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| The March issue of the AYCGL newsletter highlights the work of the three faculty fellows of the Leadership Innovation Lab. Established in spring 2025, the Lab supports faculty and students pursuing innovative, technology-based solutions to social justice challenges. This issue also provides updates on experiential education programs implemented by the AYCGL, including February’s African American History and Heritage Study Tour, J-mester and winter term study abroad programs, and the Dream Keepers Grant Program that creates community impact in partnership with community leaders and organizations. The Andrew Young Center for Global Leadership seeks to extend the legacy of Ambassador Young and expand the footprint of Morehouse into the community and the world. The Center is home to programs designed to inspire and prepare the men of Morehouse to create and implement solutions to social justice challenges and to become global leaders prepared to advance social, economic, and educational equality in the U.S. and abroad. |
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| | AYCGL Leadership Innovation Lab |
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| The AYCGL Leadership Innovation Lab is dedicated to researching and developing solutions to social challenges affecting underserved communities. Composed of student teams guided by faculty advisors, the lab provides opportunities for students to either join existing teams or propose new leadership initiatives. The program follows the Vertically Integrated Project (VIP) model, a curricular framework that allows students from freshman to senior year to collaborate on long-term projects aligned with faculty research interests. Participants may earn academic credit per semester or a research stipend. This semester, we are excited to welcome three new faculty fellows who will guide students’ innovative research in the lab. |
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Dr. Kharine Jean is an Assistant Professor and Danforth Endowed Chair at Morehouse College. She earned her PhD in Clinical Psychology from the University of Georgia, completed her internship at the University of Florida (neuropsychology track), and finished a postdoctoral fellowship at Georgia State University with clinical rotations at Emory Brain Health Center and Emory Brain Rehab. Her research examines genetic, biological, and environmental factors that influence cognition and functional independence in older adults, with a focus on how racism and social determinants of health contribute to disparities in cognitive aging. This semester, she is working with students in the Leadership Innovation Lab on the BRIDGE Lab Brain Health Equity Toolkit, a student-driven initiative designed to increase brain health awareness and access in underserved communities. The project includes developing a community-centered toolkit and evaluation plan to ensure inclusivity, measure impact, and create a sustainable foundation for future work. |
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Dr. Rolanda J.W. Spencer is an interdisciplinary artist, filmmaker, and scholar whose work explores African diasporic spiritual aesthetics, material culture, and Black feminist ways of knowing. Working across sculpture, installation, photography, and film, her research-creation practice blends ethnography, ritual knowledge, and artistic experimentation to center art as a vessel for cultural memory and ancestral transmission. She holds an MFA in Fine Arts Studio (2025) and an EdD in Curriculum & Instruction (2011), and is the author of Reexamining Reentry: Prisoner Reentry Systems in the United States (2017). Spencer serves as Visiting Assistant Professor of Visual Arts at Morehouse College and adjunct lecturer at Xavier University of Louisiana. This semester, she is working with students in the Leadership Innovation Lab on the Divine Project. It is a multi-year interdisciplinary research and creative project exploring how African diasporic spiritual traditions shape leadership, healing, and self-determination across global Black communities. Organized as episodic studies, the Spring 2026 phase focuses on Hoodoo, Conjure, and Gullah/Geechee communities along the Georgia coast, where Morehouse students will conduct oral histories, archival research, and fieldwork. The project culminates in a mini-exhibition and community grimoire while establishing an ongoing research lab that trains students, builds community partnerships, and positions Morehouse as a hub for comparative study of African diasporic spiritual leadership. |
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Dr. Andrew J. Douglas has taught political theory at Morehouse College since 2011. His research focuses on Black radicalism, capitalism, money, labor, and debt. He is the author of three books: Prophet of Discontent: Martin Luther King Jr. and the Critique of Racial Capitalism (Georgia, 2021), coauthored with Jared Loggins; W.E.B. Du Bois and the Critique of the Competitive Society (Georgia, 2019); and In the Spirit of Critique: Thinking Politically in the Dialectical Tradition (SUNY, 2013). His work has appeared in leading journals and public outlets, and he has been featured on several podcasts. Douglas is currently working on two new books on philosophies of money in the Black radical tradition and Du Bois’s political economy, and he has received support from organizations including the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and the American Council of Learned Societies. This semester, he is working with students in the Leadership Innovation Lab on the CREDO currency project, which explores how communities can design and issue local currencies to mobilize labor and support community development initiatives often overlooked by traditional financial systems. |
