Generations of Americans believe that black political activism materialized in the decades of the modern Civil Rights Movement. Since this overwhelming view prevails, the history of local African Americans who made a means of not giving into racism in spite of the violent and recalcitrant oppression that had existed since the days of slavery is often overlooked. But blacks fought for, and at times secured, small victories on an individual or community level, although setbacks and challenges to those gains also occurred. The mis-impression that activism merely manifested itself in the days following either Emmitt Till’s murder or the Brown decision leaves generations of people missing, or erased, from the annals of history, and simply ignores the reality of making a movement on the ground. By expanding the parameters beyond the typical definition of the Civil Rights Movement, black activism from each successive generation after the Civil War emerges and provides a better understanding of race in America. Approaching the Southwest Georgia Movement through the lens of a longer evolving fight for racial equality, it becomes apparent that most of those involved were fighting against the ghost of Reconstruction. It was during this tumultuous episode that blacks had lost all gains garnered after the fall of the Confederacy (the Freedom Generation). Moreover, southerners found ways of restricting or erasing these liberties as the country transitioned into the Jim Crow era (the Terrorist Generation). The modern leaders, Martin Luther King, Jr. (MLK) and Ralph David Abernathy, for example, rose to prominence by fighting against these segregation statutes, but their ultimate goal was to reclaim many of the gains of Reconstruction (the Protest Generation). / A Dissertation submitted to the Department of History in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / Summer Semester 2017. / May 1, 2017. / Includes bibliographical references. / Maxine D. Jones, Professor Directing Dissertation; Maxine Montgomery, University Representative; Andrew Frank, Committee Member; Katherine Mooney, Committee Member.

This study examined the role of variety and frequency of dialectal features in relation to dialect awareness of African American English (AAE) and Standard American English (SAE) forms. Participant data was derived from oral and written language tasks examining sixty-eight third and fifth grade students’ dialect awareness in both oral and written modalities. Oral language samples were elicited with the Favorite Game or Sport task (Nippold, Hesketh, Duthie, & Mansfield, 2005) and were coded for morphological and phonological features of AAE. Descriptive statistics were reported to indicate the frequency and variety of dialectal features present in the children’s language samples. Frequency and variety of dialectal features were compared by examining student performance on an editing task to differentiate AAE and SAE forms in a written passage and on a repetition task derived from the DELV-S to determine accuracy of spoken SAE. By acknowledging previous research, it was predicted that both the frequency and variety of AAE features in oral language samples would significantly and positively correlate with the children’s performance on the editing and repetition task. Results indicated a significant positive relationship between frequency and variety of dialectal features, a significant negative relationship between dialect density and oral dialect awareness, and a significant positive relationship between dialect awareness in the oral and written modalities. These results are consistent with previous research that suggests a denser dialect results in poorer performance on tasks that require understanding of standard American English. / A Thesis submitted to the School of Communication Science and Disorders in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science. / Summer Semester 2018. / June 6, 2018. / African American English, Code-Switching, Dialect, Dialect Awareness / Includes bibliographical references. / Shannon Hall-Mills, Professor Co-Directing Thesis; Carla Wood, Professor Co-Directing Thesis; Toby MacRae, Committee Member; Hugh Catts, Committee Member.

This dissertation seeks to provide a critical investigation of several novels written by African American science- and speculative fiction author, Steven Barnes. In exploring Lion's Blood (2002), Blood Brothers (1996), the Aubry Knight trilogy (1983, 1989, 1993), and Iron Shadows (1998), the project posits that there is substantive work being done in depicting the Black embodied somatic as a site of allegorical historicizing. Herein, I read the novels' work with subgenres of alternate history, dark fantasy, cyberpunk, and fantastical AfroAsia (respectively) as serving as a means by which Barnes's constructions of gendered Blackness can meaningfully be read as a kind of Afrofuturist engagement with both the Afrodiasporic past and globalized dimensions of the yet-to-come. / A Dissertation submitted to the Department of English in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / Spring Semester 2018. / April 16, 2018. / Afrofuturism, Alternate History, Blackness, Mecha, Somatic, Steven Barnes / Includes bibliographical references. / Jerrilyn McGregory, Professor Directing Dissertation; Delia Poey, University Representative; Maxine Montgomery, Committee Member; Candace Ward, Committee Member; Dennis Moore, Committee Member.

