Wittenberg Professor to Give Keynote Address
At NAACP Freedom Fund Dinner Oct. 1
At NAACP Freedom Fund Dinner Oct. 1
Sept. 30, 2005
|
|
Carmiele Wilkerson in class
|
The theme for the evening is echoed in the title of Wilkersons presentation NAACP: "The Conscience of America."
Wilkerson's association with the NAACP began when she was a graduate student at Miami University of Ohio, where she became an active member and also served as the organizations second vice president. Since then, Wilkerson has served on the Diversity Committee for Wittenbergs Martin Luther King Day programming, the Presidents Diversity Task Force, and she is currently a member of the Africana Studies Program Advisory Committee. Last year she assisted the student group, Concerned Black Students (CBS), in preparing a statement that deplores racism, which was presented to the campus community.
In addition to teaching courses in Afro-Caribbean literature, the African diaspora and an introduction to Africana Studies, Wilkerson has written a number of publications on W.E.B. DuBois and Afro-Caribbean national identity.
Wilkerson initiated a Celebrating Women of Color program on campus in 2000, and each year she has organized and coordinated the event with the women of CBS and Forest Wortham, director of multicultural student programs and the Womyns Center. Held at the end of February, the program bridges Black History Month and Womens Month, and it provides an opportunity for the women of Wittenberg and the greater Springfield community to celebrate the contributions of women of color.
"The biggest challenge for me, in terms of helping students to celebrate their differences, is helping them to celebrate their identity, just simply loving who they are," Wilkerson said. "Often students are still struggling to find themselves and to love the person that they find."
- Phyllis Eberts
126-05
| Related Links: |
