November 24, 2011
Drs. Marilyn Thomas-Houston, Irma McClaurin, Sybil Rosado, Faye V. Harrison
The
recent 96th Annual Meeting of ASALH (the Association for the Study of
African American Life and History) held October 6-10, 2011 in Richmond,
VA provided a rich opportunity to reflect on the status and history of
Black people in America, and in the world. It also spoke to my idea of
“legacymaking”—something in which I have a strong interest, as its
ongoing presence reflects the vision and intellectual legacy of Carter
G. Woodson, the man who is known as the “Father of Black History” and
who established this important organization over ninety years ago.
According
to the ASALH website, the organization came into existence on September
9, 1915 under the visionary leadership of Dr. Carter G. Woodson. At
that time, the name was the “Association for the Study of Negro Life and
History.” Despite the name change from “Negro” to “African American,”
the organization’s vision and mission have remained consistent through
the times: “We are the Founders of Black History Month and carry forth
the work of our founder, the Father of Black History. We continue his
legacy of speaking a fundamental truth to the world—that Africans and
peoples of African descent are makers of history and co-workers in what
W.E.B. DuBois called, “The Kingdom of Culture.” And
ASALH has not wavered from the path that Dr. Woodson set the
organization on almost one hundred years ago. At this latest
conference, I was there to help launch a new journal in Black
Studies—Fire!!!: a multi-media journal of Black Studies that reflects a
collaboration between ASALH and JSTOR. The brains and creative and
technological leadership behind the journal is Dr. Marilyn
Thomas-Houston, a visual anthropologist at the University of Florida
(and former colleague), with roots in the theater and music industry and
a scholarly authority on the Black Diaspora in Nova Scotia—yes, there
are lots of Black folk in Nova Scotia. The
numerous panels on the intersection of technology and Black Studies,
referred to by some as “e-Black Studies” is a testament to the endurance
of Carter G. Woodson’s vision to preserve the rich contributions of
African Americans to the U.S. and the world, and to the tenacity of
Black Studies/aka African-American Studies/aka Afro-American Studies as
an enduring field of innovative scholarship and research. It also
provided ample space in the formal panels and workshops and in between,
in the corridors and restaurants, to reflect on where we are as a people
(our current state of affairs), and where we need to go (the future of
Black America). As
fate would have it, the conference offered me the chance to see old
friends, buy books that placed Black children at the center of the
narrative, try on some Afro-centric clothing and simply reconnect with
folk whose common bond is celebrating and elevating the achievements of
African Americans in the United States and globally. Anyone have a
problem with that?
Originally published 11 November 2011 16:48, Insight News
To continue, click here
Posted In : Public Engagement
November 3, 2011
 Irma McClaurinWhile Curaçao is a tiny country of less than 150,000 inhabitants, it pulled off an enormously successful music event for the second time on September 2 & 3, 2011. If you want beautiful beaches, friendly locals, and a cultural cornucopia of Papiamento, Dutch, Spanish, English, with residuals of Portuguese, African and indigenous native Americans, set sell for Curaçao and the North Sea Jazz Festival before Labor Day about this time next year. The venue allows you to be up close and personal at the indoor stages and within good sound and viewing range outdoors if you don't get to the front of the stage early. I kicked it down front with Kassav and sat on the floor in front of Dionne Warwick close enough to see her sweat. I wasn't fast enough to beat the crowd to Stevie Wonder, but I could see the stage, watch the flat screens, and hear him loud and clear everywhere in the World Trade Center. I had a nice view of Sting and his backup singer. I was impressed that every act began on time. Sound checks occurred for everyone, resulting in impeccable sounds. And I can't say enough about the cleanliness of the bathrooms, the reasonably-priced food, and events staff willing to help even when they didn't know the answer.  Curaçao at Night
Next year the organizers should consider asking taxis to agree to fixed prices or arrange for shuttles. But these are minor and fixable details. Before or afterwards, consider lingering for a few extra days; it will allow you to leisurely stroll the the colorful streets of Punda, cross the swing bridge, or take the ferry across from Otrabanda. People are courteous and helpful and most locals are fluent in at least four languages. Conservation is taking hold since water and electricity are expensive. Curaçao gets its water through desalinization--a timely and expensive process. Don't forget to have a meal by the sea at many of the restaurants that include Cuban, Italian, Middle Eastern, local and Dutch European cuisines. If you want to visit a little piece of a uniquely distinctive part of the African Diaspora, forget Aruba and head straight to la bonita isla de Curaçao in the newly independent Netherlands Antilles. And ...relax.  Dionne Warwick
For more information: Dionne Warwickhttp://www.curacaonorthseajazz.com/en/(c) 2011 McClaurin Solutions - Photos courtesy of the authorOriginal Date: Friday, 09 Sept 2011 13:51, Insight News
Posted In : A Moment in Time
September 10, 2010
Shaw University introduces Irma McClaurin as the new president.
She will be the first female president at the historically black college in Raleigh.
Before accepting the position at Shaw, McClaurin was associate vice
president for system academic administration at the University of
Minnesota, and executive director of the Urban Research and
Outreach/Engagement Center in Minneapolis.
McClaurin was introduced during a grand ceremony on Shaw's campus that included singers, dancers and even a red carpet.
A number of community leaders and Shaw representatives welcomed the 15th president including interim president, Dorothy Yancy.
"Take this wonderful and very special place to the next level," said
Yancy. "Best wishes to you and remember I'm just a phone call away if
you need me."
Her hiring comes as the school struggles with debt which in the summer of 2009 was reported at $20 million.
There was no talk of the past financial woes at the university during the ceremony on Thursday.
McClaurin is known for being a fundraising whiz and she's hoping to
turn around the college's financial troubles by creating new
partnerships.
