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Black History Month at the AYCGL
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As we commemorate Black History Month, the Andrew Young Center explores the history of Black people throughout the diaspora, and the impact of historical events on contemporary conditions both globally and locally. The year 2023 marks several noteworthy anniversaries, including the 60th Anniversary of the March on Washington, the 50th Anniversary of Ambassador Andrew Young joining the U.S. congress, and the 50th anniversary of the birth of Hip Hop. Many of the conditions under which these events took place persist. The Center has several upcoming events and opportunities for the community to engage in our efforts to achieve a more Beloved Community. In the spirit of Sankofa, the Andrew Young Center draws from our history to move forward and cultivate a better future.
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Oprah Winfrey Scholars Serve on the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service
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Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. believed in the Beloved Community. Engagement in work that serves the greater good is one component of creating the community Dr. King fought for. Each year on the third Monday in January, the Martin Luther King, Jr., Day of Service takes place. King Day is the only federal holiday that is also designated by Congress as a National Day of Service. Oprah Winfrey scholars engage in service to the community all year, but service on this holiday has special meaning and importance to our Morehouse community. This year, in partnership with Atlanta’s King Center, Oprah Winfrey scholars served to support the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Annual Commemorative Service, voter registration, and a collection drive for the unsheltered. Sharing this experience allowed Oprah Winfrey scholars to grow as individuals and a community in service to others.
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The Andrew Young Center for Global Leadership is proud to highlight the stories and accomplishments of the extraordinary Morehouse students who participate in the programming of the Center. This month we are pleased to feature Douglas Burnett, a senior at Morehouse College.
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Douglas Burnett is a senior Political Science major with minors in Sales and Sociology from Cleveland, Ohio. During his matriculation at Morehouse College, he has engaged in numerous student leadership positions, including serving as the President Pro Tempore of the Student Senate, Lead NSO Commander, and Student Ambassador. In addition, Douglas is a nationally ranked mooter on the Morehouse College moot court team, the only moot court team at an HBCU. This past summer, Douglas interned on Capitol Hill in the Legislative Affairs department of America's Essential Hospital Association. Douglas's career interests are social justice liberation within race relations, the medical industrial complex, criminal justice, and voting rights. In the upcoming school year, he will advance his education by obtaining his Master of Public Administration and then immediately proceed to law school in pursuit of becoming a civil rights attorney.
Douglas credits his great-grandmother Rose, who participated in the great migration during the late 1939s, as his most significant mentor. Her tenacity and extensive faith in a higher calling encourages him to live an impactful life by helping others. Morehouse was Douglas's dream school, and the Oprah Winfrey scholarship afforded him this highly sought dream. Douglas aspires to become an attorney and politician because he wants to impact, lead, and bring a higher level of cultural competence to America's tarnished system. He recounts being an ambassador and the Lead New Student Orientation commander as his greatest accomplishments because of his unwavering admiration for the historical significance that Morehouse and its culture contribute to the world. As his time at the college ends, Douglas has a deep appreciation for everyone who has contributed to his advancement.
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Morehouse College Across the Globe
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In December and January, Morehouse students traveled with Morehouse faculty-led programs to five destinations. Three of those were MPAGE II African Diaspora - Morehouse in Belize, Morehouse in Ireland: Transatlantic Perspectives on Civil Rights and Social Justice-oriented Leadership, and Liberia, West Africa Service Learning Program. Faculty leading these programs share the powerful impact these transformative experiences have on Morehouse students.
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MPAGE II: African Diaspora - Morehouse College in Belize
Professor Ron Thomas (Chair, Journalism in Sports, Culture, and Social Justice) and Dr. Tiffany Bussey (Director, Morehouse Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center)
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In December 2021, the Morehouse Pan African Global Experience II (MPAGE II) traveled to Belize, Central America. The major goal of the program was to explore the history and struggles of the Belizean people from slavery and colonialization to independence as a sovereign nation. Jerry Enriquez, our tour organizer and a Belize native, and other speakers, helped the group investigate the complexities and challenges of present-day economic development. Belize is the only country in Central America that has not had a civil war and remains a democratic nation with English as its official language. Consequently, it represents an intriguing case for the study of many global social justice issues. Through the 12-day immersive experience, students studied the intersections of the cultural, political, and economic plight of the Afro descendants and Indigenous Belizeans.
