Dr. Deonte Hollowell, Program Director of African American Studies, talks about the importance of Black History Month and how Spalding is celebrating with art displays at the Huff Gallery and the 5th Annual Elmer Lucille Conference on African American Studies.
Transcript:
What do you wish people knew about Black History Month?
Dr. Deonte Hollowell: I wish that people knew about Black History Month that it has come a long way and that it has nothing to do with the shortness of the month of February and has more to do with the mind and the mentality of Dr. Carter G. Woodson who created it as negro history week.
Why is Black History Month important?
Dr. Deonte Hollowell: The importance of Black History Month can can never be understated when Dr. Carter G Wilson came up with the idea of having negro history week a lot of us in our in the black community were excited about that and as time goes on sometimes we can belittle or can kind of understate the importance of representing our history that is important to us and should be every single day.
I love the opportunity to get to present black history to the rest of the world for an entire month and I like that students have the opportunity as well to learn more about the black experience and students of all races and people of our races get a chance to really appreciate the black experience for what it’s worth and hopefully it influences them to not only do that for the 28 days of February but to really incorporate that in their daily lives specifically when it as it pertains to how they treat black people.
How is Spalding celebrating?
Dr. Deonte Hollowell: The great thing is at Spalding we have the Huff Gallery in which we’ll have all month the whole month of February to present art that is important to black people and reflect affects the black struggle and black accomplishment.
Who is Elmer Lucille Allen?
Dr. Deonte Hollowell: So for African-American studies this will be our fourth annual Elmer Lucille Allen conference on African American studies Elmer Lucille Allen is one of our first African-American graduates of the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth she’s a dear friend of mine and I’m very proud of her. She was the first African-American chemist hired at Brown Foreman and also she is a great artist nowadays and so our conference is February 23rd and 24th always the last week of February and it gives us a chance to honor and appreciate Elmer Lucille Allen for her contributions by presenting academic papers by presenting creative arts, and also just people talking about the work that they’re doing in the community.
Spalding University presents the Fourth Annual Elmer Lucille Allen Conference on African American Studies this Thursday and Friday, Feb. 24-25. This year’s conference will be a hybrid event with both virtual and small, in-person sessions.
As in years past, Allen, a 1953 graduate of Spalding (then called Nazareth College) and the first Black chemist at Brown-Forman, will be a keynote speaker at the conference. Allen, an accomplished artist, will give a presentation about her art at 6 p.m. Friday. Stachelle Bussey, executive director of the Hope Buss, will give a keynote address followed by a panel discussion at 6 p.m. on opening night. Both keynotes will take place in person on Spalding’s campus for a limited crowd; the general public will be able to livestream via GoToMeeting or join by phone at +1 (872) 240-3212 with access code: 487-655-269.
Dr. Deonte Hollowell, Assistant Professor of History and African American Studies, will help lead the conference and kick things off with a virtual session, “The State of African American Studies” at 2:30 p.m. Thursday. He will also facilitate presentations for students of two African American Studies courses that he teaches: History of Socio-politics in Black Louisville (a course co-taught with former Mayor of Louisville and Spalding Executive-in-Residence Jerry Abramson) and African Civilizations.
In addition to Dr. Hollowell, this year’s evening is sponsored and supported by Dr. Mark Martinez, Assistant Professor in the School of Communication; Dr. Melissa Chastain, Chair of the School of Communication and Dean of Enrollment Management and Strategic Initiatives; Damian Botner, Department Coordinator for the School of Liberal Studies; Dr. Pattie Dillon, Chair of Liberal Studies & Professor of History; Community Organizer Tia Coatley; and the West Louisville Women’s Collaborative.
Guests and attendees will also enjoy a musical performance by Kat Coatley and video presentations by students at Louisville’s Coleman Prep Academy.
