Imagine Manders (left to right), Keashun Lawrence, Makaylee Stewart, Samuel Maceno, Jayden Flowers and Priscilla Idoko practice their presentations for the National Council for Black Studies Conference.
Six undergraduate scholars with the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh’s African American Studies Program traveled to the University of Florida in Gainesville to present their research at the 47th Annual National Council for Black Studies Conference March 22-25.
The students, who worked with faculty mentors Alphonso Simpson, African American Studies director; and Denae Powell, an assistant professor in the program, practiced their presentations on the Oshkosh campus last week.
The conference, which is organized around the theme of Reparation, Resilience and Restorative Justice: Commemorating the Centennial of the Rosewood Massacre of 1923, will showcase the work of undergraduate and graduate students from colleges and universities across the nation.
UWO junior Samuel Maceno, a political science major from Sherwood, will present Bill Past Due: What America Owes to Black Folk, which details three issues that have long racial ties to segregation: income equality, housing and gentrification, and crime.
“I explain that these issues are not only tied back to segregation and racism, but are also components in the cycle of poverty,” Maceno said. “I then offer some possible solutions and discuss ongoing reparation efforts that are actively being done in California.”
From the project, Maceno learned about how time-consuming yet valuable the research process can be.
“I spent a lot of time on this project and it did stress me out at times, however when I finished and presented at the University, I felt so accomplished and proud that all of my hard work paid off,” he said.
The following students also will present at the conference this week:
- Jayden Nicole Flowers, a senior psychology major from Milwaukee, Hungry, Thirsty and Unhealthy: How Food Deserts and Liquor Stores Dominate Black Neighborhoods
- Ene Priscilla Idoko, an economic major from Abuja, Nigeri, The Way They See Us: The Historical Experiences of Black Women as Patients in Mainstream Healthcare
- Keashun J. Lawrence, a sophomore business major from Milwaukee, Game Over: The Apathy and Aftermath of Black Athleticism in the Collegiate and Professional Sports Arena
- Imagine Rose Manders, senior psychology and sociology major from Appleton, Black Male Youth and the Constant Impact of Oppression
- Makaylee Catherine Stewart, a senior psychology major from Menomonee Falls, Bars and Bookings: The Criminalization of Black People in the United States
Learn more: