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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 Center’s expansion of the AYC Higher Education in Prisons Program. We subsequently announce the 2023/2024 Andrew Young Faculty and Student Fellows and share news on the AYCGL Scholar-in-Residence. This issue includes updates on Center Initiatives, including the new cohort of Social Justice Scholars, a recent IES Abroad Award recognizing the contributions of Ms. Jeanine White, program coordinator for study abroad, and a recent presentation made by Dr. Sinead Younge and colleagues. Upcoming events sponsored by the AYCGL are noted.
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Higher Education In Prisons Program In The
Andrew Young Center
[AYC-HEP]
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What began as a fledgling prison education initiative three years ago has slowly but steadily become a full-fledged ‘higher education in prisons program’ within the Andrew Young Center [AYC-HEP]. More than twenty faculty from Morehouse have served as AYC-HEP Faculty Teaching Affiliates at Metro Reentry Prison in Dekalb County, Burruss Correctional in Forsyth County, and/or the US Federal Penitentiary in Fulton County.
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Morehouse faculty offer humanities courses as well as seminars and workshops to incarcerated students in Georgia. A cohort of ten AYC-HEP Student Ambassadors assist faculty who teach in prison and collaborate with our community partners by advocating for expanded access to higher education in prisons and supporting reentry service providers.
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2023/2024 AYC-HEP Student Ambassadors (left to right in the photo above): Mr. Myles Tucker ('26), Mr. Khyler McAlpine ('27), Mr. Adian Patterson ('26), Mr. Omari Whiting ('26), Mr. Thishin Jackson ('25), Mr. Kaylon Charles ('26), Mr. Calvin Bell III ('24), Mr. Jyhir Jordan ('26), Mr. Tristin St. John ('25), and Mr. William Wasson ('26).
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Two recent blog entries describe the curricular and co-curricular activities of the AYC-HEP. The first provides an update on the 2023/2024 cohort of AYC-HEP Student Ambassadors as well as an update on college-level classes offered over the summer semester (see here); the second focuses on Dr. Nathaniel Norment’s signature class, “Writing our Narratives,” which he co-taught at the USFP and Metro Reentry (see here).
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AYC-HEP Faculty Teaching Affiliates:
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Dr. Nathaniel Norment, director of the Black Ink Project and Writing Center at Morehouse College, recently received the ‘Volunteer of the Year Award’ from the US Federal Penitentiary [USFP]. In a recent promotional video (see above), Dr. Norment claims that “if you know who you are, where you came from, it empowers you.” Currently, Professor Murray, Esq., is teaching a course on the US Constitution at Burruss Correctional. Mr. Rodney Walker is teaching a seminar on ‘Entrepreneurship and Social Justice Leadership’ at Metro Reentry Prison. Drs. Justin McClinton and Kipton Jensen are presently teaching an introductory class in philosophy at the USFP.
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In addition to college-level classes taught in prisons, Morehouse faculty and students have also participated in expanding library holdings at the US Federal Penitentiary, advocated for “Ban the Box - Beyond the Box,” toured reentry facilities (e.g., City of Refuge), and distributed supplies at a recent Reentry Expo.
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2023-24 Andrew Young Faculty and Student Fellows
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The Andrew Young Center for Global Leadership is pleased to announce the 2023-24 Andrew Young Fellows. The Andrew Young Fellows Program supports outstanding individuals—including faculty and student advocates, researchers, educators, grassroots organizers, writers, journalists, artists, filmmakers, and other individuals to undertake projects that engage and inform, generate conversation, change policy or practice, and catalyze change.
Introducing the 2023-2024 Andrew Young Fellows:
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Mikki Harris, M.A., Associate Professor, Journalism in Sports, Culture, and Social Justice
Community Responsive Reporting: Producing Evidence-based Solutions Journalism to Tackle Social Injustice
A collaborative journalism project that identifies a complex social issue that students report and produce within new frameworks of journalism that focus on solutions. The cohort of students will collaborate with student reporters in other parts of the country to work on stories uplifting common ground and exploring solutions to issues. Professor Mikki Harris and journalism students will be engaged in the work.
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Mikki Harris sits with elder Renetta Nedd, discussing the culture and community connections on the island of Barbuda, 2019.
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Student Fellows Imani Hights, Senior,; Jovenson Jerome,; Dewan Wright, Mona Ray, Ph.D., Professor of Economics, Faculty Advisor
Morehouse First Generation Forward Initiative
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The Morehouse First Gen Forward Initiative is designed to provide a new and moderated environment for first-generation students to excel academically, professionally, and interpersonally on Morehouse’s campus. With our RACE principle, which stands for Resilience, Accountability, Community, and Excellence, Andrew Young fellows are confident that they can impact the first-generation student experience in a monumental way. Fellows will provide students with quality opportunities, mentorship, and a community of like-minded peers.
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Samuel Livingston, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Africana Studies
Maroon Telema: Stand Up for Africana and Congolese Rights
The goal of the project is to develop Morehouse servant leaders attuned to humanistic, globally-focused analyses of issues facing African American and Congolese (K) communities. Student fellows will execute research that will offer useful data, engage in conversations toward praxis that is actionable, pragmatic, and specifically designed to address 21st century social, political, and economic problems and challenges in Congo and its diaspora. Student fellows will 1) Develop their own Social Justice StoryMap Service-Learning Project; 2) Support the development of a Maroon Center-FOTC-Panzi Foundation Mapping Project on a topic to be determined by all four allied formations (Africana Studies, AYCGL, FOTC, and the Panzi Foundation; and 3) Work as a group to put on an information-raising event about the Challenge of the Congo through informed conversation between Morehouse, West End, Congolese in Atlanta, scholar-activist, and Atlanta University Center communities. This event will showcase their StoryMap research and facilitate conversation between local community laypersons, activists and students and will be held in the Spring 2024 semester.
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Amber Reid, Ph.D., Adjunct Faculty, Africana Studies
Student Fellows J. Evan Young and Chase Cleveland, and Morehouse alumnus, Grant Nelson, ‘21
Lifting Every Voice: Stories of Black Excellence in Cherokee County, GA
The Lifting Every Voice project will chronicle the history of Cherokee County’s historically Black neighborhoods and residents. The project team will engage in community-based research to create a brief documentary. The project seeks to elevate the voices of these communities and ongoing efforts to preserve their histories and legacies.
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Dr. Amber Reid is pictured with Ms. Patricia Tanner. Ms. Tanner is the descendent of one of the founding families of Stumptown who sought refuge in Canton after being expelled from Forsyth county during the racial cleansing in the early 1900s. She also served as the first African-American member of Canton's City Council.
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The Many Lives of Andrew Young Exhibit At Morehouse College
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During the month of October and early November, The Many Lives of Andrew Young exhibit was available for viewing at Morehouse College. The exhibit chronicles the life of Ambassador Andrew J. Young and shares the many challenges and accomplishments that define this great leader.
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“The exhibition “The Many Lives of Andrew Young” tells the inspiring story of pastor, civil rights activist, congressman, UN ambassador, mayor, philanthropist, and American hero Andrew J. Young, Jr. Its narrative begins in New Orleans, LA and follows Young across the nation and the world. This exhibition is drawn from the ambassador’s own words, transcribed and summarized from interviews conducted by Atlanta Journal Constitution reporter Ernie Suggs, along with imagery from the ambassador’s papers collection, among other sources, which was laid out by Donald Edward Bermudez of A Studio Named Bermudez."
– National Monument Foundation
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On October 11, 2023, the Provost’s Office and AYCGL hosted a reception for faculty to preview the exhibit. This opportunity to enjoy the exhibit and fellowship with colleagues facilitated the use of the exhibit by faculty in their courses.
On October 17, 2023, Leadership Studies Program held a Teach-In on Ambassador Young. As part of the ‘Many Lives of Andrew Young Exhibit’ in the African American Hall of Fame, faculty from the Leadership Studies Program led a series of three classes focused on the various leadership roles taken up over the course of his career: civil rights leader with Martin Luther King, UN Ambassador during the Israel-Palestine conflict from the Yom Kippur war (1973) to the Camp David Accord (1978), mayor of Atlanta, host of the 1996 Olympics, and subsequently as a philanthropist.
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Chronicles of Hope: Red Pennies Performance
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On Friday, October 20, 2023, the AYCGL was pleased to host The Art of Recovery Performance in partnership with R2ISE to Recovery and Fulton County. This transformative performance was put on by the R2ISE Theatre and honored first responders, veterans, medical personnel, and other frontline heroes through the arts. The event took place in the Ray Charles Performing Arts Auditorium and was open to the public.
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Office of International Education News
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IES Abroad Honors Ms. Jeanine D. White, Program Coordinator
Jeanine D. White, Program Coordinator for International Education at Morehouse College, received the IES Abroad Professional Development Award at the IES Abroad meeting held in Chicago, IL, on October 12, 2023. IES Abroad presents this prestigious leadership award at its Annual Conference each year to recognize an outstanding study abroad professional whose contributions and achievements significantly advance access to and growth of study abroad.
The IES Abroad Professional Development Award recognizes an education abroad professional who has made significant contributions to the field by effectively working to promote and support study abroad and who has demonstrated leadership in the areas of program development and student services. The awardee is chosen by the IES Abroad Nominations Committee which bases its decision on nominations received from IES Abroad Consortium members.
