Elliott Naishtat

Transcription

Steve Leslie Good morning! What a wonderful occasion. It's great to see everyone here. I'm Steve Leslie, the executive vice president and provost of The University of Texas at Austin. Bill Powers is obviously not here this morning. He is at home, sick with the flu. He's running a temperature and a hacking cough, and I talked to him this morning and he is exceedingly disappointed that he could not be here this morning for this wonderful occasion. But trust me, after talking to him, he should not be here. He's right where he should be, home and resting and he's going to go see the doctor tomorrow, so... This is a special day for President Powers. He has worked long and hard with the campus to reach this point, as have I and all of us in the Provost's Office. We are thrilled to have reached this point to make this public announcement today and Bill would have given anything to be here and it's a shame that he couldn't be here but he knows that it's for the University of Texas at Austin and we'll keep him informed about everything that 's happening today while he's sick. So let me just say that we're here today to announce the creation of two new centers for cultural scholarship on our campus: the Department of African and African Diaspora Studies, and that's the first one and it'll be devoted to studying the experiences of African Americans, indigenous Africans and people of African descent around the world, and the second is the Institute of Critical Urban Policy and it will conduct socioeconomic and cultural policy research on key issues related to African American life in Texas. There have been so many people involved in this whole process and it's such an important issue for Texas and let me just pause at this point since you know why we're here today and say that we have many important people in this room, key legislators and I just want to recognize several of our key legislators who have joined us this morning. First of all, Representative Sylvester Turner and we'll refer to Representative Turner a little bit later and he will be speaking. Rep Garnet Coleman is here today with us - Representative Coleman. We have Representative Elliott Naishtat - Representative Naishtat. We have rep Barbara Mallory Caraway with us this morning. Thank you for coming. We have Representative Marc Veasey - Representative Veasey. We have Representative Roberto Al - Alonso, pardon me. Representative Alonso. We have Representative Eddie Rodriguez. Representative Dan Branch. Thank you Representative Branch. And we have staff representing-representing Representative Alma Allen's office. I don't have the name; do we have staff for...? Thank you for being here. And Denise Davis, the chief of staff for Speaker Joe Strauss is here, I believe, this morning, so thank you very much for being here. So these are wonderful innovations that we have formed here, the new department and the new institute. And these, we believe, strongly demonstrate UT's commitment to diversity and to the pursuit of understudied areas of scholarship. We're proud to join other universities around the nation in offering this unique educational experience for our students. And we're delighted to have this opportunity to make UT a major center of learning in these areas. The new Department of African and African Diaspora Studies was formally established by the State's Higher Education Coordinating Board just this past November. This will be the first department of its kind in Texas. The department will be under the chairmanship of Anthropology Associate Professor Edmond T. Ted Gordon, and Ted will be speaking in just a little while. Ted and his colleagues are preparing to hire faculty and offer courses by this coming fall, so we're going to get started with this right away. Currently, about 30 students major in African American studies through the John L. Warfield Center for African and African American Studies. The Warfield Center will continue to operate, overseeing programs, lectures, faculty and student research, community collaborations and other cultural and educational opportunities. The center's classroom teaching responsibilities will be transferred to the new department and these teaching responsibilities will be expanded. The department will offer a bachelor's degree program beginning this fall, as we initiate the program and we anticipate offering master's degree programs and doctoral programs in the very near future. Several faculty members that are in the new department will also be affiliated with the Institute for Critical Urban Policy that you'll be hearing more about where they will research, analyze and gather data on the state's African American population and other populations of color, and support scholarship on urban issues. The institute will focus on real world issues and problems and will work with the Black Caucus of the State Legislature to tackle issues of critical importance to Texas and the nation. The University has begun a national search for a director to lead the institute in this exciting new era of cultural studies at UT. I'd also like to announce today that Joe Jamail has made a gift of one million dollars to fund an endowment to chair to support these new initiatives. [applause] Joe could not be with us today, but I want to thank him, and so does President Powers. Those two have just a wonderful close relationship, and we thank him for his vision, his generosity and his belief in UT's mission to represent and serve all of the people and cultures of Texas. Joe has supported our University in so many ways and his wonderful gift represents yet another strategic initiative that Joe has helped us launch. I know we gave him a round of applause, but let me just say let's do it again, and no better place to do it than in this wonderful room that was just recently just opened up, just renovated and has been renamed in honor of Joe Jamail's late wife, Lee Jamail, so let's give Joe and Lee a round of applause. [applause] Two strong voices that guided us in creating the