SPECIAL The Black Oaks COLLECTOR’S EDITION Newsletter Volum 3, Issue 1 Fall 2008 POINTS OF INTEREST Barack Obama Becomes the Nation’s First African-American President GOP ticket, the first time in across Europe in Patton‟s army. decades that states like North Dunham‟s mother went Carolina, Virginia, and Nevada to work on a bomber assembly Witnesses to history! have gone blue, the first time line. After the war, they studied The United States grandmothers and great- on the G. I. Bill, bought a house elects its first African- grandmothers registered and through the Federal Housing American President, voted, and the first time record the Democratic Sena- Program, and moved to Hawaii. numbers of young and first-time Obama‟s parents separated tor from Illinois, voters turned up at the polls to when he was two years old and Barack Obama have their voices heard. Born later divorced. Dubbed “The Barack Hussein Obama Aug. One” by Oprah Winfrey, who 4, 1961, in Honolulu, Hawaii, his helped launch him on this im- father, Barack Obama, Sr., was probable journey, President- Barack Obama, the First born of Luo ethnicity in Nyanza Elect Obama started a long and African-American President Province, Kenya. He grew arduous campaign almost two of the United States up herding goats with his own years ago. He withstood the Inside this issue: father, who was a domestic controversies, personal attacks, This is a story generations of servant to the British. Although and formidable opponents, and African-Americans thought reared among Muslims, Obama, yet that was the easy part. He might never be told. On No- Sr., became an atheist at some faces incredible challenges in his Periclean 2 vember 4th, 2008, Senator point. first term in office: a struggling Scholars Barack Obama, the Democratic economy, ongoing wars in Iraq Update Senator from Illinois, became Obama‟s mother, Ann Dunham, and Afghanistan, nuclear threats, the first African-American Presi- grew up in Wichita, Kansas. Her climate change, educational and Apply Now For 3 dent of the United States. This father worked on oil rigs during health crises, and the list goes Course Devel- was a Presidential election the Depression. After the Japa- on. We wish the incumbent marked by many historic nese attack on Pearl Harbor, president well in his agenda of opment Grants firsts—the first female vice- he signed up for service in change, and we salute him on New Director 3 presidential candidate on the World War II and marched his historic success. of the Multicul- tural Center Arabic & Mid- 3 dle Eastern The Second Independent Studies/AAASE Major Enrolls at Elon Studies at Elon Not since Sowande Mustakeem‟ brings. Frank attended Haddon- Ghana (Senchi Ferry) for five graduated in 2000 has there field Memorial High School in weeks where he taught a first - Groups Team 4 been a student who pursued an NJ. He was a member of grade class and helped build a Up for AIDS independent major in African/ STAND (Students Taking Ac- kindergarten class. He was in- Walk African-American Studies. First- tion Now: Darfur) and held a vited to join the Periclean Schol- year student Francis (Frank) Summit Meeting on Darfur at ars class of 2010 as a way to Population 4 Stiefel „12 has made quite an his high school with other continue their work with Action impression in his first semester schools throughout the Ghana. Frank is certain that Elon International at Elon, not just for his history- state. He was also a member of is the right choice to help him making decision, but also for the Lead for Diversity. This past further explore his interests in Profile of Elon 5 experiences and passion he summer, he volunteered in Black life and culture. Alum, Letitia Lee ‘99 Page 2 The Black Oaks Newsletter Profile of Kristine Silvestri: Lumen & Periclean Scholar Kristine Silvestri is from Flem- Letitia Lee (p.5). As a Periclean lobby for one. ington, New Jersey, double- Scholar, Kristine is engaged in majoring in Political Science fundraising, grant writing, re- Kristine‟s Lumen Research and Public Administration, with search, and recruiting future Project explores "the Other" in minors in African/African- Periclean Scholars. She hopes both an international context American Studies and Leader- to continue to present her (Liberian refugees in Ghana) ship. At Elon, Kristine is in- research on refugees in Ghana and a national/local context volved with Crossroads, a nationally and to intern at a (American race relations). She has studied abroad in Ghana as Krristine Silvestri 2010 women's rape crisis center in politically based non-profit Burlington, Alpha Xi Delta organization while studying part of her ongoing focus on sorority, and heads the Elon abroad there for a semester. refugees in that country. Her Green Service Team, which Kristine plans to attend gradu- past research has included focuses on environmental ser- ate school to complete a com- “Media Images and