Among the first generation on her mother’s side born outside the Jim Crow South and the first generation on her father’s side born outside Ghana, West Africa, Dr. Chamara Jewel Kwakye’s family, on both sides, have always placed education as paramount, and not just any kind of education, but rather an education that clearly connects to the freedom of the…
A scholar, performer, and educator, Gianina K. Lockley joined MSU’s Department of African American and African Studies (AAAS) on August 16, 2021, as a Research Associate whose work is situated at the intersection of critical race theory, ethnography, storytelling, theatre, dance, and performance studies with a focus on the study of race, class, gender, and sexuality within both staged performances and the performative practices of every day.
A community-accountable scholar, educator, and poet, LeConté Dill joined MSU’s Department of African American and African Studies (AAAS) on September 16, 2021, as an Associate Professor of Black Feminisms, Genders, and Sexualities Studies. She has a commitment toward transdisciplinary research and is guided by Black Feminist epistemologies to listen to and show up for Black girls and other youth of color. Dr. Dill was born…
Waking up to text messages from a supervisor in Spain with a six-hour time difference became part of Kaitlyn Wehner’s daily routine this past summer as an intern for Youlosophy, which produces self-help booklets from its headquarters in Barcelona, Spain. Wehner, a Spanish senior, worked remotely for Youlosophy after applying with the Global Remote Internship Program through the College of…
What is Afrofuturism and why does it matter to our contemporary moment? In this presentation, Julian Chambliss, Professor of English, Core Faculty in the Consortium For Critical Diversity in Digital Age Research (CEDAR), and Val Berryman Curator of History at the MSU Museum, explores the manifestation of Black speculative practice.
A scholar, cultural critic, and award-winning author and documentary filmmaker, Trimiko Melancon joined MSU’s Department of African American and African Studies (AAAS) on September 13, 2021, as a Full Professor with tenure. She brings with her an expertise in critical race, gender, Black feminist and sexualities studies; African American and American literary and cultural studies; African American and Black German studies; and race, media,…
Iliana Cosme-Brooks, a senior double majoring in Arts and Humanities and Public and Professional Writing, has found solace in creating during the COVID-19 pandemic and has picked up embroidery, sewing, crochet, and knitting. She was selected to receive a $500 CREATE! Micro-Grant to respond critically and creatively to the events of the pandemic. Her CREATE! Micro-Grant project, titled “Synonyms for, Symptoms of, Suffocation, Solitude,” is of a mask and an exaggerated and oversized sweater that she made to illustrate how she has felt during the pandemic.
Julia Rudlaff, a junior double majoring in English and Civil Engineering, received a CREATE! Micro-Grant to create a chapbook-length collection of poetry that addresses the pandemic’s effect on body image and gender identity. The CREATE! Micro-Grant program selected 12 student projects, including Rudlaff’s, to each receive $500 to respond critically and imaginatively to events occurring during the pandemic. For her…
Annie Dubois, a senior Professional and Public Writing major, and Nyle Rosenbaum, a junior Marketing major, received a CREATE! Micro-Grant to publish a zine that explores the pandemic’s effect on relationships, education, work, and identity.
Michigan State University's Department of Theatre returns to full-scale performances this October with its first mainstage production, A Contemporary American's Guide to a Successful Marriage © 1959 by Robert Bastron. Performances run October 15-24 at the Pasant Theatre in the Wharton Center for Performing Arts. Attendees must be masked for the health and safety of our students.