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| | | The Andrew Young Center is committed to creating and implementing programs that deepen learning and develop leadership through high impact experiences that take students out of their comfort zones, allowing them to grow as individuals and impact the broader community and world. These experiential education programs occur through programs in the United States and abroad. |
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African American History and Heritage Tour February 20-22, 2026 |
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| On February 20-22, 2026, the AYCGL hosted the African American History and Heritage Study Tour. Over 70 Morehouse College students traveled to Charleston, SC to participate in a 3-day study tour focused on the history of Africans in America, especially those entering the Americas through South Carolina. Program highlights included visits to the International African American Museum, McLeod Plantation, Avery Research Center at the College of Charleston, and Emanuel AME Church. The recurring theme of “resistance and resilience” undergirded each of the curated experiences, including the resistance and resilience of African American people, both those enslaved and free, from the 1700’s to the present. McLeod Plantation is one of two restored plantations in the U.S. that shares the history and experiences of the enslaved from their own perspective. Students were able to learn about the lives of the enslaved, how the work and expertise of slaves was used to enrich enslavers and the city of Charleston, the strategies of racial terror used to control, and how enslaved men, women, and children preserved their cultures and beliefs. The Avery Center is a former Freedman’s school and is currently a College of Charleston research center focused on African American history. While at the Avery Center, Millicent Brown, PhD, a former history professor and litigant in the South Carolina, 1963 Brown vs. Board of Education case, shared the story of her case which desegregated Charleston schools and highlighted lessons from her lifetime of activism.. The 1963 Brown case ruling enforced the 1954 Supreme Court ruling, Brown vs. Board of Education (Topeka, KS) and forced desegregation of schools in the state of South Carolina. The study tour also included a visit to Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church, the oldest Black church in Charleston. The church, founded by Rev. Morris Brown, was home to Denmark Vessey and other freedom fighters, and is one of the great churches of the AME denomination. Emanuel AME Church is also the site of the killing of 8 parishioners and pastor Rev. Clementa Pinckney, who were murdered on June 17, 2015, by a white supremacist. |
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Winter-Term and J-Mester Study Abroad |
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This winter Morehouse College students participated in three faculty/staff-led study abroad programs. Students traveled to Ireland, London, and Peru to explore the African Diaspora, history, politics, economics and educational systems in these regions. This month the AYCGL newsletter highlights these programs. |
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Morehouse in Ireland: CIvil Rights and Social Justice Study Abroad Program By Sinead Younge, Ph.D. |
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This J-mester marked the fourth cohort of students traveling to Ireland to explore the history, culture, and traditions, with a focus on the northern Irish region and imperfect parallels between the Irish and U.S. Civil Rights Movements, while receiving course credit. Fifteen students, including social justice scholars, an Oprah Winfrey Scholar, and students from a range of disciplines interested in learning about the Irish experience, two Morehouse College faculty members (Drs. Consuella Bennett and Sinead Younge), and one guest scholar (Dr. Parise Carmichael-Murphy) traveled throughout Ireland for a ten-day educational experience. Our host was Irish Study Abroad, and students from the University of San Francisco and Northeastern Wisconsin Technical College participated in the program. The program allowed students to explore the different regions, including a stop along Frederick Douglass’s abolition tour of Ireland. The program was funded, in part, by a generous award from the Julian Grace Foundation. |
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The following reflection comes from Dr. Parise Carmichael-Murphy, Honorary Research Fellow, Ahmed Iqbal Ullah RACE Centre, based in Manchester, United Kingdom. |
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| I was deeply grateful to join Morehouse students on their Civil Rights and Social Justice Study Abroad in Ireland in January 2026, led by Dr. Sinead Younge. In previous years, I have worked with Morehouse Study Abroad cohorts through the UK African Diaspora programme, leading archival workshops at the AIU RACE Centre at Manchester Central Library, focused on the history of Pan-African organising in Manchester. These shared experiences have shaped how I approach comparative histories of civil rights, colonialism, and resistance, and have strengthened my relationship with the Morehouse community.
Growing up Jamaican and Irish in Manchester has meant holding multiple cultural references, values, and histories at once. Being aware of the earlier signage “No Blacks, No Irish, No Dogs” made me acutely aware, from an early age, of the many ways people are categorised, excluded, and denied access to economic resources. That awareness has stayed with me throughout my own education, shaping how I engage with history, identity, and social justice.
