Notes on Strand Bookstore

 
We made our visit to the Strand Bookstore in New York City recently. Our Fellows seemed to really enjoy the experience. They provided a few reflections on their experience.

The Strand Bookstore is a compelling, universal center of intellectual power. Not only can the resource be used for research and academic pursuits, but the store features a diverse selection of reading materials that can appeal to the diverse interests of educators,  writers, musicians and others. An English Education major should visit the Strand Bookstore because it provides a wealth of resources to enhance one's critical thinking skills through the wide selection of books and other educational resources. --Candace Chambers

18 miles and 4 floors of "nerdy" paper goodness, the Strand Bookstore caters to any scholar or book enthusiast! I was extremely impressed not only by how many books were there but also by the rare book collection and the helpful staff. Everyone should visit the store and spend a little time to find classic texts for their collection or find new books to explore.  --Alesia Alexander

The strand bookstore serves a unique place in the culture and value system of New York. It's presence and thriving existence exemplifies New York's value on the importance of reading and the further expansion of knowledge, from the classics to the contemporary. It's strong tradition to not only sell books that are used and books that are new further shows it's mission to preserve and promote the need of texts that will forever change society. --Deontez Wimbley

The moment I entered The Strand book store I was overwhelmed with joy from the large number of books present. As an avid reader and lover of words, I felt like a "kid in a candy store" and had no idea where to begin tackling this store which holds eight-teen miles of books. The most wonderful parts about visiting The Strand are, even among four floors of literature, I was able to identify each section, not get lost, and find scholarly book that you only over hear professors discussing. --Amber Walker

Eighteen miles of books, but more sentences, and more words: The Strand is truly a unique place in the Union Square area. Independent bookstores are a dying breed, but amongst academics, that rare book—limited edition—signed copy of a Joyce or Wright work is worth the commute and more importantly the price. The atmosphere—filled with fiction lovers, sci-fi geeks, and Shakespeare fiends—is rare because everyone has a passion for knowledge and creativity, and as a scholar being surrounding by those attributes is essential to crafting our own works and studies. ​--Josalynn J. Smith

Related:
• AALCI 2014

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AALCI in New York City 2014

We traveled with our 5th cohort on our annual scholarly excursion to New York City. What follows are a few images from the trip.

Moody's photos of Rambsy

I'm usually the one taking photographs, but here are a couple that Joycelyn Moody snapped of me while we were at the African Burial Ground in NYC.

Related:
• AALCI 2014

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Poster presentations

Today, our Fellows organized a poster presentation where they shared aspects of their developing research projects.

More information on presentations 
• Alesia Alexander
• Candace Chambers
• Mariah Hill
• Josalynn Smith
• Amber Walker

Related:
• AALCI 2014

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Deontez Wimbley's poster presentation

By Deontez Wimbley

My research is concerned with how literal young gay men interpret scripture, and how does that interpretation of scripture affect either negatively or positively their attitude towards sexuality. I am very interested in the population of young men who have exhibit a high level or scriptural literalism and a high positive attitude toward sexuality. My interest is situated around he how they negotiate scriptures that explicitly have references to homosexuality and have been traditionally used by the Christian church as evidence for why homosexuality is wrong.

I am interested in this project because according to the Pew Research Center African Americans show to have the highest level of scriptural literalism and are the less progressive on issues of sexuality. Unfortunately the Pew Research doesn't control for sexuality, and I want to know how is the gay male portion of the African American community situated in this data. Also, I'm curious as to how this marginalized sexuality demographic navigate spaces characterized by biblical literalism and anti homosexual.

Related:
• AALCI 2014

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Josalynn Smith's poster presentation

By Josalynn Smith

My project concerns the discourse that college-educated Black women are engaging with on the blogosphere. Analyzing blogs written by this demographic of Black women shows that blogs can be comparable to the literature Black women create. What connects the two mediums is the “African Aesthetic.”

