In celebration of Black History Month, we asked Dyson professors, whose specialties or areas of interest include Black or African American history, art, or culture, to share their thoughts on poignant moments, figures, and initiatives.

Tiffany Henley, PhD

Image

Assistant Professor of Public Administration

What improvements would you like to see in public policy as we continue to battle COVID-19?

COVID-19 has shed a light on existing health and social inequities among people of color, veterans, low-income earners, people with disabilities, and adults older than 65. We can achieve health equity through public policy by focusing on the social determinants of health. More specifically, we can move toward a more equitable society by allocating resources to established programs to train low-wage earners in high demand careers, expanding Medicaid in states that have not adopted Medicaid expansion, addressing barriers to health care services related to cost, access, and quality of care, investing in mental health services through benefits and infrastructure, creating opportunities for affordable housing and home ownership, and eliminating systemic racism and discrimination.

Kiku Huckle, PhD

Image

Assistant Professor of Political Science
Co-founder of the Black Excellence Initiative

Why is it important to celebrate Black excellence?

There are many reasons to celebrate Black excellence. From a practical perspective, such recognition benefits us, as a society. This country has long ignored the brilliance, inventiveness, and significant contributions of Black individuals, thereby minimizing their potential for positive impact. By making a concerted effort to course correct this blind spot, we are better positioned to learn from and advance the progress begun by these individuals. From a normative perspective, the honoring of Black excellence is a positive way to counter problems that result from implicit bias and racism. This does not negate the need for policy responses to problems such as police brutality, housing discrimination, and disparities in healthcare and education. Instead, it acknowledges that the root cause of these issues can be attributed to the systemic denial of Black humanity. The celebration of Black Excellence challenges that narrative and creates space for a joyful recognition of Black accomplishment.

S. Brian Jones

Image

Assistant Dean of Diversity and Equity in the Arts

Tell us about an artist who inspired your activism.

“Good, better, best, never let them rest, until your good is better, and your better is your best!”

It is on the shoulders of my ancestors, who are a part of history both Black and American, I stand in my new role as Assistant Dean of Diversity and Equity in the Arts here at Dyson. First, I want to acknowledge, my great-great-great-great grandmother, Mrs. Jane Morris Chester, who was a slave and ran to her freedom at the age of 30 years old. In turn, she became an abolitionist, contributed to the Underground Railroad, was a well-respected restaurant owner in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, and became known to the world not only for her world-famous taffy, but for her son, my great-great-great uncle, T. Morris Chester, a soldier in the civil war, who went on to be the first African-American in history to write as a correspondent for a major American newspaper, The Philadelphia Press. And, my great aunt, Leona K. Baylor, also a direct descendant of Jane Chester, was a respected educator in the City of Philadelphia. She and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. talked about civil rights on his only visit to Philadelphia as seen in the photo below.

I write and activate my art through activism because it is in my blood! American history is Black history!

Durahn Taylor, PhD

Image

Associate Professor of History

What do you think has been the most defining moment in US history for Black Americans?

The defining moment was when the decision was made, during colonial times, to adopt African slavery as a labor force for producing agricultural goods, such as tobacco and later cotton. Despite emancipation and the later civil rights laws, we have been grappling with the legacy of this colonial decision ever since, because it supported two notions: the racist notion that people of African descent were somehow less deserving of basic human rights, and the notion that economic profit was more important than human lives. The struggle against those notions has shaped the Black American experience up to this day.

Melvin Williams, PhD

Image

Assistant Professor of Communication Studies

Who in media and/or communications has been or is your inspiration?

Dr. Joan Morgan is my greatest inspiration as a Hip Hop feminist and communication culturist. She is an award-winning author and the “Mother of Hip Hop Feminism,” whose groundbreaking text, When Chickenheads Come Home to Roost: A Hip Hop Feminist Breaks It Down, birthed a generation of Hip Hop feminist scholars in and outside of the academy. Coined by Dr. Morgan, Hip Hop feminism is concerned with cultural and feminist inquiries that examine issues rooted in the aesthetics and politics of Hip Hop culture. As a result of Dr. Morgan’s scholarship, I gained a greater understanding of the complexities of the lived experience of Black women, and the gendered and racialized oppression they face as they try to survive and thrive in Hip Hop’s intersectional, yet misogynistic space. Furthermore, When Chickenheads Come Home to Roost prompted my creation of the COS 296B: Hip Hop Feminism and the Media course in the Department of Communication Studies.

Image

We are deeply saddened to share that Jordan Robinson, a sophomore on our Pleasantville Campus, passed away on February 13, 2022. Jordan was a proud brother of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. and involved with many student organizations, including the Black Student Union and Students of Caribbean Awareness. He was a former member of our Setters football team. He was a beloved son and brother. He was an aspiring entrepreneur who owned his own design business. And he was a supportive friend and classmate and a valued member of our Pace family.⁠

Many in our community have asked how we lost Jordan. The Mount Pleasant Police Department, who are in charge of investigating such matters, and who responded to our campus along with EMS, has advised that they are classifying what happened as a medical emergency, awaiting the medical examiner’s determination.

Jordan’s death is devastating and he will be deeply missed. Please join us in extending all our most heartfelt sympathies and condolences to Jordan’s family and friends during this extraordinarily difficult time.

Pace Community Vigil

Join the Pleasantville Student Government Association and the brothers of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., for a vigil honoring the life and legacy of Jordan Robinson. This is a space for sharing memories of Jordan and the impact he had on the Pace Community. Join us in-person or virtually.