Institute for Critical Urban Policy are Representative Helen Giddings from Dallas - Helen could not be here today; Representative Giddings could not join us today, but we're very thankful for her strong support and leadership in forming the new institute - And also, of course, Representative Sylvester Turner who is speaking in just a few minutes. Sylvester Turner has served the Texas House of Representatives since...1988. We're particularly indebted to Representative Turner who has been and will continue to be strongly involved in the shaping and guiding of direction of the new institute. Representative Turner has won numerous awards and recognitions, especially in areas of education, consumer rights, and children's health. He is app - he was appointed by the House Speaker to serve as chair of the House Select Committee on Hurricane Ike Storm Devastation to the Texas Gulf Coast. He serves as chairman of the Texas Legislative Black Caucus and co-chair of the Harris County Legislative Delegation. Please welcome Representative Sylvester Turner. [applause] Sylvester Turner Let me thank the provost and let me just start off by saying that I certainly regret that President Powers is not here today and I know, were he not feeling very poorly, that he would be here. We started having conversations with President Powers about a year ago in reference to the department and the institute, and his support, his umm... willingness and openness to discuss both of these initiatives are highly commendable. I want to thank him on behalf of the caucus for everything that he's done. So before I go any further, in his absence, will you join me in just thanking him in a public way for his support? [applause] The only thing better: if that he had been the president of the University of Houston, my alma mater. [laughter] But I want to thank him, and he is a good friend. And then I want to also acknowledge the support of the Texas Legislative Black Caucus - 14 members and two members of the Senate, 16 of us in total - for their support, for their effort. Not all are here today. Some are on their way, but not all are here today, but I certainly want to acknowledge the...presence of Representative Barbara Mallory Caraway from Dallas. Stand up again Barbara. I want to thank you from Dallas. [applause] I know Alma Allen's staff is here, the treasurer for the caucus. I certainly want to thank her because we had several conversations over the past year in reference to this initiative. Representative Helen Giddings is not here; she's in Dallas. She has a major project in her - in Dallas and not here, but has been very, very instrumental. I certainly want to acknowledge her support, Representative Giddings, for her support, and all of the other members of the caucus. I don't believe things just happen overnight. I think it is a continuation of a lot of things, a lot of initiatives over a period of time. Simply, this is culminating on our watch, but I want to thank all of the members on the caucus for their continuous support. And then nothing happens in a vacuum, and so I do want to personally take the time to acknowledge the chairman of higher ed, who has just been instrumental over the past year in his support, in his effort. I cannot thank this individual enough. Let me just publicly do that again, and that is Chairman Dan Branch, the chairman of higher ed. [applause] I want to thank Representative Elliott Naishtat, who is in Austin; he represents the area. Elliot, thank you for your continuous support over my time in the Legislature. And of course, we do have the parliamentarian who is now the chief of staff in the Texas House of Representatives. You know, I am not crazy - when you want things to happen, you've got to continue to have good, good friends, and there's no better person than someone who's just right down the hall from the Speaker himself, and who's known me for quite some time, a.k.a. as well, Denise Davis. Denise, thank you. [applause] And then the professors on this campus, Dr, Gordon and Professor Jones and a number of the other professors here at UT. Let's see, Ben and many others, who - there have been a number of conversations over the past year. I want to thank this institution for what we are announcing today. When we started these conversations with President Powers a year ago, we were talking about a center for black studies at the time and now we're talking about a department. I think that is a monumental step forward, and we don't take that lightly. He said that this was something they would pursue and it would take place, and today we're here talking about it. We talked about establishing an institute that would be focusing on research and the analysis and data collection, information collection on African Americans and others that would be an asset not only to African Americans, but to students across the board on this campus, but to the State as a whole, to the Legislature as a whole. And I want to thank this... University of Texas for moving forward on that. And so today, we're here announcing the culmination of the department offering degrees, like the Provost said, one of its kind in the country, a major step. And then the institute, which would work very closely with members of the Legislative Black Caucus and others as we move forward to find ways to better this state. That's major, and I appreciate that. And then it cannot work without resources. I think we all understand that; those of us in the Legislature understand that. And so Joe Jamail, in his absence, for his generous contribution of $1 million as an endowed chair. I certainly, on behalf of the caucus, we want to acknowledge that and appreciate him for his effort. This is just the beginning. In 1950, African American students, those who desired to be students, had a hard time getting on the campus of UT in 1950. The reality is, just because something starts one way, doesn't mean it has to end that way. There were some who would say "Is your University of Texas open to all students of all diversities?" I think