Two key highlight experiences of the program were: 1) visiting the Spanish Lookout Mennonite community in western San Ignacio District, 2) our visit to Palmeto Grove on Kalipuna Island located on the north side of Hopkins Village in the southeastern Stann Creek District.
A key student learning outcome of the program is a better understanding of the historical impact of the transatlantic slave trade. The historical and systemic barriers that challenge people of color seem to be consistent no matter the geographic location in the world. However, with hope and love Black people will continue to thrive and find communities.
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Morehouse in Ireland: Transatlantic Perspectives on Civil Rights and Social Justice-oriented Leadership
Professor Kipton Jensen, Associate Professor of Philosophy and Director of Leadership Studies
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Pictured above: Tillman Payne, Odein Karibi-Whyte, Ryan Gibbs, Robert Malcolm, Amir Harris, Ambrose Haskins, Elijah Moss, and Xavier Toussaint, Kipton Jensen, and Justin McClinton.
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This past January, Morehouse students traveled to Ireland to explore the “imperfect parallels” that can be drawn between the Civil Rights Movements in Ireland and the USA. Frederick Douglass traveled to Ireland in 1845-1846. Douglass witnessed first-hand the outbreak of the Great Famine. It was there that Douglass met the so-called “liberator,” Daniel O’Connell: In Ireland, Douglass was known as the Black O’Connell. As part of a January (J-mester) course on social justice leadership, students and faculty from Morehouse’s Leadership Studies program traveled to Dublin, Derry, and Donegal. While in Derry, program participants visited the Irish Civil Rights Museum. It was there that the group explored the imperfect parallels between the events of Bloody Sunday in Ireland, fifty years ago, in 1972, and Bloody Sunday in Selma, Alabama, in 1965. The Civil Rights Movement in Ireland drew heavily on the strategies and tactics of the civil rights movement in America. As an illustrative case in point, “We Shall Overcome” was the best-known protest song associated with civil rights movement in Ireland: What they overcame was similar but also different. 2023 marks the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement. The students—and faculty—also explored the Sliabh Liag Cliffs, held council in Castle Donegal, visited Trinity College in Dublin, traversed the Island of Arranmore, and surfed on the western shores of Bundoran.
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Liberia, West Africa Service-Learning Study Abroad Program
Professor Taura Taylor, Assistant Professor of Sociology
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Dr. Taura Taylor, Assistant Professor of Sociology, recently had the pleasure of chaperoning a cohort of 16 phenomenally intellectual, loveable, and resilient students on the Planting a Seed International (PASI) Bicentennial Service-Learning Trip to Liberia, West Africa. This year marked the 200-year anniversary of the arrival of the first free Black Americans to Liberia. This year also marked the 5-year anniversary of PASI’s first service-learning trip to Liberia. The service-learning program provided students with multiple immersive opportunities, including classroom refurbishment and improvement, school supply distribution, group tutoring, as well as several diplomacy gatherings. Students visited various historical and cultural sites, including the Divine Rock Orphanage, the School of Liberia Arts and Dance, and the Liberia National Museum.
Highlights of the service-learning initiative included an exclusive lunch and Q&A at the home of Senator Nyomblee Karnga-Lawrence of Grand Bassa County, a presentation and Q&A at the Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Presidential Center for Women and Development, and a presentation and Q&A with Sans Frontières, also known as Doctors Without Borders. Dr. Taylor was most impressed with the students' candor and reflexivity, especially as they contemplated socio-political rebuilding initiatives for Liberia: “As a professor, it was a joy to witness expansions in their Pan-African consciousness. They indeed represented their HBCU institutions well.”
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Morehouse Welcomes New Department of State and USAID Diplomats-in-Residence
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The Diplomat in Residence (DIR) Program provides Morehouse College students and faculty with a direct link to the U.S. Department of State and U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). Diplomats in Residence are foreign service officers and specialists who provide guidance and advice on internships, graduate fellowships, and careers, with opportunities for U.S. citizen candidates across all fields of study.