Some critics consider novels written by Black women to be “autobiographies” because novel writing is privileged and the “African Aesthetic” roots the works of Black women writers in a personal truth. The “African Aesthetic” is seen on contemporary blogs; however, I hypothesize that the blogs are more candid about the authorship and the viewpoints of the writer than the offline print works from Black women. It seems as though the Internet gives Black women unforeseen agency that is not possible in print sources.

Related:
• AALCI 2014

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Alesia Alexander's presentation

Alesia Alexander

For my AALCI project I chose to research white womens and black womens relationships in the 19th Century, specifically white women who were wives of slave owning husbands and enslaved African American women. I looked at these relationships through slave narratives, interviews, and scholarly essays and then used that information to analyze the modern day historical fiction novel Property by Valerie Martin. Through historical and scholarly texts and the historical fiction novel there are many instances of violence from white women inflicted on black women, even though this relationship is less acknowledged in history.

I became interested in this research because the dynamics of the plantation household is interesting to me, especially the relationships between the different people. I am interested womens relationships because romantic interracial relationships are a hot topic in media today, but interracial/cross cultural friendships are not as visible. Investigating this research and learning about the mindset of some of these women sheds light on how these relationships were in the past and how future research could possibly relate to today's relationships between women.

Related:
• AALCI 2014

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Mariah Hill on poster presentation

By Mariah Hill

My research highlights a recent policy enforced by the Unites States military banning black women from sporting natural hairstyles. I also recognize the direct connection to social media and its influence on image and politics. I used the recent example of the U.S. Army's new hair policy and the wave created by social media in pushing for social equality and promoting cultural acceptance.

I choose this topic to recognize the value of modern technology in today's advanced way of communicating and to show that cultural acceptance is a prominent issue being influenced by politics and through digital technology. Rapidly finding and sharing information has allowed many people the opportunity to speak, create their own opinion, and express their ideas with others of interest. As a result of my findings, I expose the importance of natural black hair care along with the consequences of creating identity barriers.

Related:
• AALCI 2014

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Candace Chambers' poster presentation

By Candace Chambers

My project explores why Young Adult (YA) African American fiction appeals to the specific reading interests of black girls ages 10-15. My research analyzes Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry (1976), The Skin I’m In (2000), and November Blues (2007) because the novels feature black, female protagonists who encounter issues such as racial identity and teenage pregnancy. My research suggests that when black girls identify with the texts, they may be more inclined to engage those works and in the process strengthen their literacy skills.

I am interested in this project because I hope that my research can enlighten educators on the importance of presenting YA African American fiction to black girls between the ages of 10-15. The availability of YA African American fiction novels within classroom libraries can present opportunities for black girls to have the option of leisurely reading texts they can identify with. I hope an increase in reading among black girls can cause an increase in their literacy skills and cause a decrease in the number of African American students performing at or below the basic level on standardized reading tests.


Related:
• AALCI 2014

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Amber Walker's poster presentation

By Amber Walker

Since the presidency of Barack Obama, many scholars have began to question whether or not racism in America has become less vocalized and more hidden among Americans due to the possible feel of contentment and comfort brought by the first African American president. Utilizing Tim Wise's book, Between Barack and Hard Place, this research seeks to answer the question of whether the willingness to address racism among Black and White Americans has decreased since the presidency of Barack Obama. Through this research, I challenge the thought that by not addressing racism, we are in fact birthing a newer form of racism.

My purpose for choosing this research is to increase awareness among Americans about the ability to erect barriers on people of color. I chose to use Tim Wise's book because he articulates critical questions throughout his books. He articulates that barriers are placed on African Americans who do not conform into the archetype of Barack Obama--a black man who millions of White Americans can identify and relate.

Related:
• AALCI 2014

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Fellows prepare for poster session

This afternoon, the Fellows continued preparing for their poster presentation.

Related:
• AALCI 2014

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The value of bringing a broad group of students together

If you ask our Institute founder Joycelyn Moody or our coordinator Erin Ranft, or even me what the major benefit of our program is, we'll likely start talking about what we do to prepare students for advanced study beyond college. We might also be inclined to supply you with the numbers of students from our program who have gone on to graduate schools. Those are important aspects of our program.

