presenters: Lewis Thomas III, M.F.A., Purdue University; Rashida Spence, Ph.D., Innergy Connections
Global and International Studies Building, Room 1134

The long-term historical and generational harm that white supremacy/racism has caused to Black folk and Black families throughout the diaspora has been well documented and noted. The image both distributed to and projected on mainstream society about Black men and, more specifically, Black fathers has fed an insatiable stereotypical view that Black fathers are inactive, absent, loveless, emotionless brutes only focused on self - self-aggrandizement with no interest in ultimately fulfilling their fatherly responsibilities and/or duties. Now, more than ever, it is time to reframe this discussion toward a strength-based and socially embedded perspective on Black father involvement and engagement, placing child development, interconnectedness, and interdependence at the center of self-reflective collectivism.

Building UPP: “How Black Student Leadership Can Be Scaffolded in Black Cultural Centers, What Disrupts It & How to Restore Broken Foundations
Presenter: Ashlee Fleming, B.A., University of North Carolina-Wilmington
Global and International Studies Building, Room 1112

At the core of collegiate Black Excellence and the roses that grow from concrete is the critical role that Black cultural centers, mentors, advisors, etc., play in the development and empowerment of Black students. This presentation examines the dynamic individuals and innovative concept of what it means to scaffold Black student experiences and leadership. Various forms of support, mentorship, and educational programming offered to Black students will be discussed. Moreover, we will examine how these practices contribute to the holistic development of Black student leaders, enhancing their self-confidence, identity formation, and critical thinking skills. The presentation provides a comprehensive understanding of how BCCs serve as platforms and points of connectivity, especially regarding more inclusive and equitable leadership models and how to build students UP while meeting them where they are in their academic and personal journey, considering how past and present experiences manifest as foundations that must be restored.

Joy to Carry On: Strategizing with Black Social Capitals
Presenter: J. Gourdin, Ph.D., University of New Mexico
Global and International Studies Building, Room 1100

Black student centers operate as insulating units, protecting students and staff from isolation and projected racialized vulnerabilities. This work requires thorough knowledge of the threatening world and vigilance to secure belonging. Often, these efforts lean towards respectability, and while the dispersal of social and material capitals is organized by hierarchies that value proximity to white norms, a solely trickle-down understanding of social mobility perpetuates the erasure of marginalized communities’ agency and overlooks the strategic cultural capital exchanges utilized to survive their realities of domination (Habig et al., J. D., 2021). Tara Yosso (2005) challenged this tradition using critical race theory as a lens to shed light on the assets employed by marginalized students in their pursuit of higher education. Yosso’s Kaleidoscope of Community Cultural Wealth (2007) reveals six capitals provided within marginalized communities to resource individual and group resiliency; these capitals are linguistic, navigational, resistant, familial, social, and aspirational. From the ring shout to drag gender play, Black communities have found communal joy throughout their histories. For instance, Black comedy creates humorous critiques of the social world while imparting all six of Yosso’s capitals and creating room for the shared euphoric communion that is joy. Transgressing inherited white norms of decorum is just a part of the radical exclusivity that is an inside joke. Similarly, Black folks use a variety of skills and tools to carve out the spaces they deserve inside the intuitions they inhabit. This discussion will review pertinent theories to disrupt deficit modeling approaches to social problems, offer activities to involve students in transformative play, and charge attendees to engage more joyfully in their communities’ resilience.

