The Department of African American Studies hosted its first annual undergraduate symposium Feb. 22 at the Pyle Center. The symposium highlighted research, art and projects from students involved in the African American studies department taking classes, declaring the major or the certificate.
Presenters covered topics across disciplines of history, sociology, arts and research projects.
Diversity, equity and inclusion
Shelby Jantz’s presentation, “To Move in the Shadows: The importance of homeplace and Black educational fugitive spaces in the future of DEI,” focused on DEI work within higher education and how it supports academic success and personal development, among other things. The presentation also discussed the current uncertainty surrounding DEI with the new administration and recent events at the University of Wisconsin regarding DEI initiatives and incidents, such as the Palestine encampment last spring.
“Diversity, equity and inclusion work initiatives within higher education were created to make higher education more accessible to historically underrepresented groups,” Jantz said. “DEI work can encompass a variety of practices, including scholarship programs, learning communities, affinity groups and student advisory boards.”
Jantz also presented initiative recommendations based on the current student conditions and the framework of “fugitivity,” which is defined as the subversive work that Black people take up to continue the revolutionary work of Black intellectualism, according to Jessica Lee Stovall.
Kaleb Autman presented his presentation virtually, titled “The Status of Black Study/Struggle in the White Academy.” The presentation included multimedia examples of the Black experience at a white university, discussed DEI at UW, the study of Black history and culture and the importance of interpersonal relationships within the Black community.
Autman talked about his personal experience as part of the ad hoc study group formed by Chancellor Jennifer Mnookin after a racist incident on campus in 2023. The committee spent eight months compiling data about Black life on campus to put together a set of recommendations to aid in supporting Black life within the white university.
“We must not use DEI as a way to nullify the deep work of Black struggle and the movements that made departments like this possible,” Autman said.
FBI intelligence tactics and the Black Panther Party
Micah Sagers began the presentations with “Enemies of the State: The FBI’s Covert War on Black Liberation.” Her presentation focused primarily on the history of the Black Panther Party, as her uncle was an active member.
The presentation also highlighted the FBI’s use of COINTELPRO and different tactics used against the Black Panthers, as they were seen as a threat to the country. These tactics included spying, accusing Black Panther members of being snitches and violence used against them, since they had too positive of an image due to their welfare programs.
“The FBI were going through these official, legal routes, but in reality, they were just arresting Panthers in order to destabilize the organization,” Sagers said.
Black representation in Hollywood
Kamyia Denson’s essay “The Transformative Journey of Black Representation: From Early Tropes to Modern Storytelling” focused on the Black experience in Hollywood and how it has shifted since Vaudeville performances in the early years.
Early stereotypes in Hollywood were very restricting and harmful, such as the character archetypes of Mammy, Jezebel and Tarzan.
Blaxploitation films came about when Hollywood experienced a culture shift, with Black actors and writers having more prominent roles, which allowed them to break away from some of the harmful stereotypes that permeated Hollywood.
“What made Blaxploitation especially groundbreaking was this bold subversion of traditional dynamics,” Denson said. “White characters who were usually placed in positions of power, heroes, in mainstream cinema, were often portrayed as antagonists, embodying systems of oppression like corrupt politicians or law enforcement, whereas Black protagonists were depicted as strong, independent figures taking control of their own narratives and resisting oppression, even though violence was often necessary.”
Black arts
DeOnna Garrison, whose artwork titled “Don’t Forget Us,” is a commentary on Blackness in public schools and fugitive learning. Garrison explained the inspiration behind the piece, citing Jarvis Givens and Mary McLeod Bethune as references, as well as Ruby Bridges as a reference for the young girl in the painting.
“And that also brings me to why the painting is called, ‘Don’t Forget Us,’ … I wanted to be very clear that a lot of teachers are forgotten,” Garrison said. “They don’t get the recognition that they deserve, after all the hard work that they have done, especially Black teachers, Black women teachers, to really give spaces to their students and open up their students to radical ideas and making them feel comfortable within their spaces.”
Three understudies — Joseph Bolden, Jayda Smith and Garrison — performed excerpts from “Joe Turner’s Come and Gone,” alongside Professor Sandra Adell.
Other presenters gave performances of poetry and various research projects, with a full itinerary on the African American Studies Department website.
The symposium ended with a Q&A section, where several professors within the department asked clarifying questions about the participants’ research and projects.
One question came from new assistant professor in the African American Studies Department Jessica Lee Stovall, asking about the student’s hopes and dreams for the department and how faculty can partner with students in their work.
“I think that the Department of Afro-American Studies is a brilliant space,” Autman said. “ It’s a space that is needed … I think that we need deeper relationships as black students with the department, because it’s one of the only spaces that we can call home.”