Africana Studies Program
Faculty Members
Full-Time Faculty
Associate Professor
Office: Science 168
Office Phone: 559.278.8805
Email: thjohnson@csufresno.edu
Class Schedule
| Class | Time | Days | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
Office Hours: TBA
Biosketch
Dr. T. Hasan Johnson is an Associate Professor of Africana Studies at California State University, Fresno. He founded numerous Fresno State programs including the Africana Studies Online Teleconference on Black Male Studies, the ONYX Black Male Film Festival, The Black Popular Culture Lecture Series and Online Research Archive (curator), The ONYX Black Male COllective, The Annual ASHÉ: Sankofa Black Film Festival, The Annual Africana Studies Black Gender Conference, The African American Edge Initiative (co-founder), The Africana Studies Black Elder Project, and the Hip-Hop Research & Interview Project.
He is the developer of the concept of “Black Masculinism” and frequently publishes on anti-Black misandry, anti-Black male heterophobia, intra-racial misandry, and White supremacy. His first book, You Must Learn!: A Primer for the Study of Hip-Hop (2012), examines the socio-political histories that contribute to the development of Hip-Hop culture and creates new theoretical frameworks for understanding its development. His forthcoming book, preliminarily titled, She Hate Me: A Case for Black Masculinism, Black Male Studies, and A New Paradigm for Studying Black Males, focuses on creating a new paradigm for studying Black males that challenges widely accepted stereotypes regarding Black males with contemporary data and new conceptual theory.
Dr. Johnson has made contributions to esteemed journals such as The International Journal of Africana Studies, Spectrum: A Journal for Black Men, and books such as Jay-Z: Essays on Hip Hop's Philosopher King, Icons of Hip-Hop, and Dropping Knowledge: Hip-Hop Pedagogy in the Academy. He also created his own academic blog at: www.NewBlackMasculinities.wordpress.com. He was conferred both the Provost’s Award for Promising New Faculty and the Inaugural Fresno State Talks! Lecture Series Award in 2013 and was awarded the prestigious Ford Dissertation Diversity Fellowship in 2006. In summer 2019, he started his own online radio show entitled The Onyx Report with Dr. T. Hasan Johnson.
Educational Background
Ph.D. in Cultural Studies, Claremont Graduate University, 2007.
Completion of courses in college-level teaching in the Graduate Student Learning Community Program in the Preparing Future Faculty Program, Claremont Graduate University, Claremont, CA, 2007.
Graduate Certificate in Africana Studies from Claremont Graduate University, Claremont, CA, 2004.
M.A. degree in African-American Studies from Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, with honors, 1997.
B.A. degrees in Philosophy and Africana Studies from California State University at Dominguez Hills, Carson,CA with honors, 1996.
Teaching Areas
- Black Male Studies: Black Masculinity, Comparative Black Gender, and Black Male Existentialism
- 20th Century Africana Socio-Political History
- Hip-Hop Studies: Hip-Hop Culture, Globalization, and Independent Media
- Africana Visual Culture, Media Representation, and Black Aesthetic Imaginary
- Africana Cultural Studies Theory
- Ancient African to Contemporary Africana Spiritual Traditions
Teaching Activity
My Africana Studies (AFRS 130T) course, The Black Male Experience produces two things annually that merit public awareness: The Black Gender Conference and the annual Black Elder Project. The conference is an analysis of masculinity and femininity in contemporary Africana societies (conducted by my students). The Black Elder Project is a student project that is added to a site that reflects on Black Masculinities. The project highlights oral interviews my students conduct with African American men over 40 that exhibit a type of masculinity that contrasts stereotypes about Black males. Enjoy!
- The New Black Masculinities Blog
- Online Radio Show: The Onyx Report with Dr. T. Hasan Johnso
My Africana Studies (AFRS 55T) Hip-Hop Culture course has been doing some amazing work that I just have to share!
Past guests:
- XCLAN
- KRS-One
- Chuck D. of Public Enemy
- Delroy Lindo
- Grandmaster Alonzo Williams
- Kurtis Blow
- Medusa
- Supernatural
Publications
Johnson, T. Hasan. "Act Too- The Love of My Life: Interdiscliplinary Hip-Hop as a Pedagogical Paradigm Shift" in Dropping Knowledge Hip-Hop Pedagogy in the Academy. Edited by Karin L. Stanford and Charles Jones. Baltimore, MD: Black Classic Press, 2019.
______."Challenging the Myth of Black Male Privilege," in Spectrum: A Journal for Black Men (Volume 6, number 2, Spring 2018).
______.You Must Learn!: A Primer for the Study of Hip-Hop [Preliminary Edition]. Dubuque, IA: Kendall-Hunt Publishers, 2012. [ISBN: 978-1-4652-0517-9]
______." The Prodigal God?:Jay-Z and the Legacy of Socially Responsible Hip-Hop" in Jay-Z: Essays on Hip-Hop's Philosopher King. Edited by Julius Bailey and Cornel West. Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Company Press, 2011.
Campus Resources:
Professor of History and Africana Studies
Office: Social Science 125
Office Phone: 559.278.6358
Email: dreese@csufresno.edu
| Class | Time | Days | Location |
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Office Hours: Wednesdays 2:00-5:00 p.m. and by appointment
Biosketch
Coming Soon!
Education
Ph.D. - University of Missouri-Columbia (2004)
M.A. - University of Missouri-Columbia
B.A. - University of California, Riverside
Courses Taught
Fall 2021
- HIST 186 - American Immigration
- HIST 210T - American Immigration
Spring 2022
- HIST 12 - American History from 1877
- HIST 146 - Gendered Perspectives on U.S. Immigration
Research/Teaching Interests
- Twentieth-Century U.S. African American History
- Women's History
- Social History
- Urban History
Select Publications
Book Chapters and Articles:
“Sapphires Gone Wild: The Politics of Black Women's Respectability in the Age of the Ratchet," Co-authored with Delia C. Gillis In Challenging Misrepresentations of Black Womanhood: Media, Literature, and Theory Eds. Marquita M. Gammage and Anwinisha Alameen-Shavers Anthem Press, March, 2019.