Building A Juneteenth Teach-In that Bridges University, Community, and Justice Work
Milton D. Gore Jr., M.Ed., and Renee Clauson-Rivera, B.A., University of North Carolina-Wilmington
Global and International Studies Building, Room 1118

“Building A Juneteenth Teach-In that Bridges University, Community, and Justice Work” underscores an innovative pedagogical approach that intertwines academia, Black community engagement, and social justice within the framework of commemorating Juneteenth. Juneteenth, symbolizing the emancipation of enslaved African Americans in the United States and an ongoing struggle for equity and freedom, provides a poignant nexus for dialogues about racial justice, historical memory, and communal reconciliation. This presentation aspires to coalesce distinct societal spheres— universities, local communities, and justice work—through an impactful June Teach-In event that facilitates a multifaceted exchange of knowledge, perspectives, and empowerment strategies. Upperman Staff collaborates with community members and activists to co-construct a platform where narratives of the past and present intersect, generating a collective pursuit towards a just future. The teach-in endeavors not merely to disseminate historical knowledge but to forge connections that catalyze tangible change, advocating an educational model that values lived experiences, community wisdom, and activist praxis alongside academic inquiry. Employing methodologies that embrace inclusivity, dialogic learning, and co-creation, this project seeks to develop and educate people on a path toward a more engaged, equitable, and socially conscious educational praxis, wherein the synthesis of academia, community, and justice work propels comprehensive, authentic learning and community-building that are vital for navigating the complexities of contemporary socio-political landscapes.

Authentic Professionalism: Resistance Through Dismantling Professionalism Myths
Cherisse Smith, M.S.Ed., University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Global and International Studies Building, Room 1106

This presentation proposal delves into the empowering journey of being an unapologetically Black leader and how it is a potent form of activism and resistance. In a world marked by systemic inequalities, embracing one’s true self, identity, and heritage is a radical act. Through this presentation, the significance of authentic self-expression and leadership as a vehicle for change, both individually and collectively, is explored. An engaging activity will enhance this discussion to help participants create a road map to find their unapologetic selves. Through guided self-reflection and practical exercises, attendees will discover their unique strengths, values, and ways to express their identity within the contexts of leadership and activism. This personalized approach will enable participants to embark on their journeys of unapologetic self-discovery and leadership, ultimately contributing to a more inclusive and equitable society.

Podcasts for Digital Storytelling and Research Dissemination: Getting Started
Presenter: Clarreese Greene, Ph.D., Purdue University
Global and International Studies Building, Room 1106

The Black Thought Collective is a research ensemble with Purdue’s Black Culture Center’s suite of performing arts ensembles. This ensemble’s output is research: the collection of information, its analysis, synthesis, dissemination, and calls to action. The objective is to broadcast the processing and output of that process into digital storytelling that contributes to public scholarship and culturally responsible individuals residing in, specifically, the Greater Lafayette region, predominately white institutions. The presenter asked: How do we more concretely convey to wider audiences discussions surrounding the issues we face on campus and society beyond the “discussions” section of a research paper and engage more people? The audience will learn how our Black cultural center is cultivating more space to support more niche artistry among Black students on campus, beginning a new story, celebrating individual stories and perspectives, and remembering and preserving the legacy and role of Black culture and its existence on Purdue’s campus with podcasting. The presenter speaks to that experience while demonstrating the podcast process, provides a listening exercise with our podcast, and leads an open discussion on the theme of Black Erasure. The values and needs of this conversation reside within the opportunity for the audience to learn how to integrate, evaluate, and synthesize multiple different sources of information to address a question/solve a problem with historical and cultural context via effective narratives; they will also help establish the criteria for more effective audio storytelling and dramatization. Similar to an essay, a podcast needs a thesis or an argument; it needs an outline that potentially needs to be scripted and have supporting research for the discussion. This is similar to how scholars seek to bridge the gap between the dissertation and the research process.

