2009 Conference Abstracts

African & African American Studies Theodore Ransaw University of Nevada, Las Vegas Michael Adams & Linda Smith Texas Southern University Changing the Face of Public Affairs: A Look at How Social Networking is Impacting the Business of the Public Sector First, computers, then internet, and now social networking, has largely changed the way the public sector operates. Web 2.0, a social networking vehicle, can be defined as, according to Tim O’Reilly (2006), ?the business revolution in the computer industry caused by the move to the internet as a platform, and an attempt to understand the rules for success on that new platform. Chief among those rules is this: Build applications that harness network effects to get better the more people use them?. Clearly it is a definite evolution of the World Wide Web, which has brought into inclusion many new innovative services such as social networking, video sharing, wikis, blogs and folksonomies, amongst others. Evidence of this phenomenon had its inception in the public sector in academia; however it has been quickly adapted as a tool by political campaigns, and other public entities. This research seeks to unmask the development and implementation of social networking in the public sector by empirically measuring growth and usage while focusing on innovative ways to equip administrators to employ beneficial aspects of social networking. Stephen Brown Azusa Pacific University African American Males: Expectations, Retention & Graduation The challenges the African American male encounters when entering college can be overwhelming and challenging. Even if he is academically prepared to meet the rigors of higher education, he is still likely to encounter roadblocks to overcoming incongruencies. At the minimum, persistence in college requires individuals to adjust, both socially and intellectually, to the new and different environment of college (Tinto, 1993). The presentation will explore literature and research concerning African American male students/African American male student-athletes. Moreover, we will examine the widening retention and graduation rates of African American males when compared to their white male counterparts. The presentation will open dialogue among participants of the role media plays with the social construction of African American male. Finally, this presentation will explore experiences, anecdotes, and strategies to assist African American males with achievement, retention, and graduation. Stephen Brown, Azusa Pacific University Theodore Ransaw, University of Nevada Las Vegas Navigating the Academy This panel will continue our annual tradition of having an open table discussion session to examine ideas in which to further our success as faculty members of color in predominantly white Universities. African & African American Studies Stephen Brown, Azusa Pacific University Michele Ferm, Independent Researcher Theodore Ransaw, University of Nevada Las Vegas Minority Higher-Ed Recruitment and Retention Topics to include but not limited to: (1) facilitating minority faculty recruitment, promotion and tenure; (2) increasing minority student enrollment and retention; and (3) advice as well as mentorship for all people of color who are navigating the academy. This discussion was created in the belief that “advanced education in a nation composed of people from many origins should develop scholars, professionals, and leaders who will draw on that diversity to contribute to a more enlightened, productive national environment” (University of Chicago Record, April 10, 1986 ). Scott Carson University of La Verne The Effects of Insolation on 19th Century African-American Stature and Health The use of height data to measure living standards is now a well-established method in the economic literature, and heights are related with vitamin D. Greater insolation (vitamin D production), is documented here to be associated with taller black statures. Although African-Americans and whites have the genetic ability to reach similar terminal statures, 19 th century blacks were consistently shorter than whites. Consistent with the insolation-hypothesis, mulattos were taller than darker pigmented blacks, and most of the mulatto- black stature differential was attributable to age and insolation. Black farmers were taller than workers in other occupations, and black statures increased during the antebellum period and decreased with slavery’s elimination, which is observed across the stature distribution. Factors associated with 19 th century African-American statures are assessed across that stature distribution and finds the majority of black stature variation was attributable to insolation and vitamin D production. Jaime Gaskin Eyrich, Hayes A. Lewis, Stephen Fadden, & Leatrice Lewis Center for Lifelong Education, Institute of American Indian Art Indigenous Perspectives and Best Practices in Educating the Whole Child: Shared Experiences in School Reform, Curriculum, Development, Teaching, Learning and School Achievement in the United States and Southern Africa Indigenous children learn best when the organization and culture of the school promotes a curriculum and system of teaching/learning practices that nurture, sustain, and support the whole child. Whether in tribal communities in the United States or southern Africa, Indigenous people have reconceptualized colonial systems of education to support the whole child. In order to establish a context for understanding education in Indigenous communities a brief historical overview of early federal efforts to educate the American Indian is provided, as well as a review that further explains how federal policies and non-federal educational initiatives contributed to create unique long term challenges and negative impacts to tribes. We will focus on the Akwasasne Freedom School in New York as an example of how one tribal community overcame centuries of educational neglect to create a tribal educational system that utilizes Indigenous approaches in organizing and managing schools. We will then discuss how these practices, cultural knowledge, and ways of organizing community resources may contribute to developing educational models that educate the whole child. Finally, we African & African American Studies present recommend-dations on how such practices may assist Indigenous rural and urban communities in Botswana and Southern Africa to create transformative schools and learning environments. Michele Ferm Independent Researcher Developing radio diversity in the 1920s As radio gained influence in American culture during the 1920s, ethnic diversity is reflected by the artists selected for broadcast and the staff who operated radio stations. Notable firsts in African American radio broadcast include Earl Hines, Louis Deppe and Florence Mills. This presentation will focus on the diversity of radio broadcast audiences tuned in for jazz programming. Socio-economic factors, public policy and federal regulations will be discussed along with geographic and social attributes in order to better understand the audience of jazz radio broadcast. The inclusive and simultaneously exclusive nature of radio broadcast and its impact with audience diversity provides groundwork to understand audience diversity in modern technology, like digital radio broadcast, satellite radio broadcast and Internet radio streaming. Ruth Githumbi University of St. Thomas Alternatives for Africa: Exploring America’s Foreign Policy through African-American Intellectuals This paper devoted to analyzing American foreign policy in Africa through a combination of traditional policy analysis and intellectual scholarship. By using the intellectual works of renowned African-Americans, traditional policy analysis will be infused with diverse views concerning the continent of Africa. The goal of the paper is to provide an alternative to the traditional foreign policy methods employed by America in Africa. The goal of the paper is to synthesize socio-economic, health, and security interests both here and in Africa. It can be, in some ways, exemplified by the above words of one of the intellectuals gleaned upon for this paper, Martin Luther King Jr. The premise of the paper will be addressed in the following parts: first by researching the historical and current foreign policy America has employed in Africa, then by exploring the works of African- American intellectuals (both historical and modern) such as W.E.B. Du Bois, Marcus Garvey, Martin Luther King, Cornel West and Glenn C. Loury, and lastly, by working towards an alternate foreign policy plan in Africa that can serve both the African and American people. Monica Green Texas A&M University The Relationship Between White Faculty and African American College Student Retention There has been an increased population of African American students attending predominantly white institutions. Although the number of African American students has grown, the retention of the students on those campuses has been marginal. Current research indicates a number of factors that impede the retention of this group of students. One of those factors is the lack of relationship development between the students and the faculty. The importance of fostering relationships between African American students and faculty has been African & African American Studies documented; however, no research focuses on effective strategies to build the relationships between the two groups. A closer examination of the relationship between white faculty and African American

Load more