In recognition of Black History Month experts at the University of Houston (UH) are available to discuss a range of topics from African-American spiritual leaders to the history of African-American physicians in Houston. If you are unable to reach a professor, please call 713-743-8153.
AFRICAN-AMERICANS IN SPORTS
Demetrius Pearson, associate professor and associate department chair, is in the department of health and human performance. His teaching and research is in professional sport and fitness administration, as well as socio-cultural and historical aspects of sport. Most recently, Pearson conducted research about African-American involvement in sport, including North American Rodeo, as well as their depiction in contemporary sport films. He maintains a repository listing of American sport films from 1930 to 2011. Reach him at 713-743-9849 or dpearson@uh.edu
AFRICAN-AMERICAN HEALTH ISSUES
Janis F. Hutchinson, professor of anthropology, is a scholar of minority health issues who specializes in African-American health. She has conducted research on the use of prophylactics, HIV/AIDS, and racism and health. Hutchinson has worked on the Human Genome Project examining the impact of new genetic information on health beliefs of Indian (Hindu) Americans in Houston and investigated patients’ understanding and knowledge of personalized medicine, and the process of decision-making regarding pharmacogenomics testing and targeted therapeutics to understand how patients value receiving pharmacogenomics-based care. Hutchinson can be reached at jhutchinson@uh.edu
AFRICAN-AMERICAN LITERARY ACTIVISM
Cedric Tolliver, assistant professor of English, researches and teaches courses in modern African-American literature and culture. His current research project investigates how African-American writers and intellectuals negotiated their increased visibility within the boundaries of the early Cold War from 1947 to 1961. Writers from this period are critically important because they both participated in the burgeoning Civic Rights Movement and reflected upon the meaning of the inclusion of African-Americans for American culture and democracy. Tolliver may be reached at 713-743-1407 or ctolliver@uh.edu
AFRICAN-AMERICAN SPIRITUAL LEADERS
Shayne Lee, associate professor of sociology, is a noted interpreter of contemporary American religion and culture and is frequently quoted on CNN, The New York Times and numerous other media outlets. He is the author of three books, including, “T.D. Jakes: America’s New Preacher,” which analyzes the rise of the prominent African-American spiritual leaders as a microcosm of cultural changes in contemporary American religion; “Holy Mavericks: Evangelical Innovators and the Spiritual Marketplace,” co-authored with historian Phillip Sinitiere; and, “Erotic Revolutionaries: Black Women, Sexuality, and Popular Culture.” His next two book projects include a national study of black clergywomen that examines the micro-politics of gender oppression in black churches, and a study of the lyrical content of women rappers to envision a nexus between the sociology of sexuality and progressive sexual politics. Reach him at 832-640-0170 or slee3@uh.edu
AFRICAN-AMERICAN WOMEN IN HISTORY
Linda Reed, associate professor of history, focuses on women in Southern history. She is working on a biography of civil rights activist Fannie Lou Hamer, whose oratory skills are comparable to those of Martin Luther King Jr. Reed has designed classes at UH that focus on the role of women in freedom struggles. Reach her at 713-743-3092 or lreed@uh.edu
BLACK LITERATURE
W. Lawrence Hogue, the John and Rebecca Moores Distinguished Professor of English, addresses issues of the white/black binary opposition and the construction of the African-American, as well as issues of multiple subjectivities and postmodern fiction. Hogue is the author of a half dozen critical books and has reviews, book chapters, and articles published in the major literary journals and critical anthologies. His current research focuses on how contemporary African -American writers use cultural forms such as the blues and jazz to reconfigure African-American subjectivities. He can be reached at 713-743-2950 or at whogue@mail.uh.edu
EDUCATIONAL EQUITY IN MATHEMATICS EDUCATION
