Fall 2009 Class

Name

Biographies or Statements

Stephanie C. Armelin is from Baldwin, LA. She did her undergraduate work at Dillard University in New Orleans, LA where she majored in psychology. Stephanie received her BA degree in Psychology with honors in May 1996. Her research interests are education and the intellectual empowerment of (all) people of African descent, and how active involvement of individual communities will serve to empower people in Africa and the Caribbean, as well as the United States.

Stephanie hopes to create an organization that will be a viable educational tool in the global arena. This program, tentatively called E.C.C.E.L. (Every Child Can Enrich Lives), would be an international organization in which young people of African descent would be given the practical tools that are necessary to improve their health and well-being as well as those of others in their communities on both an intellectual and an economic level. Stephanie believes that when young people who truly have the desire to empower their communities take full advantage of the educational process, true progress will be made. E.C.C.E.L. will be centered around the idea that children should be our focus and that THEIR success should be our goal. But, the greater message of the program will be that the purpose of one's self-empowerment always must be to empower families, communities, and ultimately the world.

Upon completion of her MA degree in Pan African Studies, Stephanie plans to continue on to receive a PhD in African-American Studies.

Tanara Lynn Haynes

Tanara L. Haynes was born in Fort Hood, Texas and now resides in Waldorf, Maryland. She did her undergraduate work at Howard University in Washington, D.C. where she majored in Broadcast Journalism. Tanara received her BA degree in Broadcast with honors from Howard University in May of 2009. Her intentions are to learn about the history of blacks and to analyze how they are portrayed in the media through out the Diaspora.

Tanara hopes to travel the world and study more about African people. She believes that it is her duty and responsibility to bring about change in her community here in the states and abroad. Upon completion of her MA. degree in Pan African Studies, Tanara plans to focus on teaching full time in areas like Washington, D.C. She hopes to one day open up her own community center so that she can further help empower the black community.

Wilbert Mahenge is from Iringa, Tanzania. He received his B.A degree in Language Studies with honors, majoring in English and Swahili with a minor in French, from the University of Dar es Salaam in Tanzania in June 2007. From July 2007 to July 2008, Wilbert taught English and Swahili at a public high school in Tanzania. From August 2008 to May 2009 he was a Fulbright FLTA teaching Swahili at Syracuse University, Syracuse, New York.

Wilbert believes that, the best way to bring change in the community is through education. He is dedicated to working with academic institutions which serve the underprivileged people in the community. His long term goal is to be a writer and analyst and probably run a publication which will help to challenge the engraving policies in his country and the African people at large.

Amber Murrey-Ndewa

Amber Murrey-Ndewa is a poet, an activist and an ethnographer. She received her B.A. in Anthropology and Sociology from College of Idaho in 2008. Her research interest is visual art's influence on political and social identity formation in West and Central Africa, specifically an exploration of visual art as a tool for reconciliatory, cross-ethnic dialogue. In Yaoundé, Cameroon, she worked with her academic director to co-develop a grassroots community center, The Center for Communal Skills Building (www.ccsbcameroon.com), which is committed to building a meaningful future for impoverished Cameroonian youth by providing quality educational courses and pre-professional opportunities. Amber is currently continuing her social activism on a domestic level, as an AmeriCorps*VISTA in rural Montana, helping to ensure abused and neglected Native American children receive legal representation. Following completion of her MA in Pan African Studies, Amber intends on pursuing a Ph.D. in anthropology with a focus on West and Central Africa.

Ashley Neal

Ashley Neal is from Beaumont, Texas. She did her undergraduate work at the University of Houston where she majored in Psychology with a minor in Sociology. Ashley graduated and received her B.A. degree in Psychology in the Fall of 2008. Ashley plans to explore the psychology of the black experience and focus on improving the circumstances of black people.

Upon completion of her degree, Ashley plans to pursue a Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology. One day Ashley hopes to give back by opening up her own counseling psychology practice. She believes that mental health is extremely important and realizes the importance and need for social services in the black community. By understanding the dynamics of this diverse population, she will be able to offer a social service that could ultimately change and improve lives.