Lately, though, I've started thinking that we've been overlooking a basic yet really important function of the Institute: the program brings together a range of students from various universities to cover black studies topics.

Oddly enough, such gatherings happen infrequently. Sure, diverse groups of students get together for social events (i.e. spring break in Cancun; HU's homecoming). But to discuss black studies?

Responses to Nikki Giovanni and Lucille Clifton

Responses to Nikki Giovanni's "Ego Tripping."

Self-distinction and cultural-recognition create the image Nikki Giovanni was inspired to display in her poem “Ego Tripping.” She uses the knowledge of preliminary events, recognized throughout history, to clarify her existence as an original creation. The declaration of self-identity nurtures the power to abolish any manmade perception. --Mariah Hill

It is important for readers to pay close attention to the images of place and authority Nikki Giovanni uses throughout the poem. Readers should analyze how Giovanni personifies herself and members of kinship into those of global royalty and perfection. Readers can also analyze Giovanni's continuous use of personal pronouns with a verb immediately following and how this rhetorical technique epitomizes the grandeur of the speaker's abilities and ego. --Candace Chambers

Queenship and strength are prevalent concepts throughout Nikki Giovanni's "Ego Tripping'." Nikki Giovanni has given the reader an opportunity to journey through history’s most influential beginnings and pose as the creator. In this piece, she demands, "I cannot be comprehended except by my permission" to remind us that none can say anything to remove our queenship. --Amber Walker

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Responses to Lucille Clifton's "won't you celebrate with me"

The central struggle of “won’t you celebrate with me” is the environment. The speaker was “born in babylon,” which has a negative connotation, but also survives in a place that seems to be calculated for her demise, which could very well be America. —Josalynn Smith

Readers should take note of the intentional missing capitalization as apart of Lucille Clifton's style and meaning in "wont you come celebrate with me". Clifton doesn't capitalize "Babylon" a historical and biblical reference, downplaying the importance of the place as compared to the speaker who is "both nonwhite and woman". This works with the overall theme of black women's power and greatness throughout the poem. --Alesia Alexander

What is sign finis what has become a life of hers. Being a survivor is not just something she has done or accomplished, it's the way she lives. Asking questions of what that life looks like is an essential piece to understanding the poem. --Deontez Q. Wimbley

Related:
• AALCI 2014

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Responses to Lucille Clifton and Jayne Cortez

Responses to Lucille Clifton's "Homage to My Hips"

Bodily integrity and the cult of true Womanhood emerges from the lyrics of Lucille Clifton’s poem “Homage to my Hips.” Her metaphorically-resistant notion embodies the female’s infinite strength. The repetition and symbolism of her hips celebrates the physical characteristics of a woman and explains distinctly how the essence of a woman is unimaginably powerful. --Mariah Hill

In Lucille Clifton's "homage to my hips" the ownership of body is a running theme. The act of a Black woman claiming her physicality, "these hips have never been enslaved," may be a form of protest, or at least a deviation from Black women not being the owners of their objects—their bodies. --Josalynn Smith

Be sure to look for the different contexts “hips” are used for. Not only the physical body features, hips are used in reference to relationships with men and women. The speakers hips are known to “put a spell on a man” and also “don't fit into little petty places”, signifying to the stereotype of white women's hips. --Alesia Alexander

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Responses to Jayne Cortez's “I am New York City”

Haughtiness is a very strong concept throughout this poem. Cortez seems to have a strong sense of pride for being a New Yorker, but there is also an aroma of disdain throughout the poem while she is revealing stereotypical norms in New York City. – Amber Walker

Readers should analyze the poem as a persona of New York City and incorporate the multifaceted descriptions into the interpretation. Readers should also compare the images of the city to the descriptions of the body parts. Readers should see how Cortez incorporates the positive and negative attitudes and atmosphere of the city to create a completed unit of a poem, which is representative of the city as a whole. – Candace Chambers