Wednesday, February 16, at 7:30 p.m.
Gottesman Room, Kessel Student Center
Pleasantville Campus

Processing Loss

The Counseling Center invites the Pace Community process this loss and discuss how grieving and coping affects the classroom on campus experiences. Additionally, this is an opportunity to grieve our own loss together. There will be a virtual and in-person option for attendees.

For Students:

Monday, February 14, at 7:00 p.m.
Butcher Suite, Kessel Student Center
Pleasantville Campus
Zoom Meeting ID: 947 6983 9418
Zoom Password: 015470

Wednesday, February 16, at 12:00 p.m.
Butcher Suite, Kessel Student Center
Pleasantville Campus
Zoom Meeting ID: 967 7899 6256
Zoom Password: 390913

For Faculty and Staff:

Friday, February 18, at 1:00 p.m.
Butcher Suite, Kessel Student Center
Pleasantville Campus
Zoom Meeting ID: 937 5740 0281
Zoom Password: 597958

Funeral Service Information

Pace University students, faculty, staff, and alumni are invited to attend services for Jordan.

Viewing and Omega Service

Monday, February 21
6:00 p.m.–8:00 p.m.

New Hope Baptist Church
12 Dr Aaron B. Samuels Blvd.
Danbury, CT 06810

Viewing and Funeral

Tuesday, February 22
Viewing: 10:00 a.m.–11:00 a.m.
Funeral: 11:00 a.m.–12:30 p.m.

New Hope Baptist Church
12 Dr Aaron B. Samuels Blvd.
Danbury, CT 06810

You can find the full letter to the community here. In the meantime, should you need support or just someone to talk to, the Pace University Counseling Center is available, as is the Dean for Students Office.

Alumnus Eric Paulk is making strides in the fight for equality in his own home state of Georgia and making headlines, too, as one of the state’s Top 40 Leaders Under 40. In 2020, Eric was awarded a prestigious Soros Justice Fellowship, with the goal of building a nationwide network of Black HIV movement lawyers to protect, defend, and support people living with HIV. A true agent of change, Eric points to his law school experience at Pace for playing a critical role in his journey towards equality and advancing change.

Eric Paulk graduated from Morehouse College in 2003. From there, though he was pretty sure he ultimately wanted to attend law school, he spent time in the private sector to gain experience in the business world and build upon his undergraduate training. “I knew that law school was a big commitment in every sense of the word. I wanted to make sure that I was ready to commit so I spent some time working in a variety of positions. Then in my last role before I went to law school, I was Managing Director of a performing arts center and in that position I oversaw every aspect of the center – which included contract negotiations and the legal department. It reignited my desire to attend law school.”

Eric started at Pace in 2013. “I really immersed myself in law school. I joined student groups. I participated in clinics. I spoke with professors outside of class. I took advantage of a wonderful learning experience.” While at Pace, Eric was involved in the Black Law Students Association, LAMBDA Law Student Association, and participated with moot court. “One of the most practical learning experiences that I had was as a civil rights extern working through the law firm Newman Ferrara with Professors Cohen and McLaughlin. This provided me with experience in research, writing, discovery, trial preparation, and client contact. I also learned how to prepare legal documents and petitions. It was an invaluable experience.”

“One of the most practical learning experiences that I had was as a civil rights extern working through the law firm Newman Ferrara with Professors Cohen and McLaughlin. This provided me with experience in research, writing, discovery, trial preparation, and client contact. I also learned how to prepare legal documents and petitions. It was an invaluable experience.”

After graduating from law school, Eric was the Tyron Garner Fellow at Lambda Legal in Atlanta. “In the fellowship role, I worked on policy issues, I worked to move along local and regional legislative efforts, I was an advocate, I spoke at forums, panels, meetings, and events, and I also did legal research. I became an expert on LGBTQ issues and HIV criminal justice reform which allowed me the opportunity to engage in real grassroots efforts for equality. Additionally, this role allowed me to really be a leader both regionally and nationally around HIV-related legal issues. It was an amazing experience.” From there, Eric moved on to the Equality Foundation of Georgia as an HIV Policy Organizer and then was promoted in April 2019 to Deputy Executive Director of the Organization. “In the role as Deputy Executive Director, I oversee all day-to-day operations and develop and manage our advocacy activities. I also work with the executive director and the board to develop and implement the organization’s strategic plan. I help to drive up support and also build relationships in the community.”

In recent years, Eric was selected as one of Georgia's Top 40 Leaders Under 40. In the article about Eric’s selection it was noted that Eric has dedicated his career to fighting for equality for all Georgians. Eric himself notes that “It is an important time in our state and our country to protect LGBTQ people, immigrants, and people of color. I am part of a movement creating equality for these communities. My law school experience and Pace in particular has played such a critical role in my leadership development and also in helping to carve out the work that I'm doing. I am definitely a proud alumnus.”

In late 2020, Eric was awarded a prestigious 2020 Soros Justice Fellowship. His goal through the Fellowship was to build a nationwide network of Black HIV movement lawyers to protect, defend, and support people living with HIV. As a part of this work, Eric is co-authoring a first-of-its-kind report with the Williams Institute, a think tank at UCLA Law dedicated to conducting rigorous, independent research on sexual orientation and gender identity law and public policy, on the impact of HIV criminal laws on Black communities. When Eric was awarded the Fellowship, he noted that “[m]ost of us go to law school with the desire to be agents of change. However, over time, that goal gets diminished. This fellowship lets me fulfill the promise for which I decided to attend law school - to use my legal training to empower, protect and defend marginalized Black communities. I am grateful for the opportunity to serve others, and excited to stand with my fellowship cohort and previous cohorts to advance change.”