This panel style discussion which will revolve around the points of solidarity and friction among people of the African Diaspora. We aim to have a nuanced and constructive conversation that will tackle the misconceptions, strains, and challenges within the diaspora and thus build solidarity among ourselves. We invite all people from identities to join us in this open discussion.
Our panelists will include: Dr Jarra Jagne, Dr. Christopher House, Crystal Kayiza, and Candace King.
Our moderator will be Cornell Woodson who is an Ithaca College Alum and a former SGA President. He is currently working at Cornell University as the Associate Director for Diversity and Inclusion for the School of Industrial and Labor Relations. He is a student affairs professional who is passionate about working collaboratively to prepare our students for success in a complex world. Cornell's short term goal is to gain quality experience in various areas of higher education. His long-term goal is to become president of a college or university to create greater access for underrepresented populations and restore faith in the importance of investing in a college education.
Dr. Jarra Jagne works as an Extension Veterinarian for Cornell University’s College of Veterinary Medicine. Previously, she has worked for the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization in Rome, Italy and for a USAID project on avian influenza. She was also a Technical Services Manager for ISA Babcock, a French Poultry Genetics company with headquarters in Ithaca. She has worked in many countries in Africa, Europe, Central and South-east Asia. Dr. Jagne holds a BSc in Biology and a DVM from Cornell University. She completed a two-year residency in Avian Diseases and Pathology at the University of Pennsylvania.
Dr. Christopher A. House, Ph.D., graduated summa cum laude from The College at Brockport with a B.S. in Communication Studies. His research interests are in the domain of Religious Rhetoric, Health Communication, African American Rhetoric, Public Address, and Rhetorical Theory. His current research examines the rhetorical strategies, underpinnings and justifications of pastoral communication surrounding the HIV/AIDS crisis that disproportionately affect people of African descent. His scholarship focuses on three areas of the world currently ravaged by AIDS--sub-Saharan Africa, the Caribbean, and the United States-- as they can best provide a representative sample of both world-wide HIV/AIDS cases and diverse Black Christian churches that speak to the multitudes on a weekly, sometimes daily, basis through a culturally geographic and theologically grounded religious rhetoric.
Crystal Kayiza is a senior Documentary Studies and Production major with minors in African Diaspora and Women and Gender Studies. As a sophomore Crystal studied the impact of British colonialism on economies in East and West Africa at the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland and wrote her thesis—Propagating Systems of Power in the Post-Colonial World: The Consequences of Sociopolitical Privilege Within the Development Agenda. She is currently working on a documentary about the experience of those displaced by gentrification in the South Bronx while continuing to work on an independent study on the political visibility of Black women within the racial justice movement in the United States. She has interned with the policy think tank The Roosevelt Institute and served as an editorial intern for The Nation Magazine. Currently, Crystal is serving as President of the Student Government Association at Ithaca College.
Candace King is a senior journalism major and Martin Luther King Scholar at Ithaca College. Currently, she serves as an Ambassador to the Madiba Legacy Project of the IC African Students Association, which aims to bridge people, partnership and dignity in communities within and beyond our borders. King is also the co-visionary and co-executive producer for The RoundTable, a sociopolitical commentary on news and current events. A Pan-African feminist, King believes we should not only examine our identities, but be critical of our allegiances.
We hope you join us for this amazing dialogue.
SLI CREDIT WILL BE AVAILABLE!
The event will be taking place in Textor 101 at 7PM on Wednesday April 15th.
Individuals with disabilities requiring accommodations should contact Rita Bunatal at rbunata1@ithaca.edu. We ask that requests for accommodations be made as soon as possible.
https://www.ithaca.edu/intercom/article.php/20150414123341977