Africana Studies Students Present Research at National Event
Six Stockton University students explored solidarity, power and Pan-Africanism in the 21st century during last month's National Council for Black Studies Conference.
Galloway, N.J. – Six Stockton University students in the Africana Studies program attended the 49th annual National Council for Black Studies Conference in Cincinnati last month.
Stockton’s Africana Studies program, which celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2024, is affiliated with the National Council for Black Studies, Inc. This partnership provides students in the Africana Studies program opportunities such as attending the March 19-22 conference as a part of their continued partnership with the university.
💬 Student Leaders in Attendance (A-Z)
- Guivenchiali Saint Jean
- Jalynne Smith
- Keisha Richards
- Krisandra Bagaloo
- Rachel Dunlap
- Lilly Nickens (a Master's in American Studies major and graduate assistant for the Africana Studies program)
The students in attendance explored the themes of solidarity, power and Pan-Africanism in the 21st century, networked with other students and presented their research on topics such as the impact of the foster care system on Black children, Black hair and environmental racism.
“It is a great networking opportunity,” said Donnetrice Allison, chair of Stockton’s Africana Studies program, which includes major and minor options. “It gives them scholarly presentation experience, and it also exposes them to great scholars and other students across the country.”
The experience of attending the national conference was meaningful for the student leaders who attended.
“While I’ve presented before, this was the first time I had the opportunity to showcase my own research, ‘The Interconnections of Race, Foster Care, Adoption, and Social Punishment: A Historical Analysis of the African American Family in the US’,” said Lilly Nickens, who attended the conference for the third time.
“Presenting this research was especially exciting because it allowed me to receive valuable feedback and deepen my understanding of my own work. The conference reminded me of the power of community in academia and the importance of continuing to push boundaries in research,” Nickens said.
“Having the opportunity to attend NCBS was amazing. This was my second year attending and I can say it keeps getting better,” said Krisandra Bagaloo, another Africana Studies major. “I presented on the Distinguished Stockton University Professor Dr. Patricia Reid-Merritt and her legacy, which was a great chance to reflect on all the contributions she made and continues to make to the Black Studies field, as well as the Social Work field.”
Bagaloo was also inducted into the Ahkh Maat Wedjau Honor Society, a nonprofit organization that promotes scholarly study, research and publication in the field of Africana studies. Students are nominated by a faculty member at their academic institution and must retain a 3.5 GPA in their Africana Studies coursework.
“Being surrounded by like-minded individuals who put in tremendous work was a delight,” Bagaloo shared. “It is truly an experience I can never forget.”
– Story by Loukaia Taylor
– Photos submitted
Africana Studies Students Present at National Conference
April 4, 2024
Galloway, N.J. – Students and faculty in the Africana Studies program recently attended the 48th annual National Council for Black Studies (NCBS) Conference in California, where they presented and were also honored.
Two of the three top awards at the conference went to Stockton faculty.
Donnetrice Allison, professor of Communication Studies and Africana Studies at Stockton, received the Ida B. Wells & Cheikh Anta Diop Award. Surprised and honored to be recognized, Allison said, "It shows that my work to promote the field of Africana Studies is not just limited to Stockton, but it has a national reach."
Patricia Reid-Merritt, Distinguished Professor of Social Work and Africana Studies, received the Paul Robeson & Zora Neale Hurston Celebrated Elder Award.
When asked how she felt about being given this honor, Reid-Merritt candidly said, "It was an especially humbling experience for me. I've been honored by the National Council for Black Studies twice before for leadership and service. But the Robeson/Hurston Celebrated Elder Award suggests that I am approaching the end of a nearly 50-year career in higher education. I better get the rocking chair ready!"
For students Krisandra Bagaloo, Rachel Dunlap, Lillian Nickens, and Keisha Richards, the NCBS Conference was more than just an academic event. It was a transformative experience that allowed them to broaden their perspectives both personally and academically.
Reported by Mandee McCullough