"When they go low, we go high": African American Women Torchbearers for Democracy and the 2016 Democratic National Convention: Co-authored with Delia C. Gillis In Nasty Women and Bad Hombres: History Reflections on the 2016 Presidential Election Eds. Christine Kray, Tamar Carroll, and Hinda Mandell University of Rochester Press (Gender and Race in American History Series), 2018.
"Learning from History: Contemporary Issues in Black and Africana Studies, co-authored with Malik Simba In Black Culture and Experience: Contemporary Issues Eds. Venise Berry, Anita Flemming-Rife, and ayo dayo Peter Lang Publishing Inc. 2015.
"Stories Worth Telling: How Kerry Washington Balances Brains, Beauty, and Power in Hollywood," In Smart Chicks on Screen: Representing Women's Intellect in Film and Television Ed. Laura M. D'Amore Rowman & Littlefield, 2014.
Courses Offered
Undergraduate:
- American History from 1877
- Historical Research & Writing
- Gender, Culture, and Ethnicity in the Progressive Era
- American Immigration and Ethnic History
- Gendered Perspectives on American Immigration
Graduate:
- American Immigration and Ethnic History
AFRS Program:
- Slavery and the American Experience
- African American Women
- The African American Community
- Poverty and Inequality
Work in Progress
“'Solid As A Rock:' Historicizing a Half-Century of Black Love on American Television"
Campus Resources:
Associate Professor and Program Coordinator
Office: Science 182C
Office Phone: 559.278.4593
Email: mschettl@csufresno.edu
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Office Hours: Mon/Wed.12-2 p.m.in-person and on Zoom by appointment
Biosketch
Dr. Meta L. Schettler is a full professor in Africana Studies and currently serving as program coordinator for the Africana Studies Program. She has been teaching in the Africana Studies Program since Fall 2000, and her teaching and research interests include African and African American literature, South African politics, and Black protest. Originally from the east coast, she was mentored by Black poet Michael Harper at Brown University and Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o at Yale. She has been writing about African American writers and haiku, especially Sonia Sanchez and Richard Wright, since 2008 after attending the centennial conference for Richard Wright at The American University of Paris. Her publications include “An African High Priestess of Haiku: Sonia Sanchez and the Principles of a Black Aesthetic” in African American Haiku: Cultural Visions, and she has had papers published in the International Journal of Africana Studies, Obsidian, Valley Voices, Abafazi, and Safundi: The Journal of South African and American Comparative Studies. Dr. Schettler is passionate about encouraging students to find their authentic voice in writing, promoting Africana Studies as an interdisciplinary, anti-racist field, and encouraging the study of Black history and diverse Black writers from Frederick Douglass and Zora Neale Hurston to Rita Dove, Reginald Dwayne Betts, Michelle Alexander, Mahogany L. Browne, and Ta-Nehisi Coates.
Educational Background
Undergraduate School: Brown University
Graduate School: Yale University, M.A.
Temple University, Ph.D.
Previous Teaching
Louisiana State University, English Department
CSUF Courses Taught
- AFRS 68: Black Protest from Emmett Till to Breonna Taylor
- AFRS 40: Law, Policing and Black Communities
- SSCI 180: Diversity in the U.S.
- AFRS 104W: Writing About American Inequality
- AFRS 150: South Africa
- AFRS 164: African Cultural Perspectives
- AFRS 129: African American Literary Classics
Previous Research
Dissertation: “ Malibongwe: Personal Narratives of Women in the Armed Struggle in South Africa”
Master’s Thesis: “Rainbow in Motion: A Kaleidoscope of Readings, Selected Poems by Rita Dove and Michael S. Harper”
Professional Organization Memberships
- National Council of Black Studies
- African Literature Association
- MELUS-The Society for the Study of the Multi-Ethnic Literature of the U.S
Download CV
Campus Resources:
Assistant Professor
Office: Science 146
Office Phone: 559.278.-6897
Email: nonwuzuruoha@csufresno.edu
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Office Hours: Tuesdays 12:00 - 3:00 PM Book on Calendly
Biosketch
The Africana Studies Program at California State University, Fresno welcomed Dr. Nkenna Onwuzuruoha as an assistant professor in Fall 2023. Her doctoral research explored the relationship between the Black Student Union at San Francisco State and its college newspaper, the Gater, during the height of the Black Power Movement. She conducted a close rhetorical reading of the publication’s op-eds and letters to the editor, investigating how race, language, and forms of violence affected cross-racial discoursive pathways on the politics of liberation.
Her disciplinary background is in literary, composition, and rhetorical studies. She has taught a range of courses, including but not limited to first-year writing, Black political thought, intersectionality, critical theory, African literature, and studies in social justice. Broadly, her research interests are attuned to student activism, sociocultural movements, and grassroots publications present in African American communities. Archival research, textual analysis, revisionist historiography, and counterstory are her primary frameworks and methodologies. Dr. Onwuzuruoha currently serves as the University’s Writing Across the Curriculum (WAC) faculty champion and sits on the undergraduate writing subcommittee.
