REVIEWREVIEW Volume 11 2011-2012 Clayborne Carson’s 2012 Thurgood Marshall Lecture, Bunche Center Initiatives & more . 1 85842_UCLA.indd 1 9/27/12 11:10 PM MESSAGE FROM THE DIRECTOR The academic year 2011-12 marked forty-two years of university and community service for the Bunche Center. The year featured a provocative array of research and programmatic initiatives, includ- ing the Center’s Race and Hollywood Project - which aims to produce the definitive, on-going study of barriers to and best practices for diversifying the Hollywood entertainment industry. We also wel- comed home scholar, activist, and UCLA alumnus Clayborne Carson as our 23rd Thurgood Marshall lecturer and honoree. The year also featured ongoing efforts by the Center to increase African American access to higher education at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. Tapping into research initiated as part of the Center’s Ford Foundation-funded College Access Project for African Americans (2002-2008), Center scholars coordinated the writing of amicus legal briefs for court cases in the Sixth and Ninth Circuit Courts of Appeal that challenged the bans on affirmative action in Michigan (Proposal 2) and Califor- Darnell Hunt nia (Proposition 209). These briefs were signed by dozens of social scientists and admissions experts throughout the state of California. Meanwhile, our Mellon Foundation-funded Summer Humanities Institute (SHI), which has prepared students for the rigors of graduate school since 2001, enjoyed its first year of support (of three) from the UC Office of the President’s initiative focused on Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). It was an exciting year, and this year picks up where it left off. During 2012-13, the Center aims to produce a pilot study that kicks off the Race and Hollywood Project in earnest. It also plans to continue pursuing funding for the next phase of the College Access Project for African Americans, which will undoubtedly grapple with whatever decision emerges from the Fisher v. University of Texas affirmative action case currently being reviewed by the U.S. Su- preme Court. SHI will be revamped in order to initiate and nurture ties between UCLA researchers and their counterparts at HBCUs. And, of course, the outcome of the November 2012 elections will most definitely chart a course for the nation that Center scholars are uniquely situated to examine. I invite you to join us at Center events this year - Circle of Thought Brown Bag Lunch Series, Bunche Center Authors’ Series book signings, and the annual Thurgood Marshall Lecture, among others - as well as keep up with our research efforts on Hollywood diver- sity, college access, and related social justice issues. Please subscribe to our website (www.bunchecenter.ucla.edu) by visiting the main page and inputting your email address so that you will automatically receive the latest updates to our calendar and blog entries. I look forward to connecting with you throughout what promises to be an eventful year. Ralph J. Bunche Center for African American Studies at UCLA 160 Haines Hall Box 95154 Los Angeles, CA 90095 310-825-7403 (fax) 310-825-5019 www.bunchecenter.ucla.edu www.facebook.com/BuncheCenter.UCLA www.twitter.com/BuncheUCLA www.facebook.com/BuncheCenter.SHI www.youtube.com/user/uclabunchecenter 2 85842_UCLA_r1.indd 2 10/1/12 3:18 PM SUMMER HUMANITIES INSTITUTE 2012 In August, the Bunche Center’s Sum- SHI 2012 Cohort mer Humanities Institute (SHI), funded The 2012 cohort hailed from seven dif- through a generous grant from the Andrew ferent institutions: Howard, Hampton, W. Mellon Foundation and the Univer- Spelman, Tuskegee, Morehouse, Lane and sity of California Office of the President Clark Atlanta. (UCOP), concluded its 12th year. SHI prepares traditionally underrepre- SHI Participant Comments sented students from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) to Students from the 2012 cohort had the 2012 SHI Cohort successfully complete a graduate program following comments about the program: in the humanities and humanistic social “SHI was fantastic! I conquered my fear of sciences. “I’ve participated in other programs before, but SHI was the most challenging for me. It public speaking and the mock trial demon- strations allowed me to express myself and get Students from previous cohorts continue helped me fine tune my research and writing my point out. I nailed my presentation head to make excellent progress in graduate skills. It [also] helped me to grow as an aca- on!” programs at Yale, Brown, Cornell, Auburn, demic.” Dorita Barr, Hampton University Davonte Logan, Tuskegee University Harvard, Penn State, Duke, and UCLA. “I now know so much more about grad Some have been awarded the prestigious “My experience with SHI has definitely school! [In SHI] I was challenged to think Fulbright Scholarship. This year, ten stu- provided me with the infrastructure I need on a whole other level. It’s been a really dents were selected from a highly to make it in graduate