Blacks in Diaspora Series
Increases Understanding
By Marva Hinton
Staff Writer
The Blacks in the Diaspora Lecture Series contin
ues to be one of the most popular programs presented
by the Sonja Haynes Stone Black Cultural Center.
The series is the BCC’s oldest program compo
nent. A different topic focusing on multiculturalism
and diversity is presented bi-weekly.
Ellington Graves, the BCC program coordinator,
said the series helped audiences better understand
black culture.
“The series is a way to help people understand
some of the experiences black people go through,”
Graves said. “It’s kind of difficult to understand where
black culture comes from when you don’t understand
those experiences.”
Tyson King-Meadows, a graduate student in political
science and the host of the “Around the Circle” discussion
series, said he learned a lot from the lecture series.
“I think it’s important because it gives students and
faculty an opportunity to see other’s work,” he said.
King-Meadows said the fact that the series fea
tured scholars from different disciplines appealed to
him. “The problem with scholarship [in general] is
that’s it’s too limited,” he said.
Graves said most speakers were volunteers from
local universities. However, he said a nationally known
speaker was chosen to kick off the series.
This year Associate Professor of Afro-American
Studies Ernest Allen, Jr. delivered the kick-off lecture.
Allen, spoke on the topic, “Look to the East: Asian
Influences on African American Thought and Action.”
Revolution...
He discussed the historical relationship between
and the Nation of Islam.
The lecture series culminated in a stu
dent academic conference March 30.
The annual conference allows students
to present honor’s theses, masters theses
and doctoral dissertations for presentation.
The conference is open to all majors, areas of
concentration and professional programs.
All work must be based on the broad theme,
“Blacks in the Diaspora.”
Graves said the purpose of the confer
ence was similar to the purpose of the lec
ture series.
"We want to give students an opportunity
to present their work and ideas,” he said. “It’s
an important step in the research process.”
Graves said the conference allowed par
ticipants to get feedback on their work.
“We have thematic sessions where stu
dents present their work,” Graves said.
“Then they answer questions and get sugges
tions on ways to improve.”
King-Meadows presented a paper on Ivan
Van Sertima’s, “They Came Before Columbus,”
at the conference last year. He said presenting
at the conference was helpful.
“It was an opportunity to get sugges
tions on ways to improve my work,” he said.
Last year over 200 students participat
ed in the conference.
BCC Director Gerald Horne hosted this
year’s conference. University faculty and stu
dents facilitated individual sessions.
Japan
series
schedule
April 17
Dr. Glenn Hinson
Voices of Soul: Folk
Artistry in North
Carolina
Sonja H. Stone Black
Cultural Center
1:00 p.m.
April 24
Blacks DLS
Howard St raker
Community
Organizing
Strategies of the Black
Panther Party
Sonja H. Stone Black
Cultural Center
1:00 p.m.
continued from page 5
control and influence over the very forces
that were argued oppressed us, emancipa
tion alludes because of silenced and margin
alized knowledge of the past. Thus, African-
American city council members, university
heads, entertainment networks, national
and local civil rights organizations are
devoid of emancipatory value because a
practical linkage between theory and praxis
is missing.
True emancipatory -revolutionary
praxis, an exercise of an art, science, or
skill, suggests many things. First, it calls foj
a transformation of scholar/student to
scholar-activist. This entails reconceptualiz-
ing the role of education. As such, texts and
assignments should be viewed as intellectu
al (i.e. discursive) weapons (i.e. tools) that
must be mastered before combat (i.e., the
struggle for intellectual, social, political,
and economic equality).
Second, knowledge obtained should be
applied to everyday existence. For example,
economics, sociology, psychology, political
science, and history majors could use their
growing expertise to suggest ways of chang
ing African-American capitalism into devel-
opmentalism, raising funds for the Black
Cultural Center, helping dysfunctional rela
tionships, and increasing electoral partici
pation. This aids in an understanding of the
historical relationships between the power
ful and the powerless.
Third, such praxis may call for chal
lenging scholars, athletes, politicians, facul
ty members, fellow students, and organiza
tions to define their intentions. This sug
gests more than a philosophical discussion
on community service, but rather a discus
sion on communitarianism.
Finally, remember that proponents of
armed conflict between the races probably
have forgotten the fundamentals of percent
ages and mathematics. African-Americans
must focus energies toward preventing both
the physical and intellectual genocide hap
pening across this country everyday. If prac
tice makes perfect—then praxis!!!