Congratulations AA&AS 2021 Graduates

B.A., African American & African Studies and Journalism

What is a memorable book, author, film, talk or other artwork that you recall from a course you took in African American & African studies and why? 
A memorable film that I had to view in African American & African Studies was White Scripts and Black Supermen because I'm a comic book
lover and that Kanopy film opened my eyes to how race played a factor in comic books.

What advice do you have for other students when it comes to reaching your goal of graduating?
Keep grinding and know that your hard work will pay off because the universe will reward you with what you put in, which is what you deserve. Also, try to be optimistic because happy thoughts will take you a long way.
 

B.A., African American & African Studies, and Sociology of Law, Criminology and Deviance

*Selected to join Phi Beta Kappa, one of the nation’s most prestigious academic honor societies

What is a memorable book, author, film, talk or other artwork that you recall from a course you took in African American & African studies and why?
Everything read in Dr. Rose Brewer's classes! Long answer, Revolutionary Mothering: Love on the Front Lines, edited by Alexis Pauline Gumbs, Mai'a Williams and China Martens that we read for Ways of Knowing. This is the book (and class) that made me realize that I was in the right major. Understanding that theory can come from anyone and be put into any form was one of the most important lessons I learned as both a Black Feminist and a scholar. This book reaffirmed my beliefs and passion toward accessibility and highlighting frontline voices as well as everything the book taught me about gender, mothering, and liberation. 

What advice do you have for other students when it comes to reaching your goal of graduating?
Don’t let a racist, imperialist, capitalist institution define you or discourage you. This was one of the most difficult lessons that I learned (well, am still learning) while struggling to get this degree. Despite everything that academia tells you, people are more than the papers they write or the grades they receive or their classmates’ perceptions of them. In one form or another, one day you’ll leave the University as yourself, not a product of an institution. Education is a tool: don’t let it make itself more than that.

B.A., in Strategic Communications with a minor in African American & African Studies and a certificate Teaching English as a Second Language

What is a memorable book, author, film, talk or other artwork that you recall from a course you took in African American & African studies and why? The film that immediately comes to mind when I think of my African American & African Studies courses is The Colonial Misunderstanding, a 2004 documentary by Jean-Marie Téno. I love this film because it touched on the true nature of ignorance that contributed to the enslavement of Africans in a perspective that I had never heard before [at least, not in a formal academic environment]. Téno invalidated sentiments like the White man's burden and helped to portray the general grossness of the transatlantic slave movement by mentioning the intentional avoidance of African powers at the Berlin Conference and other instances. I remember feeling like "wow, this is the kind of history that should be taught to junior high and high school students: the real, whole truth." Other works I enjoyed include The Legend of Keita, La Noire, and Dawn by Octavia E. Butler. 

What advice do you have for other students when it comes to reaching your goal of graduating?
Build real connections with professors and advisors. Do not suffer in silence. Tell your family and faculty when you are struggling and give them the chance to support you. Be bold and stay curious: ask questions and seek out experience whenever possible, as early [in your studies] as possible. Finally, do not get caught up in what everyone else is doing; nobody is perfect. The four-year finish is not as important as finishing your degree with confidence.

B.A., History with minors in African American & African Studies, English, and Teaching English as a Second Language

What is a memorable book, author, film, talk or other artwork that you recall from a course you took in African American & African studies and why?
I really appreciated reading and discussing Franz Fanon’s The Wretched of the Earth for Dr. Rose Brewer’s Black Visions of Liberation. I also really enjoyed reading Good Morning Comrades with Dr. Njeri Githire. I read this text during my first semester, and it informed many of the ideas for my senior thesis. 

What advice do you have for other students when it comes to reaching your goal of graduating?
Find out and dig into what really matters to you. What really matters might be the only thing sometimes that will motivate you to study and keep at it. Reach out to your professors, rely on your community, and use the library. The library can be a really good place.

B.A., Global Studies with a minor in African American & African Studies

What is a memorable book, author, film, talk or other artwork that you recall from a course you took in African American & African studies and why? /
A memorable book for me will be The Next Factory in the World, How Chinese Investment is Reshaping Africa by Irene Yuan Sun. It was a book I read in my Contemporary China-Africa Relations class (taught by Professor Tade Okediji). I really liked this book because while reading it I realized how much potential the African continent has.

What advice do you have for other students when it comes to reaching your goal of graduating?
The advice I have is to stick it out. There are times that you want to give up and just drop out or fail your classes due to various reasons, but don't do that. Push yourself and finish what you started. It's worth it at the end.