It is key to understand how New York is personified in both body parts and body functions. Both are reoccurring themes throughout the poems. What is essential about the body parts and functions are the modifiers or nouns associated with them. For example, hot sauce and brains, confetti and flesh, nose and soot. – Deontez Wimbley

Related:
• AALCI 2014

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Responses to Amiri Baraka's poetry

Today, we read and listened Amiri Baraka's "Jungle Jim Flunks His Screen Test," "Dope," and "Digging Max." What follows are responses to the poems, and suggestions from the Fellows on what to look and listen for while covering the pieces.

"Jungle Jim Flunks His Screen Test"

Readers should explore how Amiri Baraka applies descriptions of a multifaceted "ugly" throughout his poem "Jungle Jim Flunks His Screen Test." They should seek to understand how Baraka 'plays the dozens' on the ugliness of political figures and capitalism, and also through his use of menacing images as he describes comparisons to ugly. Readers should analyze the purpose of the poem as Baraka shows how the unstated 'You' is stained by the various falsities of the world.- Candace Chambers

Amiri Baraka's "Jungle Jim Flunks His Screen Test" uses swift lines within mountainous stanzas to critique the outcomes of Colonialism in a ruthless, yet whimsical manner. The middle of the 8th stanza,"You think stealing make you better/looking,. Lying gives you an orgasm. Only Pain make/you smile," followed by, "'Nature made me like this,' You Say./Naturally everything denies it," in the final stanza suggests the desire to colonize and rule over others is unnatural. Furthermore, when examining those lines, Baraka offers that Whiteness, thought to be the pinnacle of society and humanity, is the least natural phenomena on earth because of the destruction it caused. - Josalynn Smith

"Dope"

In Amiri Baraka’s poem “Dope” look for the phrase “must be the devil” as an ironic reference to popular white leaders and the white community. The poems speakers style is that of a black preacher, claiming that the corruption in the black communities is because of the “devil” not the white leaders. However after the speaker claims it “must be the devil” he names specific white leaders or government officials, showing how he really sees the white people as the true evil. --Alesia Alexander

To understand the lime one really has to question themselves on how they understand New Media, preaching, and anything that they have been told. Once they have really thought about that, then they need to think of ways in which that could be wrong or distorted. --Deontez Q. Wimbley

"Digging Max"

Reverence, admiration, and recollection are just a few concepts that appear in Baraka's "Digging Max." This piece stands as a form of appreciation and thanks to those who stand firm in Black consciousness. Amiri Baraka stated, "Thats why we call him Max, the ultimate, the furthest star. the eternal, the visible invisible, the message from afar," to reveal to us that Max is an image of the immortality of the Black conscience. --Amber Walker

In "Digging Max," Baraka is a radical a poet incorporating jazz and rhythmic repetition to deliver a powerful message about black consciousness. He uses cataloging of many black jazz musicians and a lot of black verbal culture to relate to his audience. Both his message and delivery are explosive in his performance, signifying examples of arcane black theology. --Mariah Hill

Related:
• AALCI 2014

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It takes a village to produce a book

When she's not directing the Institute or working with graduate students or serving on a professional committee, Joycelyn Moody squeezes in time to write and edit books and articles. Yesterday, I was fortunate enough to catch the moment when Moody shared her newest book Memoirs of Elleanor Eldridge with UTSA research services librarian Tara Schmidt and rare books librarian Juli McLoone.

During the time that she's worked on this specific project, Moody has continually mentioned to me how helpful Schmidt and McLoone have been at every stage of the process. Moody was pleased to show them the finished product. The librarians were surprised and honored to see that their names showed up in the acknowledgements.

But of course Moody recognized them with that public acknowledgement -- a reminder that it takes a village to transform an extensive research project into a book.