"We have to be strategic in looking for new partnerships and corporations have always been a good fit," explained McClaurin.
Students seemed excited about the new leadership.
"I want Shaw University to become a more prestigious university than
it already is and I think President McClaurin can help accomplish that
goal," said Ulysses Hall.
The school's last named president, Clarence Newsome, left the
university amid a financial crisis in 2009. He held the position for six
years.
There was even a reported move to oust Willie Gary as Chairman of the Board of Trustees, but he still holds the position. Written By Maggie Alexander Article Republished Courtesy of NBC17
Posted In : Public Engagement
August 31, 2010
 Suicides, divorce, anxiety attacks, depression, and displacement of
children from homes and schools are not what we associate with the
mortgage foreclosure crisis. But we should. Instead of following the
money, we should pay attention to the human side of the crisis. In
this third year of the mortgage tsunami, while we debate about who
profited and which federal agencies should have better monitoring, we
ignore how people now choose between buying medicine for chronic
illnesses and mortgage payments, or paying rent after foreclosure, and
how communities are dying. On the ground, agencies that offer
financial literacy workshops for current owners and potential buyers,
mortgage loan consultations, legal aid advice for those in foreclosure,
and bankruptcy counseling may prevent future catastrophes, but short
term, they are ill prepared to respond to the human suffering, and
provide professional mental health counseling or make referrals.
To the rescue is a small group of community based researchers at the
University of Minnesota’s Urban Research and Outreach/Engagement
Center. They are following the people. Since 2008, University faculty,
staff, and community researchers, the UROC Action Planning Team (UROC
ART), have looked behind the money to learn how people’s health and
wellness are affected. Click to read more ( http://www.insightnews.com/business/6389-the-human-face-of-the-mortgage-foreclosure-crisis)
Photo Courtesy of Top10list.com
Posted In : Public Engagement
August 31, 2010
 First
you see the hoodies, a few gold chains, then you hear the sounds of hip
hop grooves and beats. Then you see the faces of giant hamsters
speaking in hip hop’s rhythmic vernacular about “This or That.” There
is no question that the voices behind the animals are intended to
represent African American brothers kicking it in the hood. While
Kia’s website ( http://www.kia.com/#/soul/explore/videos/?cid=sem&ppc=y)
says that the animals are hamsters, if you don’t know the difference,
they look like Rats. Dressed in styles and doing movements associated
with America’s Black urban youth, Kia Soul represents a new low in
television advertising.
Photo Courtesy of Kia Soul
Posted In : Why Anthropology
August 3, 2010
A Blow to African
American Cultural Preservation
Dear Friends and Colleagues,
I write to you to inform you of a great
loss. Avery Clayton, curator of the
Mamie Clayton Library and Museum in Culver City, CA died on Thanksgiving Day
( after November 26, 2009. Many of you may not know Avery, nor may you have heard of
the Clayton Library and Museum. For the last four years, Avery devoted his life
and his art to carrying out the legacy his mother left to African American
children and people.
Mamie Clayton began collecting books,
manuscripts and other examples of African Americans' contribution to American
culture and the preservation of African and African American culture. She
believed emphatically that *"To know where you’re going, you have to know
where you’ve been.”
*According to Avery, she wanted black children
to know that they had come from a people rich in culture and history. With her
own resources, she amassed the only collection of archival materials, films, books,
slave records, etc on African Americans on the West Coast, and the largest
private collection owned by African Americans in the country--and possibly the
world.
An artist in his own right, he sold his own
paintings to fund the initial start up of the MCLM. He was not deterred by
funders and others who questioned why he "didn't just give the collection
to somebody," a coded way of suggesting he turn over the collection to
white institutions such as the Library of Congress. Avery stood firm. He
believed that having a private collection, owned by and managed by African
Americans was a way to help heal the racial rift in this culture, and a way to
affirm the valuable contributions of a people much maligned.
I was privileged to have known Avery when I was
a program officer at the Ford Foundation. He received a small grant from Ford,
and continued to seek funding. I write you to encourage you to follow the
future development of MCLM. It will need all of our support. I last saw him at
the beginning of October, and had the privilege of witnessing the
transformation he already had made happen with the Museum. Whenever Avery
spoke, his gentleness and passion for making his mother's vision, and his own,
a reality, inspired all who heard him.
Be inspired yourself. As the year closes out and
you think about a gift you can make that will go on giving, I urge you to
consider the Mamie Clayton Library and Museum. If you have ideas about
potential funders that will make this library and museum continue to live as a
testament to Mamie and Avery Clayton's vision, please pass the information on to them.
I write this to you from my heart. The Museum has not asked for any support. I
write this note to you because I believe in the vision of both Mamie Clayton
and her son, the late Avery Clayton. I write this because I believe every culture has
a right to know its own value and worth, and to be the keepers of its own
history. I write this to you because I believe in legacy-making.
Avery became a grand champion of his mother's legacy:
(http://panafricannews.blogspot.com/2006/12/dr-mayme-agnew-clayton-black-history.html)
~
You can find information about the holdings of
the museum on two segments of the history detectives
(http://www.iptv.org/video/detail.cfm/3430/hide_20090304_slave_songbook).
Contact Information for the Mamie Clayton
Library and Museum
Contact us at: info@claytonmuseum.org
Website: http://www.claytonmuseum.org
(310)202-1647 Phone (310)202-5464 Fax
http://www.laobserved.com/archive/2009/11/avery_clayton_curator_of.php
http://www.claytonmuseum.org/documents/MCLMNewsletter05-06.2008.pdf
Pass the word to preserve this African American
treasure.
Peace, Irma
Original date: November 28,2009
~Photo Opt Courtesy of: Latimesblog.com
Posted In : A Moment in Time
| |