A key theme throughout this Ireland trip was diaspora and emigration, which are closely connected to oppression, resistance, and agency. Irish and Black people have been displaced through colonisation, forced migration, and economic coercion; yet travel and movement have also provided ways to resist, organise, and unite. Travelling to Ireland with Morehouse students allowed me to reflect deeply on how movement and travel have influenced my own family history. It reinforced for me that travel can create spaces for connection, critical reflection, and deeper historical understanding. |
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Transatlantic Perspectives: The House in Black Spaces in London – Honoring Our Ancestry: Black Students in Black Spaces in London: J-mester 2026 By Janira Teague, Ph.D. |
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| The United Kingdom is widely recognized for its complex history of racism, colonialism, and its role in the transatlantic slave trade. However, less attention is often given to its vibrant, resilient, and influential Black population, which is primarily composed of individuals of African and Caribbean heritage. Transatlantic Perspectives – London was intentionally designed to incorporate both traditional and nontraditional study-abroad activities, to provide an engaging, educational, and culturally immersive program centered on politics, public policy, and the African Diaspora in the U.K. In addition to traditional study-abroad components, Transatlantic Perspectives – London uniquely emphasized Black spaces and perspectives often overlooked in conventional curricula, offering a fuller understanding of politics, public policy and the African Diaspora. For instance, Dr. Dave Neita, a Jamaican-born lawyer and poet based in the U.K., led a tour of Central London, including Westminster Abbey and the U.K. Supreme Court, highlighting Black historical narratives connected to these sites and examining government policies affecting Black communities. The program also incorporated visits to culturally significant Black spaces, such as Dark Sugars, a chocolatier owned by an African woman that interprets the history of the African Diaspora through artisanal chocolate. Other experiences included fine dining at Stork Mayfair, a Black-owned restaurant featuring a striking tribute to Martin Luther King Jr.; attending lectures at the historic Africa Centre, whose mission includes educating and advocating for the African Diaspora in the U.K.; and sampling French Caribbean street food from Bokit’La. When reflecting on the program’s central topic, students identified a clear theme: while U.K. policies and Supreme Court decisions shaped Black life, the African Diaspora has played an equally important role in influencing and advancing these laws. Students demonstrated a strong recognition of the agency, contributions, and impact of Black communities in these processes. The program itinerary was developed by Dr. Janira Teague. Dr. Corey Stayton served as a lecturer and student liaison, while Dean Michael Turner acted as a chaperone. Twenty students participated in the program, representing Morehouse College with distinction. |
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| Dr. Corey Stayton, Assistant Professor of English, shares the impact of J-Mester Program, Honoring Our Ancestry: Black Students in Black Spaces in London |
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| During the January term, Dr. Janira Teague and I co-led a Morehouse College J-Mester course entitled Transatlantic Perspectives: London, which traveled to London, the Brixton neighborhood, and included a day trip to Paris. The primary goal of the program was to expose students to Black spaces in London and to examine how Black communities, histories, and cultural practices exist and thrive within a global city shaped by empire, migration, and diaspora. Rather than approaching London solely as a European capital, the course centered Black spaces as foundational to the city’s cultural and political life. Through lectures, site visits, and comparative analysis, students were encouraged to understand Black London as part of a broader Black Atlantic world.
Two of the program’s most impactful experiences were the guided walking tours, particularly those through Brixton and other historically Black neighborhoods. These walking tours allowed students to engage directly with diasporic spaces where history, resistance, creativity, and everyday life intersect. Students also learned how physical distance from the United States can sharpen critical perspective, enabling them to reassess American racial narratives by encountering global Blackness firsthand. By the end of the program, students demonstrated a deeper understanding of the transatlantic dimensions of Black history, the role of space in shaping racial experience, and the importance of seeing Black communities not as marginal, but as central to global modernity. |
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MPAGE Peru Study Abroad: Global Learning Through Culture, History, and Justice By TIffany Bussey, Ph.D. |
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| In December 2025, the MPAGE Study Abroad program traveled to Peru with a class of 21 students and 5 faculty and staff, immersing the group in Lima, Cañete, Chincha, and Cusco, with an extension to Machu Picchu—one of the Seven Wonders of the World. The primary goal of the program was to deepen students’ global understanding by examining the socio-economic conditions, cultural contributions, and social justice realities of Afro-Peruvians, who represent approximately 3.4% of Peru’s population, while situating those experiences within Peru’s broader Indigenous history and contemporary political context. Through a carefully curated academic and community-based approach, students explored how race, labor, land, culture, and policy intersect across the African diaspora. A defining feature of the program was its immersive learning design, which blended workshops, lectures, and cultural exchange with some of Peru’s leading voices in Afro-Peruvian history and arts. Students participated in sessions led by top historians, professors, and policy experts, and engaged directly with critically acclaimed Afro-Peruvian musicians, dancers, and visual artists in Lima, Cañete, and Chincha. Highlights included music and dance workshops, recording music in a local studio, culinary workshops with Afro-Peruvian families, visits to local high schools, and conversations with community leaders preserving cultural traditions. As Braxton Broady, a junior History major and Urban Studies minor, reflected: “Peru pushed me beyond studying history and into experiencing it firsthand. Recording music, cooking in people’s homes, and dancing in the community made me see how connected the Black experience is across the world.” From these intimate community encounters to standing in awe at Machu Picchu, students gained a richer understanding of global Black identity, cultural resilience, and the power of lived experience as a tool for justice-oriented leadership. |
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| | | | Faith on the Frontline Documentary ScreeningFebruary 26, 2026 |
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| On February 26, 2026, the Andrew Young Center hosted a reception and screening of Faith on the Frontline, a documentary on the National Council of Churches that was produced by the Mosaic Storytelling Initiative. Faith on the Frontline tells the story of the inception and contributions of the National Council of Churches and features Ambassador Andrew Young and Bishop Vashti Murphy McKenzie, the two Black ministers who served as presidents of the organization. Morehouse College students and guests viewed the documentary and a fireside chat with Bishop McKenzie and Ambassador Young. Oprah Winfrey scholar and Education major, Jordan Freeman, ‘26, and Howard Thurman Honors Scholar and Sociology major, Keith Tillett, II, ‘28, served as moderators for the discussion.