The idea of “musical consciousness” centers around the cultural awakening, acknowledgement, preservation and expression of the elements that epitomize the African-American culture and the African-American sound. The chosen vehicle to express this consciousness is David Baker’s Concertpiece for Viola and Piano. With this research, I strive to expand the awareness of the African-American sound by exploring the vast musical traditions of the West African culture; to identify the rich musical elements of repetition, melody, scales, and rhythmic figures (patterns) within the West African music culture; to notice the resemblance and modifications in African-American music; to analyze these elements within David Baker’s Concertpiece for Viola and Piano; and to promote the research of African-American musical history, composers and music. / A Treatise submitted to the College of Music in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Music. / Spring Semester 2018. / April 17, 2018. / African-American Composer, African-American music, Black Composers, Black music, Concertpiece for Viola and Piano, David Baker / Includes bibliographical references. / Pamela Ryan, Professor Directing Treatise; Charles E. Brewer, University Representative; Kasia Bugaj, Committee Member; Gregory Sauer, Committee Member.

This study investigated a Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps (JROTC) program in one high school in Arizona to discover relationships among empowerment, leadership, and achievement in schools that have JROTC programs. Anecdotes and experiences of those participating in JROTC suggested that this program and the concepts that guide it would provide techniques for solving the underachievement of black students in schools today. Specifically, this study analyzed the current conditions of black students in a JROTC program in one high school by fully examining and describing aspects of this program. In addition, the study examined the contributions of the program to promoting empowerment, leadership, and academic achievement among black students. Data collection methods were designed to explore and describe the JROTC phenomenon at one high school. Three lists of questions were developed to gather data from students, teachers, and the JROTC faculty. The purpose of this study was to lend support to what may be occurring in JROTC to influence the academic achievement of JROTC students. Each group of respondents provided information that helped the researcher to get a better understanding of what was occurring in the program and how this process may influence achievement. In this study, 14 black students, three JROTC instructors, and five teachers were questioned about the programs and its impact on the public school experiences of the black students enrolled in the program. Pre- and post-grade point averages for these students were also examined to explore relationships among achievement, leadership, and empowerment. Data for this study were of such a nature that analysis by statistical methods only would not make the fullest use of all information available. For this reason, a case study of the South Mountain JROTC Program, with an emphasis on the black student enrolled, was presented. Statistical comparisons of the pre- and post-grade point averages were also made. This study suggested that the JROTC program may have implications for positively influencing the achievement of black students. Additionally, self-esteem building, peer influence, and self-discipline may have possibilities for implementation in many schools.

This dissertation asserts that members of Ile Asho Funfun, the Lucumí spiritual house at the center of the research, is comprised of members who have undergone the process of converting to the spiritual practice of Lucumí and, as such, have experienced tremendous personal transformation. The author argues that the religious practice of Lucumí was introduced to African Americans through music and dance traditions in the 1940s by performing artists and that since that time music has been one of the foremost tools of conversion. Among the theories asserted herein, the author develops the theory of reversion to describe the process of conversion from Christianity to Lucumí. Borrowed from Islamic traditions that use the term to refer to a return to the natural state of awareness of the one true God, reversion here is viewed as a return to the religion of practitioners' ancestors and to a set of practices that are innately a part of human understanding of the cosmos and Creator as well their place within the cosmos and with the Creator. Furthermore, the author contends that process of reversion is ongoing, informed by Afrocentricity, and impacted by the constant expansion and contraction of the religion. These occur as individuals and the community adjust to life events while negotiating their identity as both African and American. This dissertation establishes the theories of expansion and contraction as the processes by which African practitioners of Yoruba-derived religions have always adapted their practices to the situation and environment. The author introduces these concepts as a more precise description of processes of adaptation than the more commonly cited concept of syncretism. The author both observed and practiced the religion for ten years prior to undertaking the research and did field work and ethnographic research for six years while studying for and writing this dissertation using a reflexive approach. / A Dissertation submitted to the College of Music in partial fulfillment of the Doctor of Philosophy. / Spring Semester 2016. / February 4, 2016. / African-American, Conversion, Ethnomusicology, Lucumi, Reversion, Yoruba / Includes bibliographical references. / Frank Gunderson, Professor Directing Dissertation; Maxine Jones, University Representative; Michael B. Bakan, Committee Member; Denise Von Glahn, Committee Member.