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• AALCI 2014

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Experts in action: UTSA's Tara Schmidt and Juli McLoone

Tara Schmidt and Juli McLoone in listen/think mode as Fellows share research projects

Yesterday, research services librarian Tara Schmidt and rare books librarian Juli McLoone led a session with our Institute Fellows. The Schmidt & McLoone library session has become an integral, recurring component  of our program.

Schmidt began by hipping us to several online databases and resources. Her presentation was especially helpful since so many of us fall into habits when we do searches online. Schmidt made the group aware of new and unfamiliar sites that we might consult for our research. She also unknowingly provided me with a "wish list" of databases that I plan to submit to the library at my home institution.

McLoone introduces exercise on special collections

McLoone prompted us to think about the production of data, and she also led an exercise where we considered what items to keep or discard for special collections. The exercise led to extended and excited discussions about the politics of preserving and forgetting.

One of my favorite parts about the annual meeting with Schmidt and McLoone occurs when they ask the Fellows about their research projects. As the Fellows share what they are planning, Schmidt and McLoone go into problem solving mode. They ask questions that lead the students to refine their research projects and then the librarians begin to offer suggestions for resources and databases to consult.

Some years ago, I pursued a research project on the meanings of expertise. Every year when I see Tara Schmidt and Juli McLoone listening to and then posing questions to the Fellows, I realize that I'm watching experts in action.

Related:
• AALCI 2014
• It takes a village to produce a book  
• Tara Schmidt, Juli McLoone & AALCI, 2010 - 2014 
• Tara Schmidt and those Clarifying Questions (2013)
• DH special collections librarian or special collections DH scholar? (2013)
• AALCI Fellows meet with UTSA Librarians (2013)
• Fellows Visit UTSA Library (2012)
• Librarians Empowering Young Researchers (2011)
• Researchers in Action (2010)

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Tara Schmidt, Juli McLoone & AALCI, 2010 - 2014

We've run our Institute for 5 years now, and during that time, UTSA research services librarian Tara Schmidt and rare books librarian Juli McLoone have become mainstays, working with our Fellows each year. Here's a quick glance back Schimdt and McLoone leading sessions for our groups over the years.

Juli McLoone, 2010

Tara Schmidt, 2010

McLoone 2011

Schmidt, 2011

6 ways of looking at a slave ship

In the belly of the slave ship, there are souls trapped inside of bodies, lined up in pews of wayward submission to a new god, also known as the Americas. At the bow a savoir stands bestowing unnecessary mercies into ignorant and wicked hands that cast no favor on the souls in bondage. –Josalynn Smith

The diagram of the slave ship is a visual representation of the system of economic gain by slaveholders. When I view the diagram, I imagine the unbearable bodily orders, the sounds of clenching iron collars for the rebellious, and the sharks’ trail of death lingering behind the ships. Although the enslaved were packed helplessly as sardines in a can as vividly shown, many of these souls were less than destitute, although attempts were made to strip and threaten their sense of identity and purpose. –Candace Chambers

After seeing the slave ship image, I started to think about the unimaginable horrors committed against the people of Africa. While the multitude of these crimes continue to astound me, I'm also amazed on how far African Americans have come despite these tragedies. —Alesia Alexander

This image is a fossil of our history, and I see the souls that decorated the ships. I know my ancestors came on those ships, and I know MY blood is here because of those ships. –Mariah Hill

The breathtakingly painful image of a slave ship has the ability to force you to question the true motives of those enslavers. It is a reminder of the effects that greed, capitalism, and the thirst for Money and power can have on an entire world of people, affecting generations. Money is not the root of all evil, but the love of money is the root of all evil, and being able to pack a ship with humans toe to toe is proof. --Amber Walker

The ship was not a ship. It was a factory. The ship manufactured Africans by objectifying them and turning them into tools for the growth of a nation they could never call their own. –Deontez Wimbley

Related:
• AALCI 2014

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A glance at the 5 AALCI cohorts, 2010 - 2014

Here's a quick glance at the 5 AALCI cohorts, 2010 - 2014.