Educational Background
B.A., University of Chicago, Comparative Literature & Romance Languages and Literatures (French)
M.A., University of Bristol, European Literatures
Ph.D., University of Utah, Writing and Rhetoric Studies
Previous Teaching
TBD
CSUF Courses Taught
AFRS 27: Black Popular Culture
AFRS 68: Black Protest from Emmett Till to Breonna Taylor
Previous Research
Cydney Caradonna, Nkenna Onwuzuruoha, Montelleo Hobley Jr., Jocelyn Navarro, Justin A. Gutzwa, & Andrea N. Baldwin, “X as Hieroglyph: A Duoethnographic Linguistic Intervention Exploring Identity Displacement” Critical Displacement Studies Reader (forthcoming)
Christie Toth, Jennifer Andrus, Nkenna Onwuzuruoha, Pietera Fraser, Nicole Clawson, Aubrey Fochs, and Samuel Rivera Aguilar, “Informing Self-Placement: A Polyvocal Narrative Case Study” The Journal of Writing Assessment (forthcoming)
Chris LeCluyse, Nkenna Onwuzuruoha, and Brandon Wilde, “Write Here, Right Now: Shifting a Community Writing Center from a Place to a Practice” Community Literacy Journal, Fall 2020 Vol. 15 Issue 1
Contributions to Book or Anthologies:
Nkenna Onwuzuruoha, “A D.R.E.A.M Diffracted: Portals as Mobile Sites to Locate Black Histories in Utah” Inhabiting Utopia: Science Fiction In Film, Performative Arts, And Digital Media (forthcoming)
Essay: Educate for Social Justice. Christie Toth, Urban Writing Ecology: Reimagining Community College-University Relations in Composition Studies, Southern Illinois University Press (2023)
Book Reviews:
Darby English and Charlotte Barat’s (eds.), Among Others: Blackness at MoMA, February 2021, H-Net.org (Africa)
Isiah Lavender III, Afrofuturism Rising: The Literary Prehistory of a Movement. New Suns: Race, Gender, and Sexuality Series, April 2020, H-Net.org (Africa)
Professional Organization Memberships
College Composition and Communication (CCC)
Multi-Ethnic Literature of the United States (MELUS)
National Council of Black Studies (NCBS)
Rhetoric Society of America (RSA)
Download CV-TBD
Assistant Professor
Photo: TBD
Office: Science 150
Office Phone: 559.278.-
Email: meze@csufresno.edu
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|---|---|---|---|
Office Hours: M/W 8:15-9:30 am or by appointment
Biosketch
TBD
Educational Background
TBD
Previous Teaching
TBD
CSUF Courses Taught
- TBD
Previous Research
TBD
Professional Organization Memberships
- TBD
Download CV-TBD
Part-Time Faculty
Office: Science 146
Office Phone: 559.278.2832
Email: mgowdy@csufresno.edu
Class Schedule
| Class | Time | Days | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
Office Hours: Monday through Friday 8:00am - 5:00pm via Zoom by appointment only.
Biosketch
Dr. Gowdy's professional career started in the legal field working in both the private and public sector. She worked during the day as a paralegal, and was a student at night. Teaching is her passion; therfore, she pursued a degree in Education. She has over 20 years of experience as a higher education professor, and teaches face-to-face as well as online classes for several of the local colleges in the Fresno area. She is very familiar with online classes, as she graduated from a hybrid online program, and is very dedicated to her students' success. She understands the meaning of hard work.
Educatinal Background
Alliant International University, San Diego, California, Ed.D. (Leadership and Management),
2014
California State University, Fresno, M.A. (English), 2001
California State University, Fresno, B.A. (English), 1997
Courses Taught
- African American Women
- American Poverty
- Writing About American Inequalities
- Critical Thinking About Race
- College Writing Skills
- Reading and Composition
- Accelerated Academic Literacy
- Writing Workshop
- Speech
- Honor's English
- Introduction to Literature
- Effective Online Teaching Practices
- DiscoverE
Administrative Experience
Part-Time Lecturer, Africana Studies Program and English CSU, Fresno, 2001- Present
Part-Time Lecturer, SCCCD (Clovis Community Center and Fresno City)
Part-Time Lecturer, DeVry University
Professional Service
Black Chamber of Commerce/Member
California Southern Baptist Convention/Youth Scholarship and Grant Proposal Committee
Director
Encourage Tomorrow/Youth Mentor
Family Community Church/Usher
Family Community Church Academic Conference/Assistant
Fresno Evening of Elegance/Scholarship Committee Member
Fresno City College Program Review Committee Member
Fresno State Black Faculty and Staff Association
Fresno State E.D.G.E Students/Mentor
Fresno State Film Club/Member Fresno State English Graduate Student Association/Member
Fresno State, The Daily Collegian, Uhuru Na Umoja/Editor/Writer and Advisor
Fresno State Vintage Days/Coordinator
Fresno State Writing Competencies Review Board/Committee Member
Golden Key Honor Society/Member
Mariah Community Center/Youth Director, Business Administrator and Grant Writer.
Mount Mariah Baptist Church/Youth Advisor
National Association of Ethnic Studies (NAES)/Member
National Black Graduates Association (NBGA)/Member
Sierra Point Ski Club/Historian
Toastmasters International/Vice President of Education
Universal Pictures, Paramount Studios, New Line Cinema, Lionsgate Films, Disney, Focus
Features, Columbia Pictures, Dreamworks, Fox, and Touchstone Pictures/Movie Critic
World Council for Curriculum and Instruction, San Diego Chapter/Member
Special Honors
Cum Laude—Alliant International University, San Diego/Fresno, CA
Academic Achievement Certificate/Academic Excellence—California State University Fresno.
Highest Honors—State Center Community College District, Fresno, CA.
Highest Honors-Perfect Attendance and Academic Excellence (4.0)—Heald’s College, Fresno,
CA.
Professional and Research Interest
Gender and racial challenges faced by women while climbing the ladder of success.
Selected Publications
Dissertation-2014: “Challenges and Successes of Minority Women in Higher Educational Institutions: A Study of Cultural, Physical, and Environmental Trepidations.”
World Council for Curriculum and Instruction (WCCI) News Letter, Spring 2013.
“Every Student Needs Writing Skills for Life.” The Fresno Bee, May 2005.
Master Thesis-2001: “Early Modern Gender Ideology and Mary Sidney, Countess of Pembroke.”
Movie Review; Fashion; and Current Event Columnist. The Daily Collegian/Uhuru Na Umoja—1997 to 2002.
Professional Conference Presentations
World Council for Curriculum and Instruction (WCCI) 16th World Conference in Education,
San Diego, CA —August 2014.
World Council for Curriculum and Instruction (WCCI) 15th World Conference in Education,
Kaohsiung, Taiwan—December 2012.