Conference Schedule
Day 1: Thursday, Feb. 24
2:30-2:45 p.m. – Dr. Deonte Hollowell: The State of African American Studies (Virtual)
2:45-4:25 p.m. – History of Socio-politics in Black Louisville presentations (Virtual)
4:30-5:30 p.m. – African Civilizations Class Discussions (Virtual)
5:30 p.m. – Doors open for all in-person events
6:00-6:30 p.m. – Stachelle Bussey: Keynote (Hybrid: Lecture Lounge)
6:30-7:15 p.m. – Spalding Administrators & Students Panel Facilitator Stachelle Bussey (Hybrid: Lecture Lounge)
Day 2: Friday, Feb. 25
5:30 p.m. – Doors open for all in-person events
6:00-6:30 p.m. – Elmer Lucille Allen Exhibition Presentation (In-Person: Huff Gallery)
6:30-6:45 p.m. – Musical Performance by Kat Coatley (Hybrid: Lecture Lounge)
6:45-7:00 p.m. – Video Presentations from Coleman Prep Academy (Hybrid: Lecture Lounge)
7:00-7:30 p.m. – Elmer Lucille Allen: Keynote (Hybrid: Lecture Lounge)
7:30-8:00 p.m. – Closing Remarks (Hybrid: Lecture Lounge) & Exhibition Reception (In-person: Huff Gallery)
Event Parking is located in front of the Egan Leadership Center – You can enter the parking lot from Breckinridge St or 3rd St.
Doors open at 5:30 p.m. and will be held in the Spalding University Library (follow signs for entry and check-in)
Masks are required for entry and will be provided if you do not have one.
Light refreshments will be provided both evenings
While Juneteenth has been celebrated for generations, many Americans are still unfamiliar with its history and meaning. As a greater number of government entities, organizations and institutions officially observe Juneteenth this year – it became an official Spalding University holiday in 2020 – it’s an opportunity to understand its historical and modern-day significance.
Juneteenth, or June 19, is recognized as the day in 1865 when Union Army Gen. Gordon Granger informed the enslaved African American people of Galveston, Texas, that they were free, effectively ending slavery in the United States. The Civil War had ended two months earlier, but slave owners in the Confederate territory of Texas had maintained the status quo until Granger’s arrival.
Spalding Assistant Professor of History and African American Studies Dr. Deonte Hollowell said that he would be speaking at a Juneteenth event in his hometown of Hopkinsville, Kentucky, on Saturday. At celebratory events like that, he said, it is important to have a historian/storyteller – known in African traditions as a griot – on hand to provide the attendees with the historical context of the occasion.
Spalding School of Liberal Studies Professor Dr. Deonte Hollowell
“It’s a serious celebration,” Hollowell said. “It’s an opportunity to look back and recognize the struggles and achievements of Black people but also a chance to celebrate those accomplishments. Juneteenth should always be about a) educating yourself about those accomplishments, b) celebrating those accomplishments, c) trying to figure how to progress those accomplishments into equality for our people.
“You have to have the celebration and educational moments be a part of it. … (At a Juneteenth celebration), someone can say, ‘OK, what can we do now that we have all of these people here in one space? What can we do to get everyone on the same accord and address some of the issues we have?'”
Hollowell said White people should engage with and celebrate Juneteenth by educating themselves about the history surrounding the holiday and slavery, including acknowledging the role White people played. He said it’s an opportunity for White people to consider how they can support and racial equity, including helping educate or change the mind-sets of White relatives or friends.
Hollowell said that because the U.S. government failed to free all Black enslaved people at the same time in the 1860s, a situation has existed since then in which there has been no universally recognized day to celebrate Black emancipation.
Hollowell said he was unfamiliar with Juneteenth until he was a college student in an African American theatre class at the University of Louisville and participated in a series of Juneteenth plays.
Growing up, his family and community in Western Kentucky recognized the Eighth of August as the primary day to celebrate Black freedom.
He said important dates pertaining to Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation and the ratification of the 13th Amendment, which abolished slavery, are also considered appropriate days to celebrate.
“Even to this day, we find ourselves celebrating at different times,” he said. “That’s fine; I don’t have a problem with us celebrating our freedom (at any time), but it’s a little difficult when it’s not unified.”