June 2010

June 2010

June 2010

June 2010

The AALCI Course Packet

 One subtle pedagogical innovation I made this summer was the development of a course packet. In the past, I distributed print-outs here and there throughout the duration of the Institute. But this time, I decided to experiment with a different approach.

I wanted to bring a body of materials and collected wisdom of past writings together in one document. This course packet represents the result. The contents include "partial chronologies" by established professors and past students; sample professional/personal statements; lists of critical approaches and keywords, a notebook on slavery and liberation, a timeline of African American poetry, and much more.

Related:
• AALCI 2014

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Joycelyn Moody welcomes the 5th AALCI cohort

In 2009, Joycelyn Moody convened a planning meeting that culminated with the outlines of the African American Literatures and Cultures Institute (AALCI). On June 6, 2010, she welcomed the first cohort of the AALCI, and on June 1, 2014, she welcomed the 5th cohort.

Joycelyn Moody and Fellow Alesia Alexander

Fellow Amber Walker and Joycelyn Moody

Moody speaks with Fellows.

Related:
• AALCI 2014

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Alesia Alexander

By Amber Walker and Deontez Wimbley

Scholarship, service, and leadership are just a few words to describe this phenomenal young woman. Born and raised in the historic city of Detroit, Michigan, Alesia Alexander is making her mark as someone who is committed to making a positive difference wherever she goes.

Alesia is a natural born leader, and she continues to prove that through her volunteer work at Grand Valley State University. She reigns as president of You Beautiful Black Woman, secretary of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority Inc., coordinator for Zetas Helping Other People Excel, and is a site coordinator for Team 21, an organization that helps at-risk youth, in Wyoming, Michigan.

“When I walk on campus, people seem unhappy with what they are studying. I found something I love,” she says.

Alesia is a determined student of African American Studies, with research interests in the Slave Era. She plans to use this field of study to become a professor. There is no doubt that the university she chooses to educate at will be lucky, because Alesia is the definition of “Finer Womanhood.”

Related:
• AALCI 2014

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Mariah Hill

By Josalynn Smith and Amber Walker

Passionately pursuing a degree in Communications and Africana Studies, Mariah Hill is a scholar who stands incomparable to others. Although Mariah attends the University of Arizona, she hails from Mississippi, Florida, New Mexico, Guam, Georgia, Texas, California, and Arizona, wearing the crown of a military brat.

The place that she enjoyed living the most is Guam. Adapting to new lifestyles is something Mariah has a knack for.

Mariah lives by a few truths on her spiritual journey through life. She believes in finding a reason to smile each day. She embraces herself and what she loves, doing everything with a passion.

“I chose Africana Studies because I felt incomplete and unconscious,” she says.

Much like her favorite animal, the elephant, Mariah is distinguished by her mental strength, steadfastness, responsibility, and power that she plans to use to impact the world. There is no doubting her greatness.

Related:
• AALCI 2014

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Deontez Wimbley

By Mariah Hill and Candace Chambers

Deontez Wimbley is a one of a kind young man. Self-described as a Black, queer, Marxian, feminist, Deontez is a rising senior at Claflin University in Orangeburg, South Carolina. He is a Mellon Mays Undergraduate Research Fellow, studying sociology.

In 10 years, he hopes to become a tenured track professor conducting research in sociology at a minority-serving institution. He wants to have an impact on others due to his life experiences, including being raised by a single mother, growing up without a father, and experiencing marginalized sexual orientation. His messages to those with similar experiences are God loves you, too, you are somebody, and yes you can.

Not only has Deontez been motivated by his experiences but also by African American literature. One of his leading inspirations is author E. Lynn Harris, whose concentration focuses on self-identity. He is encouraged by the achievements of this bold black writer and the truisms, which also mirrors Deontez’ life.

When asked to compare himself to an animal, Deontez found he relates most to the chameleon. They are creatures that are able to blend in and adapt well in their environment. Holistically, Deontez’s academic background, personal experiences and accomplishments display his character’s versatility and adaptability.