Faith on the Frontline is the first documentary released by the NCC’s MOSAIC Storytelling Initiative, directed by Malesha “Mali” Taylor and produced by Wes Browning of Sema Films, with Rev. Brittini L. Palmer as writer and Joseph An as editor. |
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| | | AYCGL Dream Keepers Community Mini Grant Opportunity |
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| The Andrew Young Center for Global Leadership (AYCGL), in partnership with a coalition of community leaders and organizations known as the Dream Keepers, invites Atlanta-based nonprofit organizations, grassroots initiatives, and community groups to apply for Dream Keepers Mini-Grants. These grants are designed to support innovative, community-driven projects that strengthen and uplift neighborhoods across the Atlanta area.
The Dream Keepers Vision is to strengthen community capacity, support local leadership, and foster collaborative solutions that create healthier, safer, and more equitable communities throughout Atlanta.
Mini-grants ranging from $1,000 to $5,000 will be awarded to organizations that are working to improve community conditions and advance the well-being of individuals and families. The Dream Keepers initiative recognizes that meaningful and sustainable change is rooted in the vision, leadership, and lived experiences of community members. This funding opportunity encourages organizations to “dream boldly” and implement creative, culturally responsive solutions to local challenges. |
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| | | | Washington, DC, Leadership Study TourApril 9-12, 2026 Washington, DC The AYCGL is pleased to host the Washington, DC, Leadership Study Tour. The study tour will include visits to the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History, Howard University, Georgetown University, and George Washington University. The Washington, DC, Leadership Study Tour is funded by a generous award from the Julian Grace Foundation. |
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| | The College Charity RunApril 18, 2026 Morehouse College This spring, the Oprah Winrey Scholars Program will host a fundraiser to support an organization serving survivors of sexual assault. The AUC-wide event, “College Charity Run”, will be held in collaboration with other Morehouse and AUC student organizations and will be designed to educate and inspire the AUC community. To learn more, reach out to Ms. Sage Anderson (sage.anderson@morehouse.edu), AYCGL Program Coordinator. |
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| Office of International Education: |
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OIE 101 x Journey to Latin America | Regional Series The Office of International Education invites you to our next installment of the OIE Regional Series — Journey to Latin America. This series is designed to connect students with the many study abroad programs and opportunities available across different regions of the world, giving you the chance to explore your options, ask questions, and get inspired. Each event brings together resources, experiences, and community to help you take the next step in your global education journey. |
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Latin America - Capoeira Event | March 19, 2:30 PM at Kilgore Plaza This event will be held on March 19th from 2:30–4:00 PM at Kilgore Plaza. This is an opportunity to learn about study abroad programming in Latin America as well as enjoy a lesson by Capoeira ATL who will lead an interactive capoeira class on the plaza. Whether you're curious about studying abroad or just looking for a fun and cultural afternoon, this event is for you. Come ready to move, learn, and connect!
Stay up-to-date on Morehouse study abroad by following the OIE on Instagram: @MorehouseOIE. |
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| The Andrew Young Center for Global Leadership’s video podcast More Conversations was initiated in the fall 2020 and aims to put scholars and subject matter experts in conversation about topics that are important to both the collegiate and broader communities. |
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| | | A Note of Gratitude to Our Sponsors |
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| The work of the Andrew Young Center for Global Leadership is made possible by the generous support of our sponsors, including The Coca Cola Company, Bank of America, Ms. Oprah Winfrey and the Oprah Winfrey Charitable Foundation, The Julian Grace Foundation, Delta Airlines, the Microsoft Corporation, and the Cigna Foundation. We wish to thank these donors for their sustained support of the AYCGL. |
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