“Especially in this current racial climate, we really need to reflect and celebrate what it means to be Black,” Hollowell said. “And you can celebrate what it means to be Black even if you’re White. (For everyone to celebrate that is) what my hope is for Juneteenth.”
Spalding University’s Black Student Alliance will host a virtual edition of one its signature events on Wednesday and Thursday with the third annual Elmer Lucille Allen Conference on African American Studies.
Due to the pandemic, this year’s conference will be presented virtually via HD Meeting. Dr. Deonte Hollowell, Spalding Assistant Professor of History and African American Studies and the BSA’s faculty advisor, will help lead the conference, which is free and open to the public. Please register here. The full conference schedule can be found below.
12:45 – Statements from the Writing Center and Spalding Equity Groups
1– 2:30 – HIST 383 Student Presentations – Works in Progress
4 – Performance by Alex Betts (Waterworks Dance Company)
4:30–5:30 – AAS 300 Student Presentations – Works in Progress
5:45 – 6:45 – Local Grassroots Organizer’s Forum
Day 2, Thursday Feb. 25
3:30-4 – BSA Day One Overview/Day Two Preview
4:15 – Student Presentations – Internships and Research Assistants
5:30–6 – WLWC Presents A Hip Hop Tribute to Elmer Lucille Allen
6– The Artistic Contributions of Elmer Lucille Allen
Closing Remarks from Spalding President Tori Murden McClure, Dr. Hollowell, Dean of Undergraduate Education Dr. Tomarra Adams, Dean of Students Janelle Rae
Spalding University is spotlighting members of its campus community every Friday during Black History Month, including, this week, the Black Student Alliance student organization.
Since 2018, the Black Student Alliance (BSA) has existed at Spalding to provide advocacy and a social network for Black students as they navigate college.
During a year in which Louisville and the country have been focused strongly on issues related to racial equity and justice, the BSA has provided an important space for students of color to communicate with each other and feel supported.
“We have been able to provide a sense of community for Black and Brown students on campus,” said Savasia Thompson, who is in her second year as BSA President. “Especially now and recently, with the Black Lives Matter protests and the death of Breonna Taylor, we have just been trying to support. … We try to touch Spalding’s Black and Brown populations in several ways – socially, educationally. We know there are lots of issues our students are facing, and we are trying to help supplement and create resolutions for that.”
Thompson, a senior majoring in creative writing, said the organization has advocated on behalf of Black students on issues around campus while always working to promote a culture of diversity, equity and inclusion.
The BSA also hosted a welcoming mixer last fall for first-year students of color to meet each other and faculty members, and Thompson said the BSA has supported the enhancement of the Pelican Pantry as resource for any member of the Spalding community who be experiencing food insecurity.
BSA meetings during the 2020-21 academic year have been limited, but post-pandemic, the organization expects to meet more regularly. During 2019-20, they met every week, and sessions included a check-in period in which members could share concerns and experiences that often then were shared with university leaders.
The BSA was founded in 2018 by then-Spalding student Jerre Crenshaw, a Liberal Studies major who was one of the first students to graduate with the university’s new minor in African American Studies. She developed the BSA as part of her praxis credit of the minor. Dr. Deonte Hollowell, an assistant professor of history and African American Studies who leads the AAS minor, is the BSA’s faculty advisor.
Spalding BSA President Savasia Thompson
Thompson, a graduate of Manual High School, said she was eager to get involved in student organizations when she got to Spalding. She put her name on the ballot for a few BSA leadership positions, and ended up being elected president.
“I do find it to be a great honor to be president because I have a very good relationship with so many entities around Spalding,” she said. “I know a lot of people in financial aid, a lot of people in the Writing Center, where I also work, a lot of people in Human Resources. I’m very familiar with the campus, and I thought, ‘Well, if I want to make a difference, why not start at home (and get involved on campus)?'”
Thompson said the national attention that was cast on issues of race in 2020 was important because it showed the country “that there is a lot of work to be done” to achieve equity and justice in the United States.