school.” Na’eemah memorable experience for me. The Ralph J. competitive pool of applicants. Webb, Lane College Bunche Center has helped me take it to the next level.” Antwann Simpkins, More- house College To learn more about SHI visit us on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/BuncheCenter.SHI SHI Seminar SHI Black Los Angeles Tour AFRO-AMERICAN STUDIES IDP During the 2011-2012 year, Mark Sawyer, degree, to have an interdisciplinary approach tracks. This allows students to take Associate Professor of Political Science, to education, committed to developing stu- combinations of courses that intersect and was named Chair of the Interdepartmental dents’ critical thinking skills to allow young are in conversation along interdisciplinary, Program in Afro-American Studies. He scholars to analyze African American issues, diasporic, and global lines. replaced Professor Brenda Stevenson, who situate them within the matrix of global con- served in the position for six years. cerns, and strengthen their skill sets towards employment. Departmentalization Proposal New Faculty In the academic year of 2011-2012, the IDP welcomed a new faculty member - Sarah In October of 2011, the faculty voted to Haley - who taught classes for Afro- approve submitting a proposal for the IDP American Studies and Women’s Studies. in Afro-American Studies to become the Department of African American Studies. New Curriculum and New Major As a department, Afro-American Studies will Sarah Haley continue to draw on the strengths of core New IDP curriculum was finalized in the Afro-American Studies and Bunche Center spring of 2012 and goes into effect in fall professors, as well as affiliated faculty in other 2013. Also, in light of the University’s For more information contact Dr. Lisbeth departments. Challenge 45 initiative, the IDP reduced Gant-Britton at 310.825.3776, lbritton@ the number of required courses and updated bunche.ucla.edu,web: www.afro-am.ucla.edu. The new department will have an African the former narrow areas of concentration to Diaspora focus and will continue, to some broader Social Sciences and Humanities 3 85842_UCLA_r1.indd 3 10/1/12 3:18 PM RESEARCH Established as an organized research unit the production and business aspects of the Archival and Digitization Project (ORU) in 1969, the Ralph J. Bunche Center entertainment industry. for African American Studies at UCLA Audio and video items in the Bunche Cen- has a primary commitment to undertake The Center continues to meet with and ter collection provide a historical perspec- and sponsor research that enhances our outreach to entertainment industry profes- tive on the political and social movements understanding of the history, lifestyles, sionals and foundations to garner financial occurring in Los Angeles at the time of the material conditions, and sociocultural support for the project. A pilot report is Center’s inception in the late 1960s. The systems of women and men of African tentatively scheduled for late 2013. majority of these materials were digi- descent in the Americas, and in the Diaspora. tized with funding from a grant from the Primary Research Haynes Foundation. We have also digi- tized the largest collection of NOMMO, a In 2011 -2012, the Bunche Center moved UCLA African American student maga- forward with its research agenda. High- zine. We plan to create a Bunche Center lights included: online archive, which will be linked to the Bunche Center website, where many of these materials can be accessible to scholars and the broader community. Black Los Angeles Project Bunche Research Report The Bunche Center is engaged in a multi- year research initiative, The Black Los The October 2011 Bunche Research Report Angeles Project, which explores the histori- is a historical analysis of African American Race and Hollywood cal and contemporary contours of L.A.’s student activism at UCLA from 1960 black community by bringing together to 1963. As part of the Report and in The Race and Hollywood Project will the work of scholars from across Southern line with expanding the Bunche Center generate a comprehensive research analysis California. The book’s co-editors, Bunche archive, the Center published the first in of the inclusion of diverse groups in film Center Director, Dr. Darnell Hunt, and a series of memoirs by Professor Robert and television, including starring roles, the Bunche Center Assistant Director, Singleton, the Founding Director of writing, directing, producing, and talent Dr. Ana-Christina Ramon, continue to the Ralph J. Bunche Center for African representation; identify and disseminate conduct research related to the project. American Studies at UCLA from 1969 best practices for increasing the pipeline of They also gave guest lectures and panel to 1970. Professor Singleton is currently underrepresented groups into the Holly- presentations based on project research in an Economics professor at Loyola Mary- wood entertainment industry; and advance 2011-2012, including community panels mount University.