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Saul Hernandez (U.S. Department of State DIR) has over eighteen years of experience with the U.S. Department of State. His previous overseas assignments include Bogotá, Colombia; Prague, Czech Republic; Tbilisi, Republic of Georgia; and Lima, Peru. Mr. Hernandez became the diplomat in residence for the southern U.S. in October 2022. Please schedule a meeting with Mr. Hernandez by emailing him at DIRSouth@state.gov or schedule meetings with him at calendly.com/dirsouth.
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Penelope Thomas (USAID DIR) has served as an Executive Officer in Washington, D.C. and Egypt and as the Supervisory Executive Officer in Pakistan, Nigeria, Colombia, The Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Barbados, Guyana, Bangladesh and Mali. Ms. Thomas assumed her position in January 2023. Students interested in the United States Agency for International Development can email Ms. Thomas directly as pathomas@usaid.gov. Ms. Thomas’ office is located on the 4th floor of the Massey Leadership Building.
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Drs. Sinead Younge and Robert Franklin Publish OpEd and Article on Moral Leadership
Last year, the Atlanta Journal Constitution published an OpEd by Morehouse College President Emeritus Robert Franklin and Sinead Younge, the director of the Institute for Social Justice Inquiry and Praxis. The OpEd, entitled, “Moral Leadership’s Still Important,” explored how today’s students view moral leadership (see article here). A subsequent paper, written by Drs. Robert Franklin, Sinead Younge, and Kipton Jensen and published in the American Journal of Community Psychology (January 2023) is titled “The Role of Historically Black Colleges and Cniversities (HBCUs) in cultivating the next generation of social justice and public service-oriented moral leaders during the racial reckoning and COVID-19 pandemics.” The article can be found here and further explores how Morehouse students view leadership.
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Dream Keepers’ Mini Grant Awardee Panel Discussion and Luncheon
Last semester, the Andrew Young Center awarded community mini-grants to five community based organizations including Beautiful Scars, Lady BurgAndy, the Reginald and Dionne Smith Foundation, 5 Strong Scholars Foundation, and Olmecca House. On Tuesday, January 31, 2023, the AYCGL hosted a panel discussion with the grantees, followed by a luncheon. Morehouse students learned about the important work being done in the community to promote wellness through the arts, recovery, education, and advocacy.
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Teach in on Tyre Nichols and Cop City
The Andrew Young Center for Global Leadership mourns the loss of Tyre Nichols and all victims of violence. Tyre was a father, son, and friend who was also an avid skateboarder and photographer. On January 31, 2023, Dr. Kipton Jensen, Director of the Leadership Studies Program, and Dr. Andrew Douglas (AYCGL Faculty Fellow) hosted a ‘Teach In’ on Atlanta’s controversial Cop City and the killing of Tyre Nichols.
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Data is Life: RestoreHer Conference February 3-5, 2023
Dr. Sinead Younge and Higher Education in Prison (HEP) Ambassadors Basil Ghali and Michael Henry, along with a cohort of Social Justice Scholars from Spelman College, traveled to Savannah, Georgia to attend the Data is Life Conference hosted by RestoreHer, where they learned about the value of data for justice-impacted individuals.
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New SMASH Scholars Program Study Room
The Morehouse College SMASH Scholars Program provides financial support, social justice leadership development experiences, and academic advising to support academic success and the pursuit of STEM careers. The Program supports 18 students majoring in STEM disciplines as well as Business and Economics. In addition to biweekly meetings and other program activities, SMASH scholars participate in a weekly study hall designed to support their academic success.
In January 2023 the SMASH Scholars Study Room opened! This newly renovated space in Dansby Hall is used during study hall sessions and by scholars at other times for group and independent study.
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Lowery Institute’s Mimi’s Pantry at Morehouse College
The Andrew Young Center is home to the Lowery Institute's Mimi's Pantry (Morehouse Satellite Pantry) located on the 4th floor of the Massey Leadership Building. The pantry provides meals and snacks to Morehouse and all AUC students. The AYCGL's pantry is open from 12:00-2pm and 4:00-5pm on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday of each week. Starting February 13th, registration for meals will no longer be required. Walk-ins are welcome!
