The mission of the Andrew Young Center for Global Leadership is to prepare and inspire a community of critical thinkers and leaders committed to engaging complex global problems of marginalized groups. This issue of the AYCGL newsletter highlights the Leadership Studies and the Higher Education in Prisons Programs. We subsequently focus on our 2023/2024 AYCGL Scholar-in-Residence, Ms. Pamela Winn, who will lead a series of “teach-ins’ focused on policy and advocacy in March and April. This issue includes updates on Center Initiatives, including experiential education opportunities and study abroad, and information on upcoming events in the AYCGL.
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Leadership Studies Program
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Morehouse College exemplifies—and Martin Luther King, Jr. personified—how a liberal arts education can be uniquely valuable for understanding and addressing issues of social justice. The mission of the Leadership Studies Program is to nurture men and women “who are sensitive to the wrongs, the sufferings, and the injustices of society and who are willing to accept responsibility for correcting those ills.” The Program seeks to educate and cultivate ethical leaders who are steadfastly committed to promoting social justice. Whereas the original impetus and “creative genius” behind the liberal arts education offered at Morehouse was to extend the advantages of higher education to formerly enslaved men, back in the 19th century, and while Morehouse distinguished itself as producing exemplary civil rights leaders in the 20th century, Morehouse now seeks to extend the benefits of a rigorous liberal arts education to those who are among the most disenfranchised in 21st century America: Incarcerated men and women.
According to Benjamin E. Mays, President of Morehouse from 1940-1967, the threefold purpose of education “was to train the mind to think clearly, logically and constructively; to train the heart to understand and sympathize with the aspirations, the sufferings and injustices of mankind; and to strengthen the will to act in the interest of the common good” (Lewison 1998, 218). In Benjamin Elijah Mays: Schoolmaster of the Movement, Randal Maurice Jelks suggests that: “The final mark [of an educated person] was sensitivity to ‘social and economic injustices.’ It was important that an educated person is sensitive to the needs of the most vulnerable in society. For Mays, it was not enough for an educated individual to service his own needs; education was a privilege requiring that an individual serve others. Being truly educated, he believed, meant that one should practice altruism and self-sacrifice” (2012, 145).
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Teaching social justice leadership classes at Morehouse College is an honor and a joy. Dr. Kristin Moody: “It is a privilege to teach Social Justice Leadership because it is a chance to learn about students' visions for their own leadership and the causes they care about, turn them on to leaders they can learn from, and then watch them codify their visions into actionable plans that emulate models they may have never heard about before. Many students really feel empowered, not only by learning about new leaders whose lives look much like theirs, but by recognizing that they are positioned to authentically lead in diverse spaces and ways.”
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Faculty from Morehouse are presently teaching at the US Federal Penitentiary, Metro Reentry Prison, and Burruss Correctional Facility. Special thanks this semester to Dr. Ruihua Shen, who is teaching Chinese Studies at Metro Reentry. Three of our AYC-HEP student ambassadors, who also study Mandarin, have served as teaching assistants: Mr. Myles Tucker, Mr. Truth Jackson, and Mr. Omari Whiting. We also wish to acknowledge the work of Dr. Heru Heq-m-Ta, who is teaching history at the USFP, Winfield Murray, Esq., who is teaching a course on the history of the Constitution at Metro on Monday evenings, and Ms. Hope Hilton, who serves as site coordinator at Metro and Burruss. Ms. Hilton and Mr. Markeith Woods will be teaching “Art for Non-Artists” at Metro on Wednesday evenings.
The AYC-HEP Program was featured in a recent article, “Advocates at Historically Black Universities Work to Expand Prison-to-College Pipeline” (Andscape, 2024).
A recent AYC-HEP More Conversations podcast features a conversation between Mr. Rodney Walker and Mr. Omari Whiting, AYC-HEP Student Ambassador. Mr. Walker teaches Leadership Studies courses at Morehouse and taught a workshop on “Entrepreneurship and Social Justice” at Metro Reentry.
AYC-HEP faculty and students participated in a recent panel, “Brilliance Behind Bars,” which was part of the Morehouse-Mellon conference titled “Rec-la-ma-tion: Gathering, Remembering, & Telling Our Story.” This conference is part of the Memory, Movement, and Justice Project.