African American Studies Recruitment Conference, Fresno, CA—February 2003
National Association for Black Graduates, Lubbock, Texas—June 2001
National Association for Ethnic Studies Conference, Kissimmee, Florida—April 1999
National Association for Ethnic Studies Conference, Fresno, CA— August 1998
Campus Resources:
Office: Science 146
Office Phone: 559.278.2832
Email: dtadesse@csufresno.edu
Class Schedule
| Class | Time | Days | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
Office Hours: Friday 5:30 to 6:30 (zoom) and by appointment
Biosketch
Dr. Debay Tadesse is a faculty of Africana Studies at California State University, Fresno. Dr. Tadesse worked as a Senior Researcher for the Institute for Security Studies in South Africa and as an Assistant Professor of African and Oriental Studies at Addis Ababa University in Ethiopia. Before he joined Africana Studies at Fresno State, he taught at Fresno City College in African American Studies Program.
Dr. Tadesse's strategic goals and objectives are to encourage all students from different backgrounds and ethnicity—engage them to be their very best in life, think beyond, achieve academically, be entrepreneurs, seek the empowerment of self through critical thinking beyond the borders, and stand proud in their history.
He uses discussion groups to discuss historical documentary films, theatre pieces, art shows, and book assignments to highlight and adequately address the issue of race and cultural identity, gender roles, and the disconnection of emotional health and inclusivity, in addition to working with and visiting religious organizations, museums, non-governmental organizations, and international organizations such as the United Nations, World Bank, European Union, and the African Union, among others.
Dr. Tadesse received awards, including the Sasakawa Young Leaders Fellowship at Howard University. The Sasakawa Fellowship is a special non-service merit award funded by the Global Foundation for Research and Scholarship and the Graduate School to afford full financial support to an outstanding Ph.D. student with a research concentration in international affairs and world peace and commitments to careers in international studies. Allowing him to design research to explore the Hydro and Geo-politics of East Africa and the eleven Nile Basin riparian countries (Congo, Burundi, Keny, Tanzania, Rwanda, Uganda, Ethiopia, Sudan, South Sudan, Eritrea, and Egypt), including water resources management, agro-industry and lack of strategic corporation among these countries. He has published over twenty articles and books in multiple languages, including "The Impact of Climate Change in Africa," "China/Africa Partnership," "The Nile as a Source of Cooperation or Conflict: In the case of Ethiopia, Egypt, and Sudan," and "Africa's Emerging Global Partnerships: Their Implications for the Continent's Development Aspirations."
As an Assistant Professor, Senior Researcher, and Project Manager, he is experienced in teaching, research, publications, grant writing, quality control, and project administration. As a faculty, he assisted students in adjusting to online classes, forming discussion and study groups, and providing asynchronous and synchronous online lectures using the Canvas Learning Management System. Accountability and transparency are also crucial to him.
Education
Teaching Areas
- African Cultural Perspectives
- Black Popular Culture
- African American Community
- Slavery and the American Experience
- Contemporary African Society
- Introduction to African American Studies
- Ancient/Classical African History
Teaching Activity
- African Cultural Perspectives, AFRS 164: delves into the depths of African history and cultural practices through the eyes of African writers and musicians, a geographical and topographical survey of the African continent, and an evaluation and analysis of contact between African and non-African communities during the Arab and European colonial eras.
- Black Popular Culture, AFRS 27: This course traces black popular culture focusing on people of African descent in the global African Diaspora and those of African descent on the African continent. The course introduces students to the historical, political, social, economic, and cultural processes and institutions that shape the living conditions and experiences of Africana peoples in Africa's countries and Diaspora.
- African American Community, AFRS 135: This course will provide students with an opportunity to examine how the African American community has used its creativity, power, and resources to dismantle the walls of exclusion, discrimination, and poverty. In doing so, it will focus on the core elements of African American culture—namely, the family and how black families have managed to shape the world in their image and interests against forces aimed at stifling their quest for opportunity, advancement, and human dignity.
- Slavery and the American Experience, AFRS 15: A survey course examining the role of slavery in the economic, political, and social development of the United States from the founding of the colonies through the revolutionary period to the civil war and beyond.
- Contemporary African Society, AFRS 36: This course incorporates an analysis of African societies' cultural and political structure, understanding the impact of colonialism in Africa, and realizing African Americans' relationship with Africa.
- Introduction to Africana Studies, AFRS 10: A survey course designed to introduce students to the vast array of scholarship defining the African American experience as they relate to the experiences of Africans on the continent and other peoples of African descent in the Diaspora.
- Ancient/Classical African history: This course explores the realities of African cultural experiences through readings and films by Africans. The goal is to study the continent's historical, political, economic, religious, and sociocultural conditions in the precolonial, colonial, and postcolonial periods.
Publications
Tadesse, Debay. Climate Change and Rural-Urban migration in Africa: the case of Ethiopia. ECC-Platform, Adelphi. September 2013.
The security implications of climate change in Mali. ECC-Platform, Adelphi. February 2013.
International cooperation, International relations, Peace-building. Region: Africa, Africa Portal. September 18, 2012, www.africaportal.org.
Nexus between Climate Change and Security in Africa. July/August, 2012 - UNEP, www.unep.org.
Climate Change and Natural Resources Conflicts in Africa. The hydro politics of the Nile: Climate change, water, and food security in Ethiopia. (Monograph 170, South Africa: ISS, May 2010).
The Nile: Is it a Curse or a Blessing? (Pretoria, South Africa. Institute for Security Studies: ISS Occasional Paper, November 2008), Series 174.
Climate Diplomacy in Africa: New approaches for foreign policy engagement on the global challenge of climate change, October 24, 2013, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Post-Referendum Sudan: the challenges ahead, (Italy: ISPI Working Paper, February 2012). NO. 46.
The Impact of Climate Change in Africa, Volume 2010, Issue 220. Published Online:1 Nov 2010 https://hdl.handle.net/10520/EJC48888
Identifying Entry Points for Climate Change Adaptation and Peacebuilding: Policy Development Implementation--An Adaptation Partnership Workshop Series. Woodrow Willson Center, November 2013, Washington, DC,
Peacekeeping successes and failures in Africa, Relief Web, www.reliefweb.int., (April 29. 2009).
Africa's Emerging Global Partnerships: Their Implications for the Continent's Development Aspirations, (Pretoria, South Africa. Institute for Security Studies: ISS Occasional Paper, June 2009) Series 189.