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Upcoming Events and Opportunities
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February 9, 2023: Oprah Winfrey and SMASH scholars visit Microsoft Headquarters. Scholars will take a tour of the facility and learn about the technological advances Microsoft is leading.
February 20, 2023: Morehouse Mental Health Pathways Program “Clinical Psychology: Pathway and Practice," by Dr. Silvia Gerken. The event will take place from 5:30-7:00pm in Dansby Hall, 209.
February 21, 2023: Wellhouse Listening Session. This is an opportunity for Atlanta University Center students to discuss their mental health and wellness needs. The event will take place from 6:30-8:00pm in Dansby Hall, 209.
February 28, 2023: Leadership Workshop by Dr. Kristin Moody. The workshop is entitled, “Self-Care Strategies for Sustainable Leadership: Research back Lessons for Leaders”. Dr. Moody teaches in the Center for Excellence in Education and also in the Leadership Studies Program, where she currently teaches HLS101(FYE), Social Justice Leadership. The workshop will take place at 4:00pm in Merrill Hall, 111.
March 1, 2023: The Oprah Winfrey and SMASH Scholars Programs Book Club will launch a collaborative study experience featuring Ta-Nehisi Coates' book, The Water Dancer. The book study will be led by Professor David Wall Rice.
Spring Break 2023: Understanding the Gullah Geechee Roots of Social Justice and Resistance. The Institute for Social Justice Inquiry and Praxis, in collaboration with Drs. Samuel Livingston (Africana Studies) and Corrie Claiborne (English) will lead a study abroad experience that explores the connection between South Carolina and Barbados. This unique opportunity will bring together students and faculty from Morehouse College and the University of the West Indies, Cave Hill, to explore the connections between Gullah Geechee and Barbadian cultural traditions and contemporary social justice issues such as climate justice and reparations.
March 23-25, 2023: The Andrew Young Center will host a conference at Morehouse College, Beyond the Bars: South. This conference will focus on the relationship between universities or colleges and neighborhoods. Gentrification, income inequality, and mass incarceration have transformed southern cities that are home to leading institutions of higher education. This conference will foster conversations, build relationships, and generate practical solutions for building strong and more resilient communities. To register, click here.
May 14 – 28, 2023: South Africa Social Justice Experience: The Institute for Social Justice Inquiry and Praxis will lead it’s second study abroad experience to South Africa. This unique experience focuses on culture, politics, and the contemporary social conditions of South Africa with a special focus on the social activism of South African youth. Students will have an opportunity to visit Johannesburg, Soweto, and Cape Town.
June 20 - 24, 2023: Morehouse College will be the first historically Black college/university to host the Society for Community Research and Action (SCRA) Biennial Conference. SCRA Biennial Conferences draw together SCRA and other community members from around the world to engage in stimulating conversations about recent developments in community research and action. The conference will provide attendees with a special opportunity to exchange ideas and resources, forge new collaborations, re-connect with old friends, and deepen knowledge and skills in topics of particular interest. This year’s theme is “Where do we go from here: Dreaming new community futures.”
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South Africa Social Justice Experience
Applications for the Morehouse College South Africa Social Justice Experience (May 14-May 29) are open and due by February 15, 2023. Please apply here.
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What’s in the Directors’ Tape Decks?
In celebration of the 50th Anniversary of Hip Hop, we’d like to share a favorite hip hop song from the Directors.
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Jann Adams, PhD.
“American Terrorist” by Lupe Fiasco
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Kipton Jensen, PhD
“The Bigger Picture” by Lil Baby
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Sinead Younge, PhD
"They Reminisce over you (T.R.O.Y.)" by Pete Rock and CL Smooth
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A Note of Gratitude to Our Sponsors
The work of the Andrew Young Center for Global Leadership is made possible by the generous support of our sponsors, including Coca Cola, Bank of America, Ms. Oprah Winfrey and the Oprah Winfrey Foundation, the SMASH Foundation, Delta Airlines, Gilead Sciences, Inc., Microsoft Corporation, the Julian Grace Foundation, Cigna, and the RAND Corporation. We wish to thank these donors for their sustained support of the AYCGL.
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