Chy'Na Nellon

Chy'Na Nellon is originally from Little Rock, AR. She did her undergraduate work at Lake Forest College in Lake Forest, IL. Chy'Na graduated in May of 2006 with a double major in Communications and Writing and a minor in African American Studies. In 2006 Chy'Na studied abroad with Semester at Sea, it was at this time that she discovered the importance of history and how it effects everything, in particular culture. It is her objective to encourage a deeper intellectural desire of black historical culture in the black community. She also has interest in the ties of culture and history across cultural lines as it pertains to intercultural relations. After finishing her Master's she intends to pursue her Ph.D.

Charmane M. Perry

Charmane M. Perry was born in Silver Spring, Maryland but raised in Philadelphia, PA. She spent her formative years at Girard College which had an extreme impact on her outlook and character. Charmane is a recent graduate of Temple University receiving her bachelor's degree in African American Studies.

As an undergraduate at Temple, she had the chance to assist in the development of the Young Black Activist Forum (educating the youth about reparations during N'COBRA's conference) as well as doing research related to dietary practices among Black Philadelphia residents. Although she is interested in many topics related to the African Diaspora experience, her primary research interests are Black sexuality and gender identity/socialization in the Black community.

Upon completing her master's in Pan African Studies, Charmane intends to do research, publish empirical and quality information, and tap into her creative side by writing and producing a documentary, as well as eventually pursuing a Ph.D. Charmane believes that success is limited only by your own imagination. Therefore, her aspirations are limitless.

Enkeshi R. Thom

Enkeshi R. Thom was born and raised in Guyana, a Caribbean country located on the coast of South America. At the age of twelve she moved to Atlanta, Georgia, and has lived there since. Enkeshi completed her undergraduate studies at Agnes Scott College in Decatur, Georgia where she double majored in Africana Studies and Psychology. Her experiences at Agnes Scott College filled with both successes and challenges have allowed her to grow into a socially aware, thoughtful and motivated young woman. An active member of her campus community she filled many leadership positions including Judicial Board Representative for her class, Committee of Student Multicultural Organizations Representative and President of the African West Indian Student Association.

Enkeshi's research interests include but are not limited to the experiences of black women within the African Diaspora and cultures of urban centers throughout the Diaspora. Upon completion of her MA degree in Pan African Studies, Enkeshi plans to pursue a PhD in Sociology and then go on to teach at the college level and work in the non-profit sector on women's issues in developing nations.

Dara Walker

Dara Walker was born and raised in Washington, D.C. She completed her undergraduate coursework in African American Studies at Eastern Michigan University where she received a B.S. with honors in April 2009. As a Ronald E. McNair Scholar, Dara recently published "Information Literacy and the Mic: Teaching Higher Education Students Critical Research Skills Using Hip Hop Lyricism" in the McNair Chronicles. She is an alumni member of Phi Sigma Pi National Coed Honor fraternity, an organization founded on the principles of scholarship, leadership, and fellowship. Dara has served as a social activist with organizations such as the Feminist Majority Foundation, EMU American Association of University Professors, and the EMU Center for Multicultural Affairs. Her most recent project includes developing EMU's first leadership institute for student leaders of color.

Dara's research interests include African American high school student activism in the 20th and 21st centuries, youth activism in the African Diaspora, and hip hop as a teaching tool in primary, secondary, and higher education classrooms. She hopes to collaborate with instructors in various disciplines to help students learn about history in a culturally relevant way. After Dara completes her M.A. in Pan African Studies, she will pursue a PhD in Library and Information Science because she believes that it is essential to help students learn how to find, analyze, and use information for raising political consciousness.

Fall 2008 Class

Name

Biographies or Statements

Alexandria Patrice Barabin

A native of Los Angeles, CA, Alexandria Patrice Barabin attended historic Crenshaw High School. Subsequently, she graduated from California State University, Northridge where she received her B.A. in Pan African Studies with an emphasis on Art and Literature. Additionally, she served as the Pan African Studies Writing Laboratory Instructor and the editor of the Hip Hop Think Tank, a student-led academic publication dedicated to deconstructing the sociological issues impacting Black youth culture. Alexandria will continue to explore the sociological and cultural nuances of the African Diaspora, including the examination of social and art movements' impact on higher education. After completing her PhD, Alexandria plans to become a full-time educator and writer as she continues to support social justice activism amongst young people of the Diaspora.