If Deontez could deliver a national message he would say, “This world is not just about you,” hoping individuals of all gender, race and religion can unify for a greater purpose. Deontez’s purpose is to change the negative circumstances of those who share common experiences and positively impact the social perception.

“Not only can you Be, you can Do,” he says.

Related:
• AALCI 2014

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Amber Walker

By Mariah Hill and Alesia Alexander

“As a college scholar, I am a critical thinker. I’m always observing and thinking!”

Amber Walker is a bright, senior at University of Texas at San Antonio from Houston, TX. She is studying Multi-Disciplinary Studies with concentrations in Political Science, Communications, and French.

What makes Amber unique is the fact that she embraces everyone whole heartedly not letting anyone’s difference effect the impact she want to have on their lives.

Amber became the matriarch of the family at a young age. She was determined to make a better life for herself and for the wellbeing of her 11 nieces and nephews. Her journey to success is inspired by her willingness to help and give unto others. The biggest impact she wants to make is to help her people become more literate. Not just the sense of books but culturally and politically literate. She feels it is her calling to educate her people so more are conscious to the world they live in.

The fear of leaving the African American community “hanging” has inspired her to positively impact others. Amber would want the world to know “Me We” quoted by Muhammad Ali, in a sense that we are all one, and once we realize that, more effective, positive and united change can be made.

Related:
• AALCI 2014

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Josalynn Smith

By Deontez Wimbley and Candace Chambers

Hailing from St. Louis, Missouri, Josalynn Smith is in pursuit to establish herself as a true scholar activist. She is an English major and French and Anthropology double minor at Washington University in St. Louis. This rising junior is also a Mellon Mays Undergraduate Research Fellow interested in studying black women in social media.

“Adaptability and fluidity of essence makes you whole and makes you more human.”

Not only is Josalynn climbing her way up the Ivory Tower and rubbing elbows with Ph.D’s, she is also very committed to being visible to all people. One way in which she stays visible is by being a documentarian. The purpose and impact of her documentaries are very important to her; she has worked on documentaries about human trafficking, Jim Crow, and the industrialized prison complex.

Outside of conducting research and filming documentaries, Josalynn enjoys playing the guitar, photography, and watching Netflix. She draws inspiration from Melissa Harris Perry and other profound philosophical minds. Her warm presence and intelligent, critical conversations prove Josalynn as a soaring scholar, ready to take on any challenge that comes her way.

Related:
• AALCI 2014

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Candace Chambers

 
By Alesia Alexander and Josalynn Smith

"I hate the term ‘over achiever,’ but I always try to succeed at any task given to me."

Candace Chambers is familiar with hard work and high expectations. This great mind is a senior from Jackson State University working towards a baccalaureate in English with a concentration in Education. She is a helpful and caring person and enjoys helping her peers, especially with opportunities for them to grow.

Candace describes herself as a leader. She is a part of four national honor societies and also spends a lot of time in her community. She really loves playing piano at her home church in Jackson, Mississippi.

Candace, a future educator, enjoys the culture of her institution. She says there’s an “opportunity for opportunities” at Jackson State University, which she is thankful for. She is eager to take advantage of those opportunities at her home institution; she would rather have wished she did not take a chance rather than wish she had taken it.

She strives to be more talkative and expressive, but she is constantly thinking and analyzing the world around her. This gospel pianist wants to be remembered as caring. Furthermore, in her future, she hopes to be impactful in her community.

Related:
• AALCI 2014

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Joycelyn Moody and the 2014 AALCI Fellows

On June 1, we welcomed the 2014 class of AALCI Fellows. We're excited to have this vibrant, talented group of young scholars. 

pictured from left to right:
Alesia Alexander (Grand Valley State)
Josalynn Smith (Washington University)
Amber Walker (University of Texas at San Antonio)
Jocelyn Moody, AALCI, founder & director 
Mariah Hill (University of Arizona)
Candace Chambers (Jackson State University)
Deontez Wimbley (Claflin University)

Related:
• AALCI 2014

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