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| Dr. Kristy Taylor and Ms. Lisa Ransom of JaxHeritage Consultants |
Earlier this month, October 2nd-6th, I had the opportunity
to attend the ASALH conference. ASALH
stands for the Association for the Studyof African American History and Life; the organization was started by Dr. Carter
G. Woodson on September 9th, 1915. If
you are not familiar with the work of Dr. Woodson, his book The
Mis-Education of the Negro, is a must read for all persons interested
in the study of African American history and life. Many of the key points made by Dr. Wood in
the 1933 publication of the book are still relevant today. The ASALH conference
was one of the most important learning experiences that I have had in my
professional career. I also met great
individuals like Ms. Lisa Ransom of JaxHeritage Consultants and Mr. Matt Bowman of Micanopy Winery. From the moment
that I arrived at the conference the learning began, below is a synopsis of my
ASLAH experience:
Day 1:
Wednesday 10/2/2013
I arrived in Jacksonville on Wednesday night, and
I missed a few of the pre-conference events.
I did however take the time to find the hotel at which the conference
was being held as well as catch a few scenic sites in the immediate River Front
area.
Day 2: Thursday 10/3/2013
Upon arriving at the conference, I went to the
registration booth in order to ensure that everything was squared away for the
event. One of the first presentations
that I attended was: “From the South to
Boston: Perspectives on Black Migration,
Activism, and Coalition Building." I
learned the about the civil rights movement from the Black-Brown Perspective
and the influence of Hispanic and Latina culture on the movement, particularly
in the Boston area. The concept of
Black-Brown relations during this era was new to me, and I never realized how
these individuals worked together to achieve their goals and the commonalities
that they shared. I found this very
interesting since I had always thought Boston to be more progressive.
I also
visited the exhibit hall in which, I had the pleasure of purchasing a variety
of books on African American life and history for only $5.00 each. I walked away with at least 20 different
books to add to my library at home.
While attending the luncheon for that day, I received a text from my supervisor that
I would be allowed to proceed with teaching an African American History course
at our college. We currently do not
offer the class, and it had been deactivated previously due to a lack of
enrollment. It was a very symbolic
moment in my mind, as I set listening to the daughter of slain civil rights
leader, Medgar Evers and Ms. Lisa McNair, the sister of Denise McNair, who died
in the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing in Birmingham, AL. I also had the pleasure of meeting them and
taking a picture with them after event.
In addition, the panel was hosted by Mr. Jeffery Steinberg, founder of Sojourn to the Past.
After the luncheon, I spent the rest of the day
visiting and listening to various presentations such as: Canada and the Emancipation Proclamation,
Racial Uplift During and After the Civil, and Reinterpreting Reconstruction at each of which I was able to take plenty of notes for further research in the
future. The Thursday, plenary session
was an appreciation for Dr. John Bracey, an influential leader, speaker,
activist, and professor in the field of African American Studies. The panel was consisted of other visionaries and revolutionaries such as
Dr. Earnest Allen, Dr. Darlene Clark Hine, Dr. Stephanie Evans, Dr. John
Higginson, and Dr. Sonia Sanchez (Yes, that Sonia Sanchez, the poet).
Can you imagine what it felt like to sit in the
presence of these individuals all in one space? At the luncheon, when I received
the message that I would be allowed to teach African American History, I could
only shed tears of joy as I listened to the young lady sing, Lift Every Voice
and Sing. In my mind it was a
reconfirmation of my destiny as an educator in my community.
Day 3: Friday, 10/4/2013
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| Pictured with Mr. Matt Bowman and Dr. Robert Hayling |
When I arrived at the conference, I attended the
Carter G. Woodson luncheon, and Dr. Kaye Wise Whitehead was the key note
speaker; her speech was very heart-felt and motivational. After the luncheon, I again spent most of the
day going in and out of various presentations.
It is important to note that in order to gain full perspective on
various topics, it is best to sit in on an entire presentation. Because I wanted to learn as much as
possible, I chose to visit various presentations at different points and focus
on note taking for further research later on.
I attended Black Women Organizing between the Depression and the Cold
War and August Meier’s Negro Thought in America 50 Years Later. I found the presentation on Dr. August Meiers
to be so interesting that I stayed the entire time. I was surprised to learn that Dr. Bracey was
leading the discussion. It was very
inspirational listening to him discuss Dr. Meiers, as well as the exchanges that
occurred between him and Dr. Clark Hine, who was sitting in the audience. The
plenary session was entitled, How Free is Free?: The March Since 1963, and it
was yet another great reflective discussion on African American progress since
the March on Washington. I ended the
night by attending the Taste of Black Expo, hosted by the Jack and Jill Chapter
of Jacksonville, FL.
Day 4: Saturday, 10/5/2013
I arrived at the beginning of the luncheon on
Saturday, and Mr. Bernard Kinsey was the keynote speaker. Mr. Kinsey is a former CEO of Xerox, and he
owns one of the largest personal collections of African American art and
historical artifacts. I was excited to
find out that Mr. Kinsey is from the West Palm Beach area, although he and his
wife currently reside in California. I
would love to some day have part of his collection on display at our main
campus in the future. After the luncheon was over, I was standing in line to purchase
Mr. Kinsey’s book, and I met Dr. Robert Hayling.
Dr. Hayling was a civil rights leader in St. Augustine, and he actually
worked directly with Dr. Martin Luther King.
I think that it is important that we learn all we can from individuals like
Dr. Hayling regarding the work that they did during this period.
I attended the Afro, EBlack Studies, and the
Digital Revolution Seminar: Recent Initiatives
and the plenary session: Making Emancipation:
From a Black Reconstruction to a Black President. The plenary session was not only very
inspirational and informative, but I learned the names of several individuals whose
work I would like to read in the future:
Dr. Edna Medford, Dr. Robin Kelley, and Dr. Paul Ortiz. I found the perspectives of Dr. Kelley and
Dr. Ortiz of particular interest. Dr.
Ortiz spoke from the perspective of the influence of Hispanic/Latino culture on
the civil rights movement. I also
attended the ASALH Annual Banquet, and Dr. Johnetta B. Cole was the key note
speaker. Dr. Cole was a true inspiration,
and I will be writing more about her later on.
I found her speech to be motivational in the sense that it was thought
provoking, challenging, and promoted personal accountability and upliftment in
the same sentiment.
Day
5: Sunday, 10/6/2013
On Sunday, I spent the day touring various sites
in St. Augustine. I do not think, that I
can do this experience justice by including it as a part of the overall
synopsis of the ASALH experience, so I will write about it another day. In short, I learned things about Florida’s
history, that I never knew, and I also learned about Ft. Mose. Ft. Mose is the first
free African settlement in the United States.
The tour of St. Augustine was such a moving experience, and I also got
to learn about Dr. Hayling’s
influence in this area, because his name came up on several occasions throughout
the tour.
Overall, the ASALH conference was a great learning
and networking opportunity. As I
continue to work to build my knowledge and reputation in the field of American
History, the ASALH conference will continue to play an important role in my
personal and professional development.
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