The Bunche Center Newsletter
February 2021 Edition
In this issue:
  1. Black History Month: Global Edition
  2. "Where Are They Now?" featuring Bison Abroad alum Ameer Dunston
  3. Patricia Roberts Harris Fellowship Spotlight
  4. Celebrate Black History Month with WHUT
  5. Bison Abroad Programs & Announcements
  6. Internship, Fellowship, & Career Opportunities
Celebrate Black History Month with the Bunche Center All Month Long on our Social Media channels!
Instagram & Twitter: @HUBuncheCenter
Facebook: www.facebook.com/HUBuncheCenter
Black History is WORLD history. Join the Bunche Center throughout February on our social media channels as we highlight the extraordinary contributions of renowned Black leaders on a global front.
Where Are They Now? Bison Abroad Alum, Ameer Dunston, Brings The World To The Classroom
This month, we caught up with former Bison Abroad Ambassador and Bunche Center Student Assistant, Ameer Dunston. Ameer studied abroad in Cape Town, South Africa, as an undergraduate student at Howard University. Since graduating in May 2020, he has pursued a career in education. As a 6th grade literature teacher, he incorporates an international element into his class every week! He reflects on his journey since graduation:

"My initial plan when leaving Howard in May 2020 was to participate in the Princeton in Africa Fellowship program from 2020 to 2021 in Tanzania. Despite having to change my plans due to COVID, my long-term goals and how my current role aligns with them has kept me inspired and motivated. Additionally, knowing and feeling that I have a purpose everyday to make an impact and work towards a cause bigger than myself has kept me motivated as well. I still believe and know that the future is very bright. Currently, I am a 2020 Teach For America Houston Corps member, and I teach 6th grade English. Studying abroad has influenced my role in the classroom. I have a “Global Citizen” wall in the back of the classroom and it is titled “Diversity Makes the World Go Around.” Additionally, I have a theme for every day of the week, and my classroom theme on Wednesday is called “Global Archive Wednesday.” This day is all about global and international affairs. My study abroad experience has inspired me to encourage the next generation to seek opportunities abroad and understand that we are all connected even while living in different countries. It is my hope that my students will start to think about how they may make an impact globally, and their purpose in the context of the entire world instead of within the borders of the United States."
2021 Patricia Roberts Harris Fellow Spotlight
AISSA DEARING
Hometown: Durham, NC
Graduation Date: Spring 2022
Major: History and Environmental Science
Aissa Dearing is a third-year student of History and Environmental Science at Howard University from Durham, North Carolina. At Howard, she is in the Honors College in the College of Arts and Sciences, and is a Climate Justice Researcher for the Howard University Climate Change Club. Back at home, Aissa is the co-founder of the Durham Youth Climate Justice Initiative, which is an event series that works to specifically engage young people of color in the local climate justice movement. She currently works as the Environmental Justice Coordinator at TreesDurham, which works to build a sustainable, healthy, and socially-just urban forest in Durham. She also has experience as a Qualitative Researcher at the Durham County Department of Public Health and the Office on Youth, where she facilitated focus groups to help improve her community for young people. In her community, she has led campaigns for more accessible transit systems and mental health programs in public schools. She spends her free time practicing yoga and thrifting.

Why PRH: "I applied to the Patricia Roberts Harris Fellowship to introduce me to the world of public affairs. Like Patricia Roberts Harris, I want to learn and use the historical context of a community to inform decision-making. With the knowledge gained during this fellowship I hope to lead the development of sustainable, healthy, and socially-just environmental policy for my community."

Celebrating Black History Month: "An unsung black hero that I am inspired by is Robert Bullard. He is a sociologist that led a study in Houston, TX that proved landfills were purposely constructed in Black neighborhoods -- and then he fought against this injustice in Court. He later took this study and went nation-wide. He inspires me because he not only heavily researched a prevalent issue in environmental justice, but because he took action to prevent this phenomenon from happening in other communities across the US."
KATHERINE GILYARD
Hometown: Albany, GA
Graduation Date: Fall 2021
Major/Minor: Journalism, Biology
When asked what she wanted to do when she got older, Katherine would always say, “I want to help people.” As the result of rearing by three generations of nurses, she grew up with dreams and plans to become a doctor. Life would come to show her that people’s stories and their voices provide a catharsis and “help” like nothing else does, giving her a new passion. After working in communications, she continued to focus on health and found a need and space where her dreams and her experiences overlapped. Now, Katherine Gilyard is a Journalism major, Biology minor from Albany, GA. who plans to remove the disparities that exist between health/medicine communication in public health and the practice of medicine.

Why PRH: "After learning about the work of Patricia R. Harris I was left with no choice but to be moved. Not only was she the first in so much of her work, but she ensured that she wouldn’t be the last. Even now, as I come into spaces where I'm the first or only one like me, I want to make sure that I’m not the last or the only. I thought," What better way to do that under the guidance of those who understand the work and can help me navigate these too often unprecedented spaces?”