Ethnic-racial socialization (ERS) is a culturally relevant parenting practice commonly used within African American families to teach children about their cultural heritage and prepare them for discrimination experiences. There is an abundance of literature exploring ERS within the adolescent and young adult developmental stages, however few studies have investigated ERS during early childhood. A further understudied area is the relation between ERS and other socialization strategies that African American parents use to raise well-adjusted children. As such, guided by Garcia Coll's eco-cultural framework, the purpose of this study was to investigate ERS and other socialization strategies, identified in the five domains of socialization, used among rural, low-income African American parents of three-year-olds. First, frequencies of ERS were conducted to determine the amount of ERS that these African American parents use with their young children. Results indicated that nearly half of the mothers (47.7%) reported using some ERS. Next, latent profile analysis was used to identify profiles of ERS, as well as profiles of all five domains of socialization. Results indicated two profiles for ERS (Unengaged and Early Engagers) and two profiles for the five domains of socialization (Non-Race Specific Socialization and Multifaceted Socialization). Mothers in the Unengaged profile were characterized by low scores on all three ERS dimensions (cultural socialization, preparation for bias and promotion of mistrust), while mothers in the Early Engagers profile were characterized by more ERS than those in the Unengaged, specifically focusing on cultural socialization and preparation for bias. Compared to those in the Early Engagers profile, mothers in the Unengaged profile were more likely to report not having enough money, greater gender role stereotyping, and more social support. For the socialization profiles, mothers in the Non-Race Specific Socialization profile were characterized by socialization variables similar to the sample mean, while the mothers in the Multifaceted Socialization profile were characterized by utilizing more ERS, engaging in more family activities and discipline strategies, and displaying less sensitivity than the mothers in the Non-Race Specific Socialization profile. Compared to those in the Multifaceted Socialization profile, mothers in the Non-Race Specific Socialization profile indicated not having enough money, greater gender role stereotyping, and fewer discrimination experiences. Findings for this study suggest that African American mothers are using ERS with their young children, and they incorporate ERS along with other important socialization strategies. Implications for researchers and clinicians were addressed. / A Dissertation submitted to the Department of Family and Child Sciences in partial fulfillment of the Doctor of Philosophy. / Spring Semester 2017. / March 24, 2017. / African American families, Ethnic-racial Socialization, Parenting, Socialization / Includes bibliographical references. / Melinda Gonzales-Backen, Professor Directing Dissertation; Eric Stewart, University Representative; Lenore McWey, Committee Member; Ming Cui, Committee Member.

