<p> This dissertation explores the unhomely nature of the slave system as experienced by fugitive and captive slaves within slave and neo-slave narratives. The purpose of this project is to broaden the discourse of migration narratives set during the antebellum period. I argue that the unhomely manifests through corporeal, psychological, historical, and geographical descriptions found within each narrative and it is through these manifestations that a broader discourse of identity can be generated. I turn to four slave and neo-slave narratives for this dissertation: Solomon Northup&rsquo;s <i>Twelve Years a Slave</i> (1853), Frederick Douglass&rsquo;s <i>My Bondage and My Freedom</i> (1855), Octavia Butler&rsquo;s <i>Kindred </i> (1979), and Toni Morrison&rsquo;s <i>Beloved</i> (1987). </p>

<p> Octavia Butler asked if black skin was so disruptive a force that the mere presence of it alters a story? In a post-colonial era, skin color remains a polarizing topic. While humans are still redefining perceptions about race, people across planet earth are opening up to the possibility of the existence of intelligent extraterrestrial life. This paper explores how the acknowledgment of a galactic presence would transform perceptions of whiteness. The experiences of the best-selling author and proclaimed contactee, Whitley Strieber, are used as case studies to analyze if Amero-European ingrained bias toward melanin would influence the western world&rsquo;s interactions with dark-skinned extraterrestrials species. The white male is portrayed as the prototypical sci-fi nerd in popular American culture; however, the themes and struggles present in science fiction remain deeply connected with those present in African American culture. Despite the presence of extraterrestrials in African centered tradition, Stieber's experience demonstrates that whiteness still holds influence on the dominant cultural position regarding alien contact. I will practice Sankofa to trace African centered histories and traditions designed for communicating with entities from different dimensions, realities or even planets that continue to perpetuate in African American culture. I argue that African American culture has been addressing aspects of reality unacknowledged by the western world. I demonstrate that elements of the cosmic, supernatural, extraterrestrial or superhuman continue to manifest in African centered culture. These continually dismissed observations get lost in a world where the European Enlightenment has led to a culture in which whiteness establishes itself as &ldquo;a norm that represents an authoritative, delimited and hierarchical mode of thought&rdquo; as Joe Kinechole notes, limiting Amero-European culture from fully embracing a world view that includes extraterrestrials. Whiteness changes as it interacts in a range of settings and this paper examines the role of whiteness in a galactic environment by exploring how whiteness navigates through alien spaces.</p><p>

<p> Before the United States entered World War I, President Wilson and Congress established the Council of National Defense, August 29, 1916. Each state formed a State Council that oversaw the structure and organization of smaller county councils, community councils, women's committee, and black auxiliary councils. Scholarship focused on Arkansas State Council of Defense (ASCD) is scarce, but scholarship on Colored Auxiliary Council of Defense (CACD) for Arkansas is virtually nonexistent. </p><p> This digital history project, titled <i>The Arkansas Colored Auxiliary Council: Black Activism during World War I, 1917-1918</i>, explores the history of CACD, its formation, individuals involved, and some of its accomplishments. The goal of this project is to bring awareness to the CACD&rsquo;s mission, work, and members. Official reports submitted by Arkansas to the federal government omitted work accomplished by the Colored Auxiliary Council. This project highlights the contributions of black civilians and CACD in Arkansas during World War I.</p><p>

<p> Literature shows that one of the major issues affecting the achievement of inner-city African- American male students in public-schools is the ineffectiveness of disciplinary procedures. These studies have shown a direct positive relationship between student behavioral problems and academic failure. This study was an attempt at answering Noguera&rsquo;s (2008) call for understanding more fully how African-American males come to perceive schooling, in particular their discipline experiences, and how environmental and cultural forces impact this perception of their behavior and performance in school. This was a qualitative study that heard the stories of inner-city African-American male students who were pushed out of public-schools through disciplinary measures. This study was based on racial components that fit directly into the structure of Critical Race Theory (CRT). The qualitative research method of portraiture was used to answer this study&rsquo;s research question because it was relative to the problems that African- American male students face in their inner-city schooling experiences. The participants in this study were at least eighteen years old, African American, and pushed out of an inner-city public high school based on disciplinary consequences. Each participant shared environmental, cultural, and schooling experiences through a series of three interviews. The study found that environmental and cultural forces had a negative affect on the ways that these African-American males perceived their experiences in public-schools. The study concluded that these young men found success in private-continuation-schools, and that educators and policy makers should consider implementing the practices of these alternative schools in U.S. public-schools. </p><p>

<p> With incidences such as the Trayvon Martin shooting and the Freddie Gray death dominating the headlines, it is clear that racial tension and sensitivities are still prevalent in American society. These events highlight the struggles that many African-Americans are facing as a part of their daily lives. African-American males have had to overcome many obstacles and challenges to receive equal treatment, rights, and protections. Unfortunately, their journey for equality is long from over.</p><p> Cardinal Potter High School in Maryland was a diverse and supportive community. African-American males made up a large percentage of the student body. For many, opportunities associated with academic leadership activities had been underutilized. When it came to participation in Student Council and other formal leadership organizations, many African-American males were not choosing these organizations and mainly participated in athletics or cultural relevant clubs causing a leadership gap.</p><p> This qualitative research study looked at the various causes or influences on African-American males in participating in formal leadership activities. For this study, leadership is defined as the ability to positively influence others in an official position or through participation. By interviewing 25 graduates of the school, I was able to determine if there were structural issues within the school and societal influences that attributed to this leadership gap. Further, I explored various other factors such as media, family life, peer groups, and other areas. Finally, I was able to identify motivating factors that influenced African-American males to take leadership roles and countered internalized beliefs on masculinity, success, and leadership.</p><p> The following research questions helped to direct this study: 1. What factors do African-American male alumni of Cardinal Potter High School attribute to the underrepresentation of African-American males in student academic leadership roles? 2. What factors of school culture do participants attribute to this leadership gap? 3. What aspects of the African-American community contribute to promote African-American male leadership?</p>

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The first African American to play in baseball’s recognized major leagues, William Edward White, appeared in 1879, followed by brothers Fleetwood and Welday Walker in 1884. The fourth African American, Jackie Robinson, did not make his major league debut until 1947. This sixty-three year gap has become known as the era of “black baseball”—a time when two generations of African American players were excluded from the existing major leagues. This anthology provides insights into black baseball during this extraordinary time, spotlighting players who characterized its special flavor and spirit. Based on 40 years of research and hundreds of interviews with surviving participants and observers, these essays preserve a crucial time in our country’s history and provide a thoughtful perspective on the Negro Leagues. / https://dc.etsu.edu/alumni_books/1032/thumbnail.jpg

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