Dear Members of the UMBC Community,

It is with the deepest sadness that I share with you the passing of Kwame Ansah-Brew, master percussionist and adjunct professor of Africana studies, on June 7, 2019. Kwame’s untimely passing is a painful loss for the Africana studies department and the University community. He will be missed dearly.

Ansah-Brew was a scholar, a creative performer, and an experienced musician adept in Akan and other African traditions. As a highly respected and talented performer, Kwame was invited by the Ghanaian Ambassador to the United States to present a eulogy at the United Nations in honor of Secretary-General Kofi Annan last November. He was also the founder of Performing Arts Center For African Cultures, FRITETE Afrobeat, and Fritete African Drum and Dance Ensemble. He performed in over 350 public schools and many community events, promoting a better understanding of African cultures through the performing arts. 

Professor Ansah-Brew taught popular courses in African dance, Black music, and comparative African religions since 2005. His warm-heartedness, infectious smile, love, and kindness were felt by many in the Africana studies department and the UMBC community who came to know his work. These courses attracted students from diverse nationalities, ethnicities, religions, and disciplinary backgrounds. His students spoke glowingly about Ansah-Brew’s dedication to his work, compassion, and mentorship. He was often featured in major Africana studies events, including the W. E. B Du Bois Annual Lectures and the 2018 Taste of Africa.

Kwame’s family has asked that we share this painful news and information with the UMBC community.

Sincerely,

Gloria Chuku, chair, Africana studies.

Good afternoon public policy friends!

After 27 years of service at UMBC and the School of Public Policy, our incredible Graduate Program Coordinator Sally Helms is retiring at the end of July. We are going to miss her, her talents, and her knowledge immensely, and we know we will make her proud as we continue to grow as a program.

Ms. Helms is leaving large shoes to fill, and we are actively seeking a qualified candidate to administer the MPP and Ph.D. programs as Coordinator.

This individual will be the first point of contact for prospective students, principle resource for current students, and be responsible for a wide range of activities.

Public Policy Professor Emeritus George La Noue recently released his newest book, "Silenced Stages: The Loss of Academic Freedom and Campus Policy Debates." 

Synopsis:

Recently, many American higher education institutions have endured politically motivated disturbances undermining academic freedom. Unlike the wave of disruptions under the expanded “free speech” banner in the Sixties, these new protests have often sought to limit the speech of invited speakers, campus spokespersons, and the media with whom they disagreed.  In response, many prominent persons, including former President Obama, university leaders, and faculty senates, have sought to restore the primacy of open dialogue as an academic ideal. 

The barking dog of censorship usually creates attention. This book discusses incidents that created national publicity at Amherst, Brown, City University of New York, Evergreen, Lewis and Clark, Michigan, Middlebury, New York University, Reed, Seattle, Yale, UC Berkeley, University of Pennsylvania, University of Washington, Vanderbilt, and Wesleyan. But, if that guard dog just silently patrols the fences of acceptable campus discourse, nothing may be heard in the vacuum created. Many speakers will not be invited and many public policy issues will be thought too controversial for open discussion. Even tenured faculty may avoid expressing ideas that will upset their colleagues or campus activists. For free speech, the problem may be more often what is omitted from campus discussions, the silenced stages, than overt suppression.

This book reports on original research about the topics and participants in on-campus policy debates or forums where divergent viewpoints were presented regarding 24 national policy areas. Accessing campus calendars for 2014 and 2015 in a stratified national sample of 97 universities and colleges and 28 law schools enrolling 991,802 students annually, the results show a paucity of such events, except at very elite wealthy institutions or law schools. For most students in American higher education, the opportunity to hear on-campus debates about important public policy issues does not exist. Free speech for controversial speakers dominates the press coverage, but the more important story of the absence of debate and divergent opinion is missed.

Details on Silent Stages can be found here:
https://cap-press.com/bo…/isbn/9781531016029/Silenced-Stages

The Council on Black Health (CBH) seeks to have a significant impact on health in Black communities through collaboration, discovery, and innovation. Formerly known as the African American Collaborative Obesity Research Network (AACORN), the CBH builds on AACORN’s 15-year legacy of developing and distributing information about ways to improve the health status of Black Americans.

The Inaugural Council on Black Health National Workshop will focus on building the collective capacity of Black scholars, institutions and change agents to plan and promote a high impact action agenda devoted to changing the course of Black health for the better and for the long term. The 2020 priorities for closing research-to-action translation gaps will point the way to positive impacts on Black health risks and outcomes.

Plan to attend this workshop and lend your energy, experience, expertise and perspectives to the dialogue.

Why You Should Attend

By attending this workshop you will have the opportunity to provide input on CBH research action priorities for 2020; contribute to a vision for realizing healthy Black communities; and engage in dialogue with other researchers, organizations, and change agents who are committed to this vision.

Hotel Accommodations

We have secured a room block at The Study at University City for hotel accommodations. The rate is $183.00 per night. 

Financial Assistance

There are some financial assistance packages available to support workshop attendance.

Register