This study examines variation in the cultural stereotypes African American women encounter at a historically Black university and at a predominantly White university and the possible differences in the stereotypes' effect. Prior research reveals a variety of “controlling images” of African American women in the society at large and at predominantly white universities in particular. A separate literature on HBCUs indicates many advantages for African Americans, such as philosophies that mirror the values in the black community, the high number of black faculty and administrators who cater to the academic needs of the black student population, and the large black student representation on campus that ensures that black students are not a numerical minority. An unexamined potential advantage is that racialized stereotypes about black women may be less pervasive or, if they exist, they may be less pernicious and emotionally damaging than on predominantly-white campuses. I interviewed 46 women on two campuses, one an HBCU and the other a PWI. The purpose of this project is to develop a deeper understanding of Black women's experiences in the college setting and to add to scholarly knowledge about the advantages or disadvantages for black women of attending these two different types of institution. Negative stereotypes of black women have old roots, but they still appear in modern-day public discourse. I examine six stereotypical images of black women: the angry black woman, the strong black woman, the bossy black woman, the Jezebel black woman, the ghetto black woman, and the respectable black woman. These images have nuanced descriptions that categorize black women by their race, gender, and social class yet are adaptations of the historical stereotypes of black women as the Mammy, the Jezebel, and the Sapphire. This study has important policy implications. It can help us understand how stereotypes undermine black women’s efforts to advance. It also can shed light on the effectiveness of HBCUs compared to PWIs for black women’s experience of college life. Such insights may have boarder implications about improving black women’s chances of getting the most out of their education and preparing them for careers. Interviews revealed that women on both campuses encountered multiple stereotypes and that the HBCU was no more effective at protecting women from these encounters than was the PWI. In regard to black women’s experiences, the “angry black woman,” the “strong black woman,” and the “bossy black woman” stereotype were the most pervasive on both campuses. Differences were found in how elaborated the stories were about the stereotypes on one campus or the other. For example, women at the PWI reported more vivid experiences of being stereotyped as ghetto black women while women at the HBCU reported more stories about being labelled as Jezebels. I conclude by describing how this research contributes to intersectionality theory. / A Dissertation submitted to the Department of Sociology in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / Summer Semester 2018. / July 2, 2018. / black women, college, historically black colleges, intersectionality, predominantly white instutitions, stereotypes / Includes bibliographical references. / Irene Padavic, Professor Directing Dissertation; Tamara Bertrand Jones, University Representative; John Reynolds, Committee Member; Kathryn Tillman, Committee Member.

In this thesis, I investigate how music and food intersect. I juxtapose two musicians whose relationship with music and food is integral to their world-view and social activism: the swamp-funk/blues guitarist and gumbo-cooker, Bill “Sauce Boss” Wharton and vegan rapper, running coach, and “fit hop” artist, Stic.man of Dead Prez. I examine each artist’s relationship to music and food via five themes: 1) Content – consisting of the aspects of music and food that are physical “texts” or “objects,” including lyrics, form, instruments, ingredients, and utensils; 2) Communication – symbolic representation of ideas or identities (ethnic, gender, regional or otherwise), especially through metaphor; 3) Process – music and food as performance; 4) Space and place; and 5) Consumption/embodiment, especially in relation to health and wellness. Independent of one another, studies of food culture or music are well-established areas of scholarly interest. As Edmundo Murray notes, “Reflection on the relation between music and food has weak roots. The literature on food culture is abundant and growing almost daily. At least the same can be said of texts about music. However, books about food and music represent a surprisingly untapped field.” This thesis addresses the intersection of these two unique cultural domains. / A Thesis submitted to the College of Music in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Music. / Spring Semester 2018. / April 10, 2018. / Datil, Food, Gumbo, Music, Veganism, Water / Includes bibliographical references. / Frank Gunderson, Professor Directing Thesis; Margaret Jackson, Committee Member; Tanya M. Peres, Committee Member.

Library history provides a biographical account of libraries, which includes information concerning the establishment, benefactors, significant collections, services rendered, outstanding achievements, and other points of interest. However, records of library service to African Americans in the South prior to 1900 are rare or non-existent. Not until the early 20th century did the Julius Rosenwald Fund Library Program begin to offer library service to the black and white residents in the rural South. Through the analysis of archival documents, this dissertation explores the impact of the library program on Southern libraries and the role of the library in the life of the African-American user. In its attempt to educate the reader about the early African-American struggle for library access, this study highlights the lack of emphasis on library history research in the field of Library and Information Science (LIS) and its risk of losing a valuable sub-discipline. In addition, the field potentially forfeits invaluable insight and understanding of library service to African Americans in the 20th century. This could jeopardize future planning for adequate service to underrepresented populations. Using archival analysis, the study utilizes preset categories to investigate library practices of Rosenwald-funded libraries with anticipation for unanticipated concepts to emerge. This exploratory, archival analysis unveils the variety of approaches and practices the Julius Rosenwald Fund Library Program incorporated to improve library service not only to African-Americans users, but to the entire American South. / A Dissertation submitted to the School of Information in partial fulfillment of the Doctor of Philosophy. / Spring Semester, 2015. / April 3, 2015. / Includes bibliographical references. / Paul Marty, Professor Directing Dissertation; Suzanne Sinke, University Representative; Kathy Burnett, Committee Member; Gary Burnett, Committee Member.