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AYC-HEP faculty recently participated in the US Federal Penitentiary Community Relations Board Meeting. Jensen and McClinton are pictured here with Warden Thomas and Executive Assistant Coleman (see above, left). The AYC-HEP student ambassadors hosted a luncheon with the Regional Director of Education, Mr. Matthew Scott, on 02/27/2024. Morehouse is expanding to a second day of weekly programming at the USFP. Several faculty from Morehouse, including Dr. Heru Heq-m-Ta and Rodney Walker, were recently trained as educational volunteers at the USFP (see above, right).
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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 programs occur both in the United States and abroad.
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African American History and Heritage Study Tour
February 23 - 25, 2024
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On February 23-25th, the AYCGL hosted the African American History and Heritage Study Tour in Charleston, South Carolina. Fifty-four Morehouse College scholars traveled with AYCGL directors Dr. Sinead Younge and Dr. Jann Adams to visit the International African American Museum, the Avery Research Center at the College of Charleston, and the McLeod Plantation.
The study tour started with a visit to the McLeod Plantation that was led by Ms. Toby Smith and Morehouse alumnus, Mr. John Gardner, ‘68. Ms. Smith and Mr. Gardner shared the history of the plantation and efforts to preserve the plantation as well as the graves of hundreds of enslaved people who are buried there. Students visited the cemetery which was described and treated as sacred ground and which has been protected from development and desecration. Students also visited the main house as well as the cabins used to provide housing for enslaved people.
A visit to the International African American Museum (IAMM) followed. The IAAM, opened in July 2023, chronicles the history and accomplishments of African Americans, with special consideration of the contributions of Blacks in South Carolina. The museum features information on the Gullah-Geechee culture and the relationships between the people and culture of Barbados and the Gullah Geechee culture.
Finally, scholars visited the Avery Research Center at the College of Charleston. Alumnus Daron Calhoun, ‘10, Outreach, and Public Programming Coordinator, led students on a tour of the Center and shared its history as a school for freedmen and later a research center. Dr. Millicent Brown, named in South Carolina’s Brown vs. Board of Education case, shared her story as a child whose case integrated South Carolina schools in 1963 and who continued her social justice activism throughout her life.
After a day of profound and impactful experiences, Morehouse scholars enjoyed the opportunity to visit the Charleston Wharf and street market.
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Morehouse Scholars Study Abroad
Spring Break 2024
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This spring break (March 8 - 17, 2024) five faculty-led study abroad programs will depart for exciting global destinations! Morehouse scholars will expand their knowledge and gain global perspectives while participating in the following study abroad programs:
- Morehouse College International Spring Tour will visit Lisbon, Portugal, and Athens, Greece. Program Leader: Mr. Douglas Cooper
- Morehouse in Bahia: The Afro-Brazilian Experience will visit Salvador, Bahia, Brazil. Program Leader: Dr. Denise Callejas
- Sustainability Service-Learning Project: Alternative Spring Break to India. Program Leader: Dr. Mona Ray
- HBCU Taiwan Study Abroad Program will visit Taipei, Taiwan. Program Leader: Dr. Ruihua Shen
- Exploration of the African Diaspora in the United Kingdom will visit London, Liverpool and Manchester, U.K. Program Leader: Dr. Sinead Younge
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AYCGL Teach-In Series on Policy Advocacy
Presented by Scholar-in-Residence Ms. Pamela Winn
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Ms. Pamela Winn is the founder of RestoreHER and the co-founder of the Georgia Coalition for Higher Education in Prisons [GACHEP]. Her “anti-shackling campaign” is the focus of a recent PBS documentary, WINN (see here). Ms. Winn is an alumna of Spelman College. Ms. Winn is our 2023/2024 AYC Scholar-in-Residence.
Ms. Winn will lead a series of Teach-Ins on “Policy Advocacy within the Democratic Process.” The sessions will be held on March 28th, April 4th, and April 11th at 4:00 pm in Merrill Hall, Room 111.
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Morehouse College Spring Virtual Study Abroad Fair
January 29 - February 2, 2024
The Office of International Education welcomed students to the Spring Virtual Study Abroad Fair from January 29th to February 2nd. This event showcased a myriad of enriching study abroad opportunities offered by faculty and external partners. External partners who participated in the fair included Arcadia Abroad, CEA-CAPA, IES Abroad, and ISEP. Faculty members leading programs shared the exciting locales and experiences that are available for faculty-led programs offered during summer 2024. Each day featured a $500 study abroad scholarship raffle that can be used toward program fees for trips to Brazil, Mexico, South Africa, and Spain.