Egypt: Nile River Basin States in Appeal to Countries, allAfrica.com:www.allafrica.com, (September 29, 2009).
Marcel Kitissou, Muna Ndulo, Mechthild Nagel, and Margaret Grieco, (Eds). The hydro-politics of Africa: A contemporary challenge, The Nile as a source of Cooperation or Conflict: the Case of Ethiopia, Egypt, and the Sudan, (Cambridge, MA, USA: Cambridge Scholars Press, 2007), 19-50.
Policy and Research Papers
Sino-African Partnership: An Assessment. (Pretoria, South Africa. Institute for Security Studies: December 2013).
Why Africa needs Climate Diplomacy? (Pretoria, South Africa. Institute for Security Studies: ISS Today, May 2013).
OAU/AU: the quest for African unity. (Pretoria, South Africa. Institute for Security Studies: ISS Today, April 2013).
The security implications of climate change in Mali, (Germany: ECC-Platform, Adelphi, March 2013).
China-Africa Cooperation in Development and Peace and Security: Challenges and Opportunities, (ISS International Conference, May 22, 2012).
China and the West in Africa, (Pretoria, South Africa: Institute for Security Studies: ISS Today. February 20, 2012.
Impact of Climate Change in Africa and its Dire Consequences, (Pretoria, South Africa. Institute for Security Studies: ISS Today, November 24, 2009).
Peacekeeping success and failure, (Pretoria, South Africa. Institute for Security Studies: ISS Today, April 29, 2009).
The RECs as Building Blocks toward an Effective continental Integration (Pretoria, South Africa. Institute for Security Studies: ISS Today, January 28, 2009).
Towards a Union Government for Africa, (Pretoria, South Africa. Institute for Security Studies: ISS Today, November 2008).
Better Water Management Can Save Lives in Ethiopia. (Pretoria, South Africa. Institute for Security Studies: ISS Today, June 2008).
Nile as a Source of Cooperation or Conflict: In the Case of Ethiopia, Egypt, and the Sudan. Ithaca, New York: Cornell University's April 2005.
Conference/Workshops/Seminar Reports
Sino-African Union cooperation in peace and security in Africa, ISS Conference Report, South Africa: Institute for Security Studies, May 22, 2012.
Climate change and Transboundary water resource conflicts in Africa. Workshop Report. Nairobi, Kenya: Institute for Security Studies, September 2009.
Africa, climate change, and 'good' governance: Key research, capacity and networking needs, at the Workshop on 'Climate Change – Good Governance: Africa Workshop,' Accra, Ghana. September 23-24, 2013.
Mapping Chinese investment and development aid in Africa (AFRODAD). Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. May 2013.
China-Africa Cooperation in Development and Peace and Security: Challenges and Opportunities, ISS International Conference, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. May 22, 2012.
Environmental issues in the Horn, Nairobi, Kenya, March 20 – 22, 2012.
Climate Change and Conflict: International Prevention and Response Strategies. Brussels, Belgium: February 28, 2012.
African Futures, 2050, Monograph. Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: Save the Children East and Central Africa Regional Conference, June 7, 2011.
African Union and the Union Government debate OAU, A.U. and the A.U. Authority, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. April 2011.
Shared Values and the African Union, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. January 21, 2011.
China-Africa Partnership: Implications and Prospects for Africa, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: October 12, 2010.
China-Africa Partnership: Emerging challenges and opportunities Beijing, China: July 2010.
NGOs in Africa: Challenges and Opportunities, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, June 16, 2010.
Development after Conflict in Africa: Rebuilding Economic Governance, Rome, Italy: June 2010).
The Historical Dispute over the Sharing of the Nile: Breaking the Deadlock and Charting a Way Forward, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. June 3, 2010.
Analysis of the Outcomes of the Copenhagen Talks on Climate Change: Implications for Africa, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. January 29, 2010.
Copenhagen Talks on Climate Change and Africa's Response, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. November 2009.
The Common use of the Nile: Survival and Implications for Regional/Continental Security. Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: November 2009.
Climate Change and Transboundary Water Resources Conflicts in Africa: Legal, Policy and Institutional Challenges, Mombasa, Kenya 2009.
Analysis of the 13th Ordinary Summit of AU, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. July 2009.
The Hydro politics of the Nile: Climate Change, Water, and Food Security in Ethiopia. (Entebbe, Uganda: May 2009)
Africa's Own Efforts in Achieving the Society Devoid Conflicts and Wars. Kobe, Japan: February 2009.
Strategies for the Implementation of a Union Government for Africa, Debre Zeit, Ethiopia, November 2008.
Awards, Honors, and Affiliations
- Member of the African Studies Association, Since 2002
- Member of The Forum for the Study of Foreign Policy, Since 2009
- Award the Sasakawa Young Leaders Fellow (Research), Sasakawa Foundation, Sept. 2005- May 2007
- Phi Alpha Theta, Field of History, Zeta Gamma American Historical Society, Confirmed 2002
- African Union Summit Observer 2008-2013
- Certificate of Award for the Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR), 2002
Campus Resources:
Office: Science 146
Office Phone: 559.278.2832
Email: asiasmith@mail.fresnostate.edu
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Office: Science 146
Office Phone: 559.278.2832
Email: murphy@fresnocitycollege.edu
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Office: Science 146
Office Phone: 559.278.2832
Email: nturpin@mail.fresnostate.edu
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Affiliated Faculty
Professor
Office: Speech Arts 140F
Office Phone: 559.278.2646
Email: thomee@csufresno.edu
Class Schedule
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Office Hours: TBA
Education
- B.A., California State University, Sacramento
- M.F.A., Michigan State University
Research/Teaching Interests
- African American Theatre and Film
Select Publications
Books
"Benny Ambush," "Michael Gates," and "Claude Purdy." In Theatrical Directors:
A Biographical Directory, edited by John W. Frick and Stephen Vallillo. Westport,
Conn.: Greenwood Press, 1994
Other Publications
- “Black Directors Still Plagued by Artistic Apartheid,” Atlanta Journal and Constitution
- “Chris Rock’s Black Humor Teaches, Irks, Entertains Us,” Fresno Bee
Selected Professional Productions Directed
- Livin Fat, University of Georgia
- Split Second, University of Georgia
- Jungle Bunnies, University of Georgia
- El Hajj Malik, National Theatre of Nigeria, Lagos
- Death and the Maiden, Van Troi Theatre, Santiago, Cuba
- Golden Child, Novell Hall, Taipei, Taiwan
- God’s Trombones, California Correctional Facility for Women, Chowchilla, Ca
Campus Resources:
Faculty Emeritus/Retired Faculty
Retired Lecturer
University Service: 1997 - 2022
Email: dcheek@csufresno.edu
Educational Background
Temple University, Philadelphia, Ph.D., 1971 University of Southern California, Doctoral Curriculum, 1959
Fordham School of Social Services, NY., M.S.W., 1955
Seton Hall University, South Orange, N.J., B.S., 1953
Courses Taught
- Race Relations
- Diversity in the U.S.