Imani Masters Goffney, assistant professor of mathematics education in the department of curriculum and instruction, UH College of Education, teaches mathematics methods courses for elementary and middle school teachers and teaches graduate courses focusing on issues of equity, social justice and diversity in mathematics education. Her current research investigates the role that particular teaching practices have on providing access to culturally and linguistically diverse students as a strategy for addressing the gaps in achievement, especially in mathematics performance. Reach her at 713-743-2572 or idgoffney@uh.edu
LEVERAGING DIVERSITY
Jean Kantambu Latting, professor emeritus of leadership and change at the UH Graduate College of Social Work, co-authored the book, “Reframing Change: How to Deal with Workplace Dynamics, Influences Others, and Bring People Together to Initiate Positive Change.” Her research, teaching and consulting work addresses the challenges leaders face in trying to leverage the benefits of diversity to achieve common goals. “Dr. King celebrated diversity by referring to ‘black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics’ joining hands.’ My work is not about ignoring differences, but how to leverage differences so they serve as a source of strength rather than conflict and divisiveness.” Reach her at 713-899-5560 or jlatting@uh.edu
LITERACY EDUCATION
Laveria F. Hutchison is an associate professor and chair of the department of curriculum and instruction in the UH College of Education. She teaches literacy education courses that focus on developing skills to enhance critical thinking for middle and secondary level learners. Her work also includes the design of instructional practices for English language learners. In addition, she conducts research that responds to the critical shortage of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM)-education teachers. Her STEM-education research and projects led to an invitation to address the U.S. Congressional Black Caucus, an audience of National Science Foundation researchers and at various professional conferences. Reach her at 713-743-4950 or lhutchison@uh.edu
POLITICS AND PREJUDICE
Nancy Beck Young, professor of history and director of graduate studies, is a scholar of modern U.S. politics. A chapter in her next book addresses the white, southern politics of prejudice during World War II. Her work helps explain why there was no significant civil rights reform legislation until the 1960s. Reach her at nyoung@central.uh.edu
RACE IN AMERICA TODAY
Tyrone Tillery, professor and author, is a scholar of U.S. history who specializes in African-American and Civil Rights history. Tillery has been the executive director of the NAACP, Detroit branch, and is currently researching the history of race and intergroup relations in Detroit from 1943 to 1968. Tillery can be reached at (713) 743-3097 or ttillery@mail.uh.edu
RACE RELATIONS BETWEEN MEXICAN AND AFRICAN-AMERICANS
Tatcho Mindiola is associate professor of sociology and director of the Center for Mexican American Studies. His research, publications and teaching areas are in race relations. Mindiola’s current research deals with the relationship between Mexican and African-Americans. Reach him at 713-743-3134 or tmindiola@uh.edu
TO BEAR FRUIT FOR OUR RACE
Kathleen Brosnan is an associate professor of history and associate dean of faculty and research of the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences at UH. At the Center for Public History, Brosnan directed UH graduate students in the research and design of “To Bear Fruit for Our Race: A History of African-American Physicians in Houston,” an online historical exhibit filled with hundreds of documents, photographs, biographies and oral histories. Brosnan may be reached at (713) 743-3120 or kbrosnan@uh.edu
CAMPUS EVENT:
Dr. Bernard A. Harris (UH ’78) is the first African-American astronaut and author of “Dream Walker,” which is the focus of an upcoming lecture at the University of Houston. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. The Mentorship Series begins at 6 p.m., Feb. 7 at the University Center, World Affairs Lounge, 4800 Calhoun Road, Houston, Texas 77004 (Ground floor of University Center). R.S.V.P. to the Urban Experience Program Office at 713-743-6032 or uep@mail.uh.edu
African American Studies, a distinct academic discipline that engages Africa-centered research and teaching through an interdisciplinary approach, UH CLASS, will host a series of events Feb. 2 through Feb. 28. Details are available at: http://www.uh.edu/class/aas/news/aahm-2012/index.php
HoustonPBS/KUHT-TV, a service of the University of Houston, will air a series of films Feb. 6 through Feb. 29 celebrating Black History Month. For details, visit: http://www.houstonpbs.org/
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