Remy Johnson

Remy Johnson is from Atlanta, Georgia by way of Chicago, Illinois. He earned a BA degree in African World Studies at Fort Valley State University in Fort Valley, Georgia with a concentration in African Literatures/Languages. Mr. Johnson has attended lectures at Cheik Anta Diop University in Dakar, Senegal; University of Cape Town in Cape Town, Azania (South Africa); and the University of Zimbabwe in Harare, Zimbabwe while participating in an independent study/study abroad experience.

Mr. Johnson's research interests extend to the unifying and liberating implications of land repossession on human development in the African world, and utilize history and literature to examine the affects of land displacement.

Mr. Johnson plans to build centers of education designed to serve children of the African Diaspora. These educational centers will use an African centered curriculum as a means of fostering an African identity in the children of the African Diaspora.

After SU, he plans to complete a Ph.D. in Pan African Studies, continue his professional writing career, teach, travel, develop a periodical to serve urban youth, and continue to build the nation.

Cory J. LaFevers

Cory J. LaFevers completed his undergraduate work at The University of Houston where, in May of 2008, he graduated with high honors and received a BA in History with University Honors in Major. In addition to being placed on the Dean's List in 2005, Cory has continually given guest lectures and presentations for the African American Studies Department since 2005. He was awarded a Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship through the Honors College in 2007, and in April, 2008, he successfully defended his Senior Honors Thesis, entitled The Sound of Revolution: Radio Free Dixie, Robert F. Williams, and Music as Protest and Propaganda.

Cory's research interests include the cultural history of the African Diaspora within a comparative and transnational context. He is interested in the interaction between various Diasporic populations and the role music played in forging these connections, how music is utilized within various protest struggles and revolutionary movements, and how music contributed to the formation and spread of Pan-Africanism. After completing his MA, Cory plans to earn a Ph.D. and to teach at the university level.

David Mwambari

David Mwambari is from Rwanda. In summer 2007, he graduated from the United States International University in Kenya, where he received a B.A in International Relations and Psychology and has also been pursuing an M.A in International Relations at the same institution.

David regularly contributes articles on youth issues, in the New Times a newspaper in Rwanda. He has been interviewed and quoted in the newspapers, radio shows and television news prime in Kenya. His research interests include the role of the African youth in conflict, role of the African youth education in conflict, child soldiers, neo-colonialism and socialization, as well as regional integration among others. David has been involved in advocating the plight of African youth in post-conflict. He has also presented academic papers and invited as a panelist in various International conferences both in Africa and in the United States. David is a co-founder of Rwandan youth in Diaspora Association. The Association promotes reconciliation among Rwandans using Rwandan cultural dances and arts. He believes that both informal and formal education can be used as a tool to foster development and peaceful co-existence in Africa. He is affiliated with grassroots, regional and international non-governmental organizations working in conflict zones.

After completing his M.A at Syracuse, David hopes to persue a PhD. in Peace Studies and continue to work with non-governmental organizations.

Click Here to read "Scholarship in Action, Story One".

Click Here to read "Scholarship in Action, Story Two".

Halycon Sealey-Westmass

Halycon Sealey-Westmass is from Guyana, a Caribbean country located on the coast of the South America. She lived most of her life, worked and did her undergraduate studies in Guyana. She received a Diploma from the Burrowes School of Arts in 1997 and a BFA (Bachelor in Fine Arts) from the University of Guyana in 2001. In both institutions, she majored in painting and minored in fabric design.

Halycon believes the conceptualization of deep artistic expressions is informed and dependant upon a sound knowledge of diaspora history. In this context, art functions as history in the visual form. Halycon’s research interest is based on tracing connections, incorporating similarities and differences, of the African people’s historical experience in the diaspora as it relates to the story of their art work.

Anita Simons

Anita Simmons was born and raised in the Henry Horner Project Homes located on the Near West side of Chicago. She is a recent graduate of Columbia College Chicago where she received her BA in Cultural Studies and a Minor in Black World Studies. Anita's academic research interests include, but are not limited to Women and Gender Studies, Music, Art, and Literature throughout the African Diaspora, Black Feminist Theory and Black social, cultural and political movements. Within these broad categories of interest, she is specifically interested in the social, cultural, historical, and political formations that exist within each field. Throughout the African Diaspora, Anita is interested in the ways that race, class and gender intersect to create complex, non-traditional ways of analyzing, critiquing, and appreciating facets of the African Diaspora that are rarely explored. The possibilities for Anita's future are endless. She maintains that where ever her spirit leads her is where her heart, body, and mind will follow.