- Social Psychology
- African-American Community
- Ethnic Experience
- Freshman Seminar
Professional Service
Professor of Education, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, 1977-1999
Counselor and Professor of Social Psychology, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, 1973-1977
Vice-President of the Human Resources Institute and Lecturer in Social Psychology, Claremont Colleges, Claremont, CA, 1969-1973
Vice-President of Student Affairs, Lincoln University, P.A., 1967-1969
Special Honors
National Board Officer, Prison Fellowship, USA 1989 to present
Keynote Speaker Fresno State African American Graduation Ceremony, CSU, Fresno. May, 1999
Named one of the pioneers of Cognitive Behavior Therapy by Allen Ivey in Counseling and Psychotherapy by Allen Ivey, 1992
Listed in Who’s Who Among Black Americans, 1985-1986; 1977-1978
Founding Chairman of State-Wide Minority Task Force of University Counselors, 1974-1977
Principal Trainer and Consultant for Pennsylvania Governor’s Conference on Race Relations, 1970-1972
Recipient of National Institute of Mental Health Graduate Fellowship, 1965-69
Grants Awarded
Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo Grant to provide academic exposure and vocational guidance to under-represented students ($87,000), 1985-1990
Counseling Consultant & Facilitator, Federal Correctional Institute, Lompoc, CA, 1980-1985
Administrative Consultant, Paso Robles Boys School, California Youth Authority, 1977 to 1982
Foreign Experience
Research trips to Israel, Northern Ireland, England France, & Grenada, 1996-1997
Munich, Germany, Guest Lecturer, 1985
Utrecht, The Netherlands, Workshop Presenter and Working Groups Facilitator, 1985
University of Ghana, Accra, Africa, Research, 1969-1970
Yale University Program in Xalapa, Mexico, Director, 1965
Professional and Research Interest
Racism and Religion; Violence in America, Roots of Pentecostals, The Hip-Hop Culture and African Roots of Modern Science.
Selected Publications
“Social Science: A Vehicle of White Supremacy?” International Journal for the Advancement of Counselling, 1986.
“Assertive Black…Puzzled White,” J ournal of Counseling and Guidance, November, 1976
“The Prevention of Institutional Racism: Training Counselling Psychologists as Agents for Change”
“Assertive Behavior and Black Lifestyles”
“Cross-Cultural Analysis of Ethnic Identity and Skin Color”
Professor Emeritus
University Service: 1985 - 2005
Educational Background
Harvard University, Ed.D., 1979
Tufts University, M.A.,1973, B.A., 1972
Awards and Special Honors
Provost Honored Faculty Award (dates)
UCLA Post-Doctorate Fellow (dates)
National Arts and Humanities Fellowships (dates)
Whitney Foundation Research Fellowship (dates)
Courses Taught
Introduction to Contemporary Indian Affairs
Indians of California
American Indian-Federal Law
The Politics of American Indian Education
American Indian Religion
American Indian History
Ethnic Diversity in the U.S.
Professional Service
Coordinator, American Indian Studies, CSU, Fresno, 1985-present
Assist. Prof. and Coordinator, American Indian Studies, CSU, Chico, 1979-1985
Lecturer, American Indian Studies, CSU, San Diego, 1978-79
Principal, Pierre Indian Learning Center, Pierre, South Dakota, 1976-78
Director of Education Programs, 1969-73
Professional Organization Memberships
National Indian Education Association
California Assembly of Indian Women
California Indian Education Association
Boston Indian Center (co-founder)
Women’s Educational Resource Center (co-founder)
Academic Advisory Board
California State University Chancellor’s Advisory Council on American Indian Studies
California State Department of Education, Indian Education Advisory Board
National Indian Education Association
Professional and Research Interest
Indian Education and Economic Development
Publications
To Live Heroically—Institutional Racism and American Indian Education. Albany, NY:
SUNY Press, 1997.
“Women in American Indian Culture.” Chapter in Wilma Mankiller. The Unforseen Legacy of the Federal Indian Relocation Program. Susan Castillo (Editor). Opporto, Portugal: Fernadao Possao University Press, 1996. Reprinted and translated into Italian for the Italian Journal, Teepee, University of Torino Press.
“ Teaching in a Multicultural University. Chapter in On Becoming a Mensch or a Mentor.
Helen Roberts, Teaching and Learning Institute. CSU. Sage Publications. 1994.
“ J. Edgar Hoover and the Indians.” European Journal of American Indian Studies.
Vienna. 1993.
Professor Emeritus
University Service: 1972 - 2007
Biography
Dr. Robert S. Mikell is a native of New Orleans, Louisiana, where he graduated from the Booker T. Washington High School. He holds an Associate of Arts degree in Business Administration from Fresno City College, a Bachelor's and Master's degree in Business Administration from California State University, Fresno, and the Doctor of Education degree from the University of Southern California. Dr. Mikell served as a member of the faculty at California State University, Fresno from 1972 until he retired in 2007 as a Full Professor, during which time he taught courses in Ethnic Studies (African American Studies) and in the School of Business (Management and Marketing). He served twelve years (1978-90) as the Chairperson of the Ethnic Studies Program. In 2007, the university bestowed on him the honor of Professor Emeritus of Africana Studies.