Celebrating Black History Month: "When I heard of Dr. Melissa Freeman, I knew I had to speak with her.. to know her. She was born the granddaughter of slave with no formal education. She was one of the four women first allowed into Howard University’s College of Medicine. She was a pioneer in the opioid epidemic treatment development and at 94 years old she still working tirelessly to help people. 

As a Black Woman in this world, I always felt that being resilient was not so much an advantage as it is a prerequisite to my survival. Like it wasn’t anything special. After being touched by her story and speaking with her and witnessing her strength and dedication to her work...Resilience, or coming back from even the worst of what the world has to offer you didn’t feel like an obligation or just a thing that Black women do… but like an affirmation. Like I’m meant to do the work I’m doing, so don’t stop…. Yes.. it’s hard, it hurts and impossible, but come back to it. Don’t stop."
Celebrate Black History Month with WHUT
Howard University School of Education's own Dr. Kmt Shockley and Dr. Kofi LeNiles are excited to present their new show, The Movement with Kmt & Kofi, which will focus on critical issues in the Black world. These episodes are sure to be highly educational and engaging, featuring renown intellectuals, thinkers and activists such as Anthony T. Browder and DeRay McKesson (spokesperson for Black Lives Matter, and contributor on CNN and MSNBC). View the full episode schedule below and check your local listings.

WHUT SHOW TIMES: 

Sat 02/06/21 at 9pm
FEATURING:  DERAY MCKESSON AND PRINCIPAL S. NEAL CURRIE 
 
Sun 02/07/21 at 01:00am 
FEATURING: DERAY MCKESSON AND PRINCIPAL S. NEAL CURRIE 
 
Sun 02/07/21 at 6pm
FEATURING: DR. AFIYA MBILISHAKA AND TARIQ NASHEED 
 
Mon 02/08/21 at 9pm
FEATURING:  DR. MOLEFI ASANTE 
 
Tue 02/09/21 at 01:00am
FEATURING:  DR. MOLEFI ASANTE 
 
Sat 02/13/21 at 10:00am 
FEATURING: DR. JARED BALL AND OMOWALE AFRIKA 
 
Sun 02/14/21 at 09:00am 
FEATURING: DR. JARED BALL AND OMOWALE AFRIKA 
 
Sun 02/21/21 at 12:00pm
FEATURING: ANTHONY T. BROWDER 
 
Wed 02/24/21 at 7:30pm 
FEATURING: ANTHONY T. BROWDER 

View the promotional video here.
Upcoming Events
Bunche Center Director, Tonija Hope, to moderate panel on the legacy of African American Diplomats.
The Department of African Studies and the Center for African Studies at Howard University will host a one-day virtual symposium on “Re-Shaping a New US-Africa Policy and the Role of HBCUs” on Friday, February 19, 2021 from 9am-5pm. The symposium seeks to provide a critical assessment of US-Africa policy since the Cold War, draw on lessons from African American engagement in foreign policymaking, and map out practical areas of engagement with HBCUs in revitalizing American diplomacy and US-Africa policy in the Biden administration.
Bison Abroad Updates
Celebrate Global Black History Month with the study abroad offices of Howard University, Morgan State University, and Prairie View A&M University, with their four-part series, Ubuntu: I Am, Because You Are," highlighting the oneness of our global community and the commonness in our African-rooted humanity.
As a reminder, study abroad remains suspended through the 2020-2021 academic year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Continue to follow our social media pages and check the Bunche Center website for updates. We look forward to sending Bison abroad again when it is safe to do so!
Internship, Fellowship, & Career Opportunities
Deadline Extended for HU Students! Clinton Global Initiative

The Clinton Global Initiative University is looking for higher education student leaders who are committed to take action in their community to address a pressing challenge. We are looking for undergraduate and graduate students across the world...

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www.clintonfoundation.org
CGI U Information Session - Howard University
Feb 8, 2021 3:00pm EST
Meeting ID: 858 1640 7965
Passcode: 18672021
Foreign Language & Area Studies (FLAS) Fellowships

Looking for funding for African language study? Apply for a Foreign Language & Area Studies (FLAS) Fellowship! Choose from Amharic, Arabic, Somali, Swahili, Wolof, Yoruba and Zulu.

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cfas.howard.edu
Summer Undergraduate Nonproliferation Fellowship Program

The James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies (CNS) offers on-the-job training during the summer for undergraduate students in nonproliferation studies. Participants conduct research on issues related to the spread and control of weapons of...

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sites.miis.edu
Job Opportunity: Senior Consultant - Americas

We are a global group working to build a more inclusive and sustainable world where all people, everywhere, can reach their fullest potential. We partner with and serve communities, governments, and companies throughout the world, providing an...

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dalberg.hua.hrsmart.com
Max Kampelman Fellowships

The Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe seeks candidates for its Max Kampelman Fellowship program. Named for a longtime U.S. Ambassador to the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe, Kampelman Fellows represent the next...

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www.csce.gov
Want to get in touch with the Bunche Center?
Email us at BuncheCenter@Howard.edu!
[202-806-4363]  [BuncheCenter@Howard.edu]  [global.howard.edu]