Thompson said that her family has always provided an opportunity for her to share her feelings and emotions regarding racial issues and experiences, but that she knows not all of her peers have had that opportunity.
“So I hope that I’ve been able to support them,” said Thompson, who used to be a neighbor of David McAtee and who has friend who was a close friend of Breonna Taylor. “All these different issues have hit very close to home.”
2021 Elmer Lucille Allen Conference on African American Studies
Presented by Spalding University, the Black Student Alliance and the West Louisville Women’s Collaborative
12:45 – Statements from the Writing Center and Spalding Equity Groups
1– 2:30 – HIST 383 Student Presentations – Works in Progress
4 – Performance by Alex Betts (Waterworks Dance Company)
4:30–5:30 – AAS 300 Student Presentations – Works in Progress
5:45 – 6:45 – Local Grassroots Organizer’s Forum
Day 2, Thursday Feb. 25
3:30-4 – BSA Day One Overview/Day Two Preview
4:15 – Student Presentations – Internships and Research Assistants
5:30–6 – WLWC Presents A Hip Hop Tribute to Elmer Lucille Allen
6– The Artistic Contributions of Elmer Lucille Allen
Closing Remarks from Spalding President Tori Murden McClure, Dr. Hollowell, Dean of Undergraduate Education Dr. Tomarra Adams, Dean of Students Janelle Rae
Faculty Focus Friday is a Q&A series that highlights individual faculty members in various academic programs around Spalding University. Today’s featured faculty member is Dr. Deonte Hollowell, Assistant Professor of History and African American Studies within the School of Liberal Studies. Dr. Hollowell, who received his PhD in African American Studies from Temple University and his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Pan African Studies from the University of Louisville, was instrumental in the creation of a minor in African American Studies at Spalding two years ago, and he is a co-faculty advisor for Spalding’s Black Student Alliance. This past week, he helped organize Spalding’s second annual Elmer Lucille Allen Conference on African American Studies. Hollowell is also on the Board of Directors for 2Not1, an organization that supports fathers and families, as well as The West Louisville Math and Science Project. He works with the Pivot to Peace group, extending resources to victims of violence. Dr. Hollowell also serves as the Lead facilitator for the Rites of Passage Brotherhood, which introduces young boys to conflict resolution tactics and traditional African method of being.
What do you like about working and teaching at Spalding?
I like the fact that at Spalding, we understand that we are still growing and constantly working to better ourselves for the sake of our students.
What is your academic specialty, areas of expertise or research?
My current area of research is in the relationship between African American communities and police. I also have an interest in the study of the African American experience, post-Great Migrations (early 1900s).
Why is the School of Liberal Studies a good option for new students to consider as their major?
Students who come through the School of Liberal Studies are able to choose a major, minor and/or concentration. This gives students an opportunity to explore various options and also engineer their own academic experience. Our students are able to utilize disciplines such as African American Studies, Anthropology, English, Fine Arts, History and Religious Studies to not only develop a greater understanding of the world, but to facilitate change where it’s needed.
What is an interesting thing that you keep in your office?
The brief backstory is that when Dr. Merle Bachman retired, I asked to move into her office in the Liberal Studies department in the Mansion Complex because it was larger than the one I was in and she also had one of those standing desks. (I thought the desk might be included if I got the office.) I got the office – without the desk. But I love it. I keep a space heater in there year-round because I am very cold-natured. I also have a mini-fridge, lots of snacks and a library that will soon be available for students to check out books.
The most fulfillment that I get from being a professor at Spalding is the opportunity to work with individuals (students, faculty and staff) who value the work that I do in African American Studies and are willing to help advance it.
At Spalding, we like to say, “Today is a great day to change the world.” How do you think your role at Spalding is helping you change the world or the world of your students?
My role as Co-Faculty Advisor for the Black Student Alliance is my way of paying it forward, or giving back, so to speak. Also, being in the School of Liberal Studies is great because the Department values community service.