Social Inte- vice. She is also a regular con- bined masters program in Law gration of Liberian and tributor to The Pendulum, and and Public Administration. She Togoloese Refugees in Ghana”, has contributed this issue‟s wants either to develop her and her final project will be feature piece on Elon alum, own non-profit organization or delivered in Spring 2010. Profile of Amanda Brown: Lumen & Periclean Scholar Amanda Brown was born and she is a Mathematics major and student to study either at a raised in Columbus, Ohio. In AAASE minor, with a possible University in Ghana or at Elon. high school, she was a member additional major in Accounting. of the marching band, National She is a member of Alpha Xi Amanda‟s Lumen research Honor Society, and served as a Delta sorority and a mathemat- focuses on mathematical mod- yearbook editor. Since sixth ics tutor for fellow Elon stu- eling of malaria epidemics in grade, Amanda has participated dents. As a Periclean, she various regions of sub-Saharan in mission trips every summer serves as the accountant and Africa. She will study abroad in with her church, traveling on the Event Planning Commit- South Africa in Winter 2009, across the country from Hunt- tee. Her plans for the future where she will participate in a ington Beach to Boston. She include creating fundraising and mini-internship with the Malaria Research Institute in Durban. Amanda Brown 2010 has experience with fundrais- fellowship events for Peri- ing, development projects, and cleans, and coordinating a The results of her research will other volunteer work. At Elon, scholarship for a Ghanaian be presented at SURF in Spring 2010. Profile of Lauren Taylor: Lumen & Periclean Scholar Lauren Taylor is from upstate College Fellow who is doing In preparation, Lauren is cur- New York. During her high research on women who are rently training to become an school years, she was very HIV positive in developing EMT, and will study abroad in active in speech and debate countries. As a Periclean South Africa next summer where she was a Regional Scholar, she was the lead where she will conduct re- Champion in Humorous Inter- writer for the successful Fund search on international pretation. She was also pre- for Excellence Grant. Lauren women's health issues, with sented with the District Award spent a semester in Costa Rica special focus on the role of for Student Excellence. At Elon, and will conduct research and traditional child delivery prac- she has become involved with intern with a South African tices in South Africa and HIV/ organizations related to leader- trained OB/GYN in the UK. AIDS education and control. ship (ICLP, SGAC) and service Lauren hopes to join the Peace She will work with the AIDS Lauren Taylor 2010 (Elon Volunteers!, EFFECT, and Corps and become an OBGYN Foundation of South Africa and Collective Action and Respon- for women in developing coun- midwives while there, conduct- sibility). Lauren is also an Elon tries. ing ethnographic fieldwork.. Volum 3, Issue 1 Page 3 Apply for an AAASE Course Development Grant Now AAASE invites proposals from the sciences are especially en- ests. In submitting the applica- all full-time, Elon Univer- couraged to apply. However, all tion, faculty must commit to sity faculty for new courses proposals will be considered teaching the course for two that focus on African, African- and evaluated by the selection consecutive years, with the American, or Black diasporic committee. Successful applica- approval of their department experiences from specific disci- tions should include a descrip- chair and the dean of their plinary perspectives. Priority tion of the course, the objec- school, and must participate in consideration will be given to tives, a discussion of the kinds a series of four course develop- courses emerging from schools, of students who would benefit ment workshops sponsored by departments, and programs not from the course, and suggest a CATL & AAASE in Spring traditionally represented in timeline for teaching the course 2009. The successful applicants African/African-American Stud- during the next two academic will be awarded a stipend of ies at Elon. Faculty in the years, 2009-2011, Faculty mem- $1000 each for successfully School of Business, those in bers should also demonstrate developing the course and AAASE Course Fine Arts, Philosophy, Foreign how the proposed course re- fulfilling the requirements of Development Grants Languages, Religious Studies, lates to their scholarly, peda- the award. For an application, Available Now! Mathematics, Psychology, and gogical, and or research inter- email [email protected] New Director & Vision for the Multicultural Center, Leon Williams For the first time since its sity, where he implemented aspects of psychological and founding, the Elon University strategic initiatives and diversity emotional identity among Afri- Multicultural Center has a new programs.