Dr. Mikell was the founder of the Africana Studies Research Center and served as the
Director. His teaching emphasis was in the area of socio-cultural dynamics which included
courses in race relations, cultural diversity, and cultural music, as well as economic
and business development. He developed and taught courses on African American Music
and “The Life and Times of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.,Principles of Marketing, Organizational
Behavior, and other courses. He served as co-chair of the MLK, Jr Monument Committee,
which commissioned the life-size statue of Dr. King located in the University’s Peace
Garden. Currently, he is serving on the President’s Nelson Mandela Project Monument
Committee at Fresno State.
Dr. Mikell’s research interest and consultation works are in the fields of minority
business development, migration patterns, early New Orleans Jazz, innovative teaching
through distance learning for which he received a FIFSE grant in the amount of $243,000,
and the history of the Black town Allensworth (a published work). He received funding
for several of research projects that involved introducing students to research methodology.
Dr. Mikell wrote numerous grant proposals that received funding which were designed
to enhance the well-being of all students. Other projects funded were, The Evolution
of African American Music which included weekend courses and lectures/demonstrations
with live music performed by local musicians.
Dr. Mikell has written a manuscript titled, “Peter Davis: The First Music Master of the Great Louis Armstrong.” his most recent article is The Legacy of Louis Armstrong’s Music Teacher Peter Davis, The Syncopated Times, July 27, 2019. Several of his other publications can be found on the academic website, blackpast.org.
Dr. Mikell has distinguished himself through numerous community and University awards.
He devoted himself to serving on a variety of committees at the Department, School,
and University levels. He is a co-founder and former board member of Valley Small
Business Development Corporation and was an elected official (seven years) for the
Educational Employees Credit Union, where he served as the Chairperson of the Supervisory
Committee. Dr. Mikell presently volunteers as a Jazz Host at KFSR 90.7, FM streaming
at kfsr.org, Red Beans and Jazz, Fridays, 9:00am to 12:00pm. His program theme song
is “Hello Dolly” song by Louis Armstrong.
Dr. Robert S. Mikell was the founder of the first African American Graduation Recognition program held in 1984. The event was held in the Upstairs Cafeteria. At that first event, he was the keynote speaker along with comments from Vice-President, Dr. Judith Kuipers. The Black Gospel Choir delivered musical selections under the directorship of the late Ernie Shelton. Later, he was able to secure Kente cloth which was draped around the shoulders of each graduating student. At that time, 23 students were in attendance. He also wrote the words and for several years delivered the “The Rites of Passage” to affirm a communal, Black-centered recognition of graduating students.
During the following years, he founded the African American Alumni Association with the advisement from Manuel Olguin. Prior to that time, he established the Black Student Business Club based on a small business technical assistance grant that he received with the assistance of Richard Nieto.
Retired
Past Events
**Page Under Construction**
Professor Emeritus of History
Email: maliks@csufresno.edu
Education
Ph.D. - University of Minnesota (1977)
M.A. - University of Minnesota (1973)
B.A. - University of Southern Colorado (1970)
Research/Teaching Interests
American Constitutional History; African American History
Select Publications:
Books:
Black Marxism and American Constitutionalism: From the Colonial Background Through the Ascendancy of Barack Obama and the Dilemma of Black Lives Matter, 3rd ed.,(Dubuque 2016)
Black Marxism and American Constitutionalism: From the Colonial Background to the Ascendancy of Barack Obama, 2nd ed., (Dubuque 2013)
Black Marxism and American Constitutionalism: From the Colonial Background to the Great Depression (Dubuque 2010)
Articles:
“Learning from History: Contemporary Issues in Black and Africana Studies” edited book, co-authored with De Anna Reese, Black Culture and Experience (2015)
"Historians Against History: The Propaganda of History and the Struggle over the Hearts and Minds of Black Folk" co-authored with De Anna Reese, Socialism and Democracy 25, 1 (2011).
"The Obama Campaign 2008: A Historical Overview," Western Journal of Black Studies 33, 3 (Fall 2009), 186-91.
"Joel Augustus Rogers: Negro Historian in History, Time, and Space," Afro-Americans in New York Life and History: An Interdisciplinary Journal 30, 2 (July 2006).
"Gong Lum v. Rice: The Convergence of Law, Race, and Ethnicity," in American Mosaic: Selected Readings on America's Multicultural Heritage, eds. Young I. Song and Eugene C. Kim (Prentice Hall, 1993).
“Trayvon Stood His Ground,” Philosophy and the Black Experience (Newsletter; The American Philosophical Association); Fall 2013, Volume 13, Number 1.
“Historical Origins of the Constitutional Compromise Concerning the Three-Fifths Clause” has been read by 200,000 visitors and counting to the Blackpast.org website. Entries listed below have topped over a million visitors in total.
Fresno Bee Editorials:
“Black History Month focus provides context,” February 15, 1998.
“Cage fighting, segregation get another look,” July 18, 2009.
“Zimmerman ‘sucker play’ ended in murder,” August 2, 2013.
“Sunshine, shadow and the ACA,” March 1, 2014.
“Let’s judge folks not on color but on their abilities,” August 2, 2014.
“Long, bloody journey to progress,” July 4, 2015.
Honors
“Trailblazers Award” 2015,” African American Historical and Cultural Museum.
Courses Offered
Undergraduate:
American History Survey-Post Civil War
Historical Methods and Research
African American History Survey
Africana Image and Culture
Critical Thinking About Race
Graduate:
American Constitutional History
Professorships
- California State University-Fresno (Past chair of History Department (2000-2003), Past Coordinator of the Africana Studies Program, 2006-2014)
- Clarion University in Pennsylvania
- State University of New York at Binghamton, History
Research and Academic Honors
- National Endowment for Humanities, Topic: “Slavery and Freedom in American History,” University of California, Irvine, 1990
- National Endowment for Humanities, Topic: “American Courts: A Bicentennial Perspective,” University of Wisconsin Law School, 1987.
