Co-Curricular Workshop Series
I am particularly interested in this two-day workshop because I am in the process of collaborating with two African universities, the University of Ghana, Accra, and Makerere University in Kampala, Uganda, to examine gender inequities through performance and dance during the fall of 2025 and spring of 2026. This workshop will help me think through how to develop an online course between the three institutions, as well as what areas to focus on for the international symposium we are co-creating. The insights and strategies from this program will be invaluable in shaping these upcoming initiatives.
In the fall 2023 semester, I taught a course titled "Communities in Action" at Michigan State University. This course introduced students to theories of social organization and change, focusing specifically on black women and how individuals are implementing change in their communities. Topics included reproductive injustice, the maternal crisis in the U.S. for black women, disparities in the educational system for black students, food deserts in predominantly African American cities such as Detroit, and environmental issues like those in Flint. Students not only learned about these issues and change-makers but also created campaigns, workshops, or solutions to address them. The excitement, enthusiasm, and ingenuity of the students' final projects were inspiring.
Before teaching this course, I co-developed and led a three-week workshop at the University of Ghana, Accra, and the University of Maryland, College Park, in 2018 titled "Exploring Social Justice Through Movement and Dance." This project involved exploring areas of social (in)justices that impact folks of the African diaspora, understanding implicit biases, and how the creative arts have addressed these issues in the past. The program resulted in two choreographed devised pieces that were performed and shared with the public to spark community conversations about observed inequities.
Based on the focus of this course, students might choose to address a variety of issues in their campaigns, such as:
Gender-Based Violence: Examining the prevalence and impact of gender-based violence in the U.S., Ghana, and Uganda, and proposing community-based interventions or educational campaigns to address and prevent it.
Environmental Justice: Linking gender and environmental issues, such as the impact of climate change on women and their communities, and proposing sustainable solutions that empower women as environmental stewards.
Mental Health: Highlighting the intersection of gender and mental health, addressing stigmas, and advocating for better mental health services and support systems for women and marginalized genders.
Political Participation: Promoting gender equality in political representation and participation, and creating initiatives to support women in leadership and decision-making roles.
Gender Expression in Cultural Forms: Exploring how gender is expressed in dance, dramatic texts, film, and media in the U.S., Ghana, and Uganda, and creating projects that critique, celebrate, or reimagine these expressions to foster more inclusive and diverse representations.
These issues reflect the multifaceted ways in which gender functions and the various challenges and opportunities for fostering equity and justice in different cultural contexts.
How did you hear about opportunity
I received an invitation via email from Dr. Scott Myers-Lipton.
Sociology / Social Sciences