Bigger than you, bigger than we, bigger than the picture they framed us to see: BCCs and Archives Building a Bigger Historical Narrative
Presenters: Brandi Stone, M.P.A., University of New Mexico and Jessica Ballard M.L.I.S., M.A., University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Global and International Studies Building, Room 1134

Black Cultural Centers (BCCs) have enriched college campuses across the country. However, they often do not receive the recognition deserved for the richness they bring to institutions of higher learning. BCC history is not always represented in university archival repositories, causing an important gap in university history. While archivists are making more of an intentional effort to fill in the gaps, archivists, especially at predominately white institutions, must learn about the center they seek to document, build trust, and support the center with what resources the archive can provide. This presentation focuses on two perspectives: an archivist with a working relationship with the BCC at her institution and a BCC director who does not have a relationship with an archivist. Through this presentation, both the archivist and BCC director will discuss opportunities where archivists and BCC staff can collaborate to preserve the stories of our community. Participants will engage in interactive dialogue around current archival practices at their respective BCCs, opportunities for collaboration and enhancement, and perspectives on what is important to archive in 2023 as BCCs navigate charged climates.

Connecting Continents and Cultures: African Study Tours, Activism, and Empowerment
Presenter: Tiffany Reed, Ed.D., Juliana Nwokoro, Ebenezer Boakye, Ariel Dorsey – Indiana State University
Global and International Studies Building, Room 1128

The educational practices and personal beliefs we embody shape and impact the creation and design of our society. Therefore, it is imperative that administrators and faculty challenge, support, and engage students to continuously broaden their cultural lens by embracing international perspectives and individuals who are from different countries around the globe. Researchers have found that learning is enhanced when students study abroad (Mayhew et al., 2016). Moreover, short-term immersion trips help to “foster meaning-making of social issues, stereotypes, and privilege” (Mayhew et al., 2016, p. 281). The purposes of this presentation are to share the personal and developmental impact on the students, faculty, and staff who participated in a trip to Ghana or South Africa, as well as to guide the audience through the preparation and planning process for the trips. The international study tours were purposely created as counterspaces where critical dialogues, spiritual development, and counter-stories were encouraged. This process empowered the participants to observe the environment from their lens. It enhanced their cultural awareness and explored intersectionality (Crenshaw, 1991) from an international and American frame of reference. The new perspectives gave them the energy to become advocates and activists on campus, heightening their racial identity development, global awareness, and how their lives intersect with those from “the motherland.” The international study tours were an opportunity to engage in a personal form of resistance by traveling to spaces that have been viewed as undesirable or “shithole” countries and focusing on the Nguzo Saba Principle of Kujichagulia or self-determination (Karenga, 1998). The trip helped individuals prioritize naming one’s reality, self-preservation, and mental wellness. The Africa study tours also helped to prepare future student affairs administrators with a deeper understanding of international education as well as explore the impact of race and racism in all higher education institutions.

The Importance of Visitor Data in Black Cultural Centers
Presenters: Joshua Appleton, Victor Chukwuocha, Taiwo Oyedeji, Malique Williams, WayIn LLC
Global and International Studies Building, Room 1112

Entering a new age of technological advancement and data-driven educational systems, we must remain at the forefront of this frontier. As data continues to drive decision-making at universities from an administrative standpoint, the opportunity to leverage data to improve our spaces cannot go unseized. As a result of the recent ruling on affirmative action in the United States, many students of color will now be forced to navigate even greater barriers to entry for access to higher education than before. Such a reduction in students of color at the university level will ultimately result in fewer visitors to cultural centers across the country. As a result, many cultural centers are looking to find ways to gather meaningful data on the utilization of their spaces. At Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana, the facility utilized a pen-and-paper sign-in sheet, which presented many challenges, the largest of which included handwriting illegibility, processing time, data management, and data analysis. This is why WayIn was born. Developed by five current and former Black Purdue students with backgrounds in business, logistics, engineering, and technology, our organization helps facilities navigate the challenges above with our Visitor Management System, WayIn VMS. WayIn VMS is designed to record visitor entries digitally, focusing on ease of use, reliability, and organization, so your team can get real-time analytics on the current and historical state of your visits to make decisions not based on assumptions but instead reinforced by data. The presenters are excited to bring this technology to cultural centers across the United States and guide our support centers toward a more informed, data-driven society.