B.A., African American & African American Studies, and minors in Gender, Women and Sexuality Studies, and French

*Selected to join Phi Beta Kappa, one of the nation’s most prestigious academic honor societies

What is a memorable book, author, film, talk or other artwork that you recall from a course you took in African American & African studies and why?
I came into college with a base level appreciation of Toni Morrison after reading Sula when I was in high school. However, being reintroduced to her through the texts Beloved and The Bluest Eye cemented her ways of thinking into my own. I continually found myself inspired to communicate and verbalize my own ideas with the radically honest approach that Morrison is so well known for. Morrison was able to encapsulate my experiences as not only a Black woman but someone who is queer as well in a way that no other author has been able to replicate to this day. 

What advice do you have for other students when it comes to reaching your goal of graduating?
I attribute 100% of my college success to the fact that I chose a path that was personal and relevant to me. I think incoming students need to know that they are deserving of remedying the harms of an unrepresentative K-12 education by picking courses and majors that directly reflect themselves and their own experiences. Almost every AFRO course I took felt like much more than just a course, within a classroom, within a campus. The fact that what we learned was something that was already innate knowledge, to myself and many other peers who looked and lived like me, made it possible to see college as more than just a pathway to graduation but instead a path towards more self-appreciation, self-understanding, and communal support. 
 

B.A., Political Science with a minor in African American & African Studies

What is a memorable book, author, film, talk or other artwork that you recall from a course you took in African American & African studies and why?
A book that was memorable to me is the one that introduced intersectionality. This was the first book I ever read in an AA&AS course (taught by Dr. Brewer). I remember realizing how much I didn’t know and how much more there was for me to learn, all of which led me to want to take more courses in AA&AS! 

What advice do you have for other students when it comes to reaching your goal of graduating?
My advice for other students working towards graduation is to get to know your professors because there is so much to learn from them. It will make your courses feel more achievable when you have relationships with your professors. 

B.A., Sociology of Law, Criminology, & Deviance, with a minor in African American & African Studies

What is a memorable book, author, film, talk or other artwork that you recall from a course you took in African American & African studies and why?
A memorable book that I will always remember is Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates. The reason why this book stuck with me is because it resonated with the events happening around me. Every time I hear about police brutality and even just a Black man being in harm’s way, I think about this book and its importance. 

What advice do you have for other students when it comes to reaching your goal of graduating?
The advice I would give other students is simply, the sky is the limit & don’t stop until you reach it. Don’t do it for the ‘hood, but do it for yourself. 

B.A., Sociology and Political Science, Minor in African American & African Studies

What is a memorable book, author, film, talk or other artwork that you recall from a course you took in African American & African studies and why?
A memorable book for me was Out of Oakland by Sean L. Malloy. It focused on the impact of the Black Panther Party. I was inspired by the massive civil service efforts that the Party mobilized, providing meals for children before schools, spearheading voter registration initiatives, and giving classes on politics, race, economics, and other issues pertinent to community success. 

What advice do you have for other students when it comes to reaching your goal of graduating?
Being successful is sometimes all about knowing when to ask for help. Your community and the resources available in your department can really help you along your journey at the U.

B.A., African American & African Studies with a minor in Sociology

What is a memorable book, author, film, talk or other artwork that you recall from a course you took in African American & African studies and why?
One memorable book I recall from a course I took was The Autobiography of Malcolm X because it was captivating, insightful, eye-opening, and inspiring. It taught me things I didn't know about, and it changed the way I thought/think about race struggles in America. 

What advice do you have for other students when it comes to reaching your goal of graduating?
To upcoming students, if you ever feel like you are struggling in your coursework, ask for help. There are free tutoring services and most professors are happy to help you during office hours if you ask them. 
 

B.A., Theatre Arts & Sociology of Law, Criminology, and Deviance with a minor in African American & African Studies

What is a memorable book, author, film, talk or other artwork that you recall from a course you took in African American & African studies and why?
A memorable book I read in the Civil Rights and Black Power Movement course with Dr. Assata Kokayi was The Sword and the Shield: The Revolutionary Lives of Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr. by Peniel E. Joseph. This book was memorable because it really highlights how these two in a way needed each other to create the change they did during their time. It also really exposed me to how whitewashed our education surrounding Malcolm X really is. 

What advice do you have for other students when it comes to reaching your goal of graduating?
My advice for other students when it comes to reaching the goal of graduating is to always remember your reason. For me, there were so many times that I felt like I wanted to stop or that I couldn't do it but I kept grounding myself in the reason why I wanted to be in the spaces that I was in. It helped me immensely during these times of imposter syndrome to always remember that not only are you deserving of your spot here but you have rightfully earned it as well. Keep pushing and remember that since your reason was strong enough to get you to where you are now, it is definitely strong enough to keep you going.

B.A., in History and English, with a minor in African American & African Studies