- National Endowment for the Humanities, “Alain Locke and the Harlem Renaissance,” Atlanta University, 1979
Advisory Boards
Blackpast.org, the “Google” of the African American experience
Ronald E. McNair Scholars Program, California State University-Fresno
Additional Scholarly Publications
Below are sampling of entries published in the following encyclopedias:
- African American Encyclopedia, 1992
- Encyclopedia of the African Diaspora, 2008
- Encyclopedia of African History, 2005
- Encyclopedia of Slave Resistance and Rebellion
- Historical Dictionary of Civil Rights.
- Historical Encyclopedia of World Slavery, 1997
- Malcolm X Encyclopedia, 1995
- W. E. B. Du Bois Encyclopedia, 1996
Samuel Chapman Armstrong
Herbert Aptheker
Chicago Commission on Civil Rights
Commonwealth v. Jennison
Edward Blyden
Benjamin Davis
Frederick Douglass
Harlem Suitcase Theater
Juano Hernandez
Alphaeus Hunton
Negro Peoples Theater
Negro Workers Council
Post-Colonial Law in Africa
Post-Colonial African Cinema
Slave Labor to Free Labor in South Africa
Slavery in Central Africa
Venture Smith
Zong Case
Other online essays on Blackpast.org are:
- Frederick Douglass
- John Hope Franklin
- E. Franklin Frazier
- Marcus Garvey
- Lionel Hampton
- Cathy Hughes
- LeBron James
- Charles Johnson
- James Weldon Johnson
- Michael Jordan
- Rayford W. Logan
- Malcolm X
- Clarence Thomas
- H. Viscount Nelson
- Perspectives on the Blackpast.org
- “A Marxist Scholar Analysis of the American Legal System
- “The Association for the Study of African American History and Culture”
Dr. Simba’s other published works include book reviews in the Chicago Tribune Book Reviews, Focus on Law Studies, Journal of Southwest Georgia History and Western Legal History: The Journal of the Ninth Judicial Circuit Historical Society.
Professor Emeritus
University Service: 1972 - 2003
Educational Background
University of the Pacific, Stockton, California, Ed.D. (Curriculum & Instruction),
1976
California State University, Fresno, M.A. (English), 1971
California State University, Fresno, B.A. (English), 1970
Courses Taught
American Poverty
Ethnic Experience
African American Women
Administrative Experience
Chair, Ethnic Studies Program, CSU, Fresno, 1990-1998
Director, Project Enhancement, California State University, Fresno Foundation, Summer
1989-90; 1992-93
Director, University Affirmative Action & Academic Specialist, 1977-82
Professional Service
Professor, Ethnic Studies, CSU, Fresno, 1982-03
Associate Professor, Ethnic Studies, CSU, Fresno, 1978-82
Member of Human Relations Commission, CSU, Fresno, 1995-96
Member of Athletic Behavior Review Committee, 1995-96
Founder and President of FCPW Investment Club
Special Honors
Honorary Member Award from Africana Students United (ASU), 2003
Community Service Award from Church of the Living God and Living Heritage Drama Group,
1999
Rosa Parks Award for Service and Dedication to the African American Community, 1999
Human Relations Commission Community Recognition Award (City of Fresno), 1999
Nominated for the Fresno Bee/Channel 30/YWCA Top Ten Business/Professional Women of
the Year, 1994
President, Phi Kappa Phi National Academic Honor Society, 1980-81
Secretary, Phi Kappa Phi National Academic Honor Society, 1978-80
Cited in Who’s Who in the West and Mid-West, 1973
Professional and Research Interest
The Impact of race and gender on successful women who migrated to the United States, England, and Canada from English speaking Caribbean countries
Selected Publications
“Student athletes deserve civility from Fresno State.” Article published in The Fresno Bee, October 25, 1997.
“Gems, Precious Words for Children.” Published by Enhance Educational Services, 1998.
Professional Organization Memberships
Phi Kappa Phi National Academic Honor Society
After Thirty-Three Years of Service: A Dedication to Dr. Lily B. Small
See photo gallery of Dr. Small's Retirement Party
Dr. Lily B. Small has made outstanding contributions to the Africana & American Indian Studies Program (formerly Ethnic Studies) at California State University, Fresno for thirty- three years. Lily is a pioneer in the field of African American Studies coming at a time when the field was raw, when only anthropologists, sociologists, or historians were teaching about the Black experience in America. She brought passion, intellectual rigor and humanity into this newly designed discipline. Her accomplishments speak volumes of her dedication to the well being of our students, the Ethnic Studies Program, and the campus community-at- large. No doubt her proudest departmental accomplishment was in gaining approval of the major in African American Studies in 1998.
Dr. Small has served as more than a classroom instructor to her students. She has been a friend, confidant, and surrogate parent to countless number of students during her tenure. She exposed students and the community to the reality of what it is like to be poor, black and uneducated in America today—a reality that most of her students, black and white, were unaware, or thought of as in the past tense. She taught students about the hatefulness of racism and the cost of racism to America's soul. And her humanity went further as she exhorted students to work harder, learn more and go to the limit of their capabilities. The late Dr. James Rogers described Dr. Small as “The Mother of Ethnic Studies.” Over the years as professor and chair of Ethnic Studies, she has truly epitomized that characterization.
When she was program coordinator from 1994 to 1998, Dr. Lily Small helped shepherd the approval of the BA in African-American Studies which created the academic foundation for the Africana Studies Program to give students the opportunity to study Black history, Black literature, and the field of Black Studies as a major. For over 30 years at Fresno State she was a professor who cared deeply about the success of students, and her loving heart continues to guide the way we care for students today.
Professor Emeritus
University Service: 1990 - 2018
"Dr. James E. Walton, a professor emeritus of English at Fresno State and the first faculty to serve as coordinator of the university’s Africana Studies Program. An educator for more than half a century, Dr. Walton taught American literature and writing at the university from 1990 to 2018. He retired as chair emeritus of both English and Africana Studies."
"Before coming to Fresno State, Dr. Walton taught for 20 years at Mount Union College in Alliance, Ohio, where he received the Great Teacher Award in 1989. He previously taught for three years at Canton McKinley High School in Canton, Ohio."
Read more: University obituary & Extended remembrance
* denotes deceased
Faculty Links
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