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Morehouse Day at the Capitol
February 12, 2024
In the presence of Morehouse alumni and students, February 12th was proclaimed “Morehouse Day” at the GA Capitol. Three Morehouse Men in the Georgia House of Representatives sponsored this initiative: State Rep. Eric Bell (‘13), Representative El-Mahdi-Holly (‘98), and Rep. Roger Bruce (‘75). Representative Bruce, District 61, will be retiring after 11 years of service in the Georgia House. Morehouse scholars joined House representatives to celebrate the importance of Morehouse College.
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Atlanta University Center Passport Day
February 15, 2024
On February 15, 2024, the first ever Atlanta University Center Passport Day was held. This collaborative event marked a significant milestone in the ongoing effort to make passports more accessible to AUC students. On February 15th at Spelman College, Atlanta passport officials successfully processed over 140 passport applications. Men of Morehouse can continue to take advantage of the $165 reimbursement program sponsored by Delta Airlines to cover passport application fees. The Office of International Education remains dedicated to breaking down barriers and fostering opportunities for all students to have access to transformative global experiences.
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Dr. Sinead Younge, Director of the Institute for Social Justice Inquiry and Praxis, featured in Documentary, “James Brown, Say it Loud”
Dr. Sinead Younge, Director of the Institute for Social Justice Inquiry and Praxis, was recently featured along with fellow Psychology Department faculty member, Dr. David Wall Rice, in a docu-series on musician James Brown, entitled, "James Brown: Say It Loud,". The docu-series, directed by Deborah Riley Draper, premiered on A&E Network on Monday and Tuesday, February 19th and 20th, at 8 pm/7 c. Dr. Younge provided commentary on the life and sociopolitical context of James Brown and the impact of his music.
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Spring Break March 8-17, 2024: The Exploration of the African Diaspora in the United Kingdom study abroad program, led by Dr. Sinead Younge, will visit London, Liverpool, and Manchester, U.K. This unique experience will explore the Transatlantic Slave Trade in the British colonies and examine contemporary issues such as the migration of African and Caribbean populations to the UK between 1948 and 1970, known as the Windrush Era. Students will learn about key figures in Black British history and current grassroots organizing and activism in the U.K.
March 28, April 4, and April 11, 2024: This spring 2024, AYCGL Scholar-in-Residence, Pamela Winn, will present as part of an AYCGL Teach-in entitled, Policy Advocacy within the Democratic Process. This series will focus on Ms. Winn’s work as a policy advocate for individuals who are currently and formerly incarcerated. Merrill Hall, Room 111.
April 10, 2024: The Andrew Young Center for Global Leadership, in collaboration with the Georgia Coalition of Higher Education in Prison (GACHEP), will host a conference on Reentry and Education: EmpowerED. The conference will be held in the BOA auditorium and Massey Executive Conference Center.
May 19 – June 2, 2024: Oprah Winfrey South Africa Leadership Program. Oprah Winfrey scholars will participate in a transformative experience in Johannesburg, Durban, and Cape Town, South Africa. The experience will include meetings with community leaders, university and other academic officials, faculty, and students. Visits to historic sites and organizations documenting the history of Apartheid and preserving the legacy of the fight for freedom and justice in South Africa will allow students to learn the extraordinary history of colonization, Apartheid, and revolution in South Africa. Comparative analysis of social justice issues in the United States and South Africa will be explored as scholars complete e-portfolios documenting and reflecting upon their learning about South Africa and themselves.
May 19 – June 2, 2024: South Africa Social Justice Experience. The Andrew Young Center’s Institute for Social Justice Inquiry and Praxis will lead its 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 emphasis on the social activism of South African youth.
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The 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.
The most recent episode features University of West Indies, Cave Hill student, Kemal Marshall, and Morehouse College student, Jahrik Browner, of Macon, Georgia, who sat down to discuss their experiences taking the Understanding the Gullah Geechee Roots of Social Justice and Resistance J-mester Course.
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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, and the Cigna Foundation. We wish to thank these donors for their sustained support of the AYCGL.
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