This award recognizes Ms. White’s work in achieving the College’s strategic pillar, Morehouse Beyond Borders, by leading the growth and implementation of faculty led study abroad programs, advising students, facilitating the College’s Study Abroad Ambassador’s Program, supporting Morehouse students who participate in semester long study abroad programs, and by effectively partnering with external constituents to advance study abroad at Morehouse College. Ms. White’s work directly addresses the underrepresentation of Black men who participate in education abroad, resulting in increased rates of participation and opportunities for Morehouse students to benefit from experiences designed to develop them as global citizens and leaders.
Ms. White holds a B.A. from Morris Brown College in Atlanta, Georgia, and has served as an administrator at Morehouse College for over 20 years.
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AYCGL Scholar-in-residence Pamela Winn
The AYCGL welcomes Ms. Pamela Winn, founder of RestoreHER, a policy advocacy reentry organization led by and for justice-involved women of color, as our 2023/2024 scholar-in-residence. Last year, Mr. Rodney Spivey-Jones, who graduated from the Bard Prison Initiative, served as our AYC-HEP scholar-in-residence (see here and here).
In September, Ms. Winn’s PBS documentary, WINN (2023), was screened as part of the recent Morehouse Human Rights Film Festival. The documentary tells the story of Winn’s incarceration and activism. Screening of the film was followed by a panel discussion featuring Pamela Winn, Professor Kipton Jensen, director of the Andrew Young Center’s Higher Education in Prisons (AYC-HEP) Program, and AYC-HEP student ambassadors.
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L-R Cameron Ivey, Steven Riley, Jhytae Coleman, Regional Nelson, Evan Spann, Jaden D Brown, De’ Andre Vaughn, J. Kharious N Conley, Jamarrea Anderson. (not pictured) Prince Parker
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Cigna Foundation Social Justice Scholars
This fall 2023 the second cohort of the Cigna Social Justice Scholars was selected. The first and second cohort of Social Justice Scholars have been placed in internships including Grady Hospital, Bear Creek Middle School, Project Community Connections, R2ISE to Recovery, and Art in the Paint. The group will attend the Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minoritized Students (ABRCMS) on November 15-18, 2023 in Phoenix, Arizona.
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Black Doctoral Network Conference: The Impact of COVID-19 on HBCU Black Men in the STEM Workforce
On October 21, 2023, Drs. Keoka Grayson, Wallace Sharif, and Sinead Younge presented their research at the Black Doctoral Network Conference in Atlanta, Georgia. This research uses a mixed method approach in the form of existing quantitative data and collected qualitative data to explore how the COVID-19 Pandemic impacted retention and persistence of Black male students in STEM disciplines and the workforce.
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The Andrew Young Center Welcomes Ms. Doris Pitts- Administrative Assistant
Ms. Doris Pitts is a native of Georgia with 36 years of experience working at HBCUs, including the Morehouse School of Medicine and Clark Atlanta University. Ms. Pitts has a passion for education and also has a ministry in Newnan, GA, called Pathway of Life.
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Upcoming Events and Opportunities
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November 2, 2023. AYCGL Teach-in: Understanding Israel and Palestine: History, Context, and the U.S. The two sessions will take place from 1:00 - 2:15 pm and 2:25 - 3:40 pm in the African American Hall of Fame. Session One will focus on history and background. Session Two will focus on broader global context and U.S. involvement in the region.
November 6 and 8, 2023: The Many Lives of Andrew Young exhibit will be open to Atlanta University Center faculty, staff, and students. Visitation days/times are: Monday, November 6, 2023: 1:00 – 4:00 pm, and Wednesday, November 8, 2023: 9:00 am – 12:00 pm. Reach out to Dr. Sinead Younge (sinead.younge@morehouse.edu) for more information.
November 4, 2023. 7:00 am - 7:00 pm: Equal Justice Initiative Legacy Museum and National Memorial for Peace and Justice Day. Individual students, faculty, and entire classes are encouraged to join the AYCGL as we travel to Montgomery, Alabama to experience the EJI Legacy Museum and Peach and Justice Memorial. The Museum chronicles and lays bare the U.S. history of slavery, reconstruction, lynching, and mass incarceration. The Memorial honors those who died through racial terror and lynching.
November 13 - 17, 2023: National International Education Week will be celebrated at Morehouse College. The Office of International Education will sponsor a number of activities to celebrate the week!
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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 Charitable Foundation, the SMASH Foundation, Delta Airlines, Gilead Sciences, Inc., Microsoft Corporation, the Julian Grace Foundation, the Southern Education Foundation and the Cigna Foundation. We wish to thank these donors for their sustained support of the AYCGL.
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