today is a major step that indicates to students, not only in this state, but across the country, that UT's doors are open, that UT is receptive, and that UT is willing to partner with others to make this campus one of the premier campuses enhancing where it is today. So from 1950 to 2010, now we're talking about a Department of African American Studies, and we're talking about an institute. And I think, for that, uh we are to - I want to say thank you to the University of Texas, to President Powers, to the Chancellor for their efforts. Henry Thoreau said that there is no greater force than an idea whose time has come. Well, today the Department and the Institute are ideas whose time have come, and for that, the Caucus is very, very grateful. Thank you. [applause] Steve Leslie Thank you Representative Turner. This is an exciting day. It's a wonderful day for the University and a great day for Texas. And we're so thrilled to be at this point. So now let's hear from some of our leaders who will be leading the department, who will be having leading involvement in the institute and of course the Warfield Center, and so let's begin with... Actually, Omi Jones, the director of the Warfield Center for African and African American Studies, was to be here speaking today, but she's trying to get back from New York, and I think we all know that there are some weather issues toward the east of us, and I think she's made it - Shirley is that right? - she's made it as far as Houston, but she's not here, so let me just say that we have visionary leadership and Omi Jones, our director of the Warfield Center, she has been instrumental in bringing us to this point as have our other distinguished speakers who will come before us this morning. It's a shame that she couldn't be here, but trust me, she's trying. She got as far as Houston. We are pleased to have Associate Professor Shirley Thompson, and Shirley is the associate director of the Warfield Center for African and African American Studies, and Professor Thompson is an associate professor of American Studies, and she works on important issues of slavery and post-Emancipation cultures, so a very distinguished leader and an even more important leader for the future of our campus. Shirley, please come forward and give us a few remarks. [applause] Shirley Thompson On behalf of Director Omi Osun Joni L. Jones, the executive committee and the faculty affiliates of the John L. Warfield Center for African and African American Studies, I would like to express my profound excitement over today's developments, and I promise to be very, very brief. When I spoke with Dr. Jones about thirty minutes ago from Houston, she asked me to convey her sincere, sincere regrets for not being able to make it today. She has been instrumental over the course of the last ten years or so in everything that's happened in the area of black studies on campus, and she really wanted to be here and is quite disappointed and frustrated that she hasn't been able to make it. So as we acknowledge this historic moment, it's important to consider how we got here. Intellectual, artistic and political energy of the Warfield Center has been central in raising the national visibility of black studies at UT. And it's helped in various ways, both symbolic and concrete, to lay the foundation for where we are right now. So as the new department and the new institute develop, it's exciting to know the Warfield Center will be its partner, continuing to recruit diverse faculty across campus, supporting the research of local, national and internationally-recognized scholars and artists, and also, and perhaps most importantly, working for the empowerment of black people throughout the Diaspora. Thank you. [applause] Steve Leslie Dr. Shirley... Let me do something at this time; we are going to introduce now the visionary new leader of the department, Ted Gordon, but I also want to introduce someone who's been key in terms of working at the administrative level of this University to bring this all together, working very strongly with President Powers and the Provost's Office, and that's our Vice President for Diversity and Community Engagement Greg Vincent. Would you please stand up Greg? [applause] Thank you Greg. So now I'd like to introduce a very distinguished leader on campus and a visionary new leader of the department, so I'm introducing Professor Edmond T. Ted Gordon. Ted's an associate professor of the Department of Anthropology and former director of the Warfield Center for African and African American Studies. His teaching and research include culture and power in the African Diaspora, gender studies and critical race theory. He is the Author of Disparate Diaspora: Identity and Politics in an African Nicaraguan Community. For several years, Ted has been a leader in bringing greater awareness of cultural and racial issues to the University community; he's worked hard for many, many years to reach this point. He founded the African Diaspora program in Anthropology and helped to recruit significant numbers of faculty and graduate students in the black studies area. Please welcome Ted Gordon, the new chairman of the Department of African and African Diaspora Studies. Ted... [applause] Ted Gordon Okay, that's fine. Thank you, thank you very much. I want to thank Provost Leslie for the nice introduction and President Powers for allowing me to be here. But more than that, I want to first have y'all take a look around, behind you if you're looking at me, and around you, and just think about what you're seeing. I don't think there's been this many folks in this room probably in the history of the University, or at least the history of the Tower. And just as Representative Turner spent a significant amount of time introducing his friends to you, I want to make sure that you know that my friends are also here, in force, and it's really much appreciated. This moment is your moment, it's our moment, and thank you for coming out. So, this is indeed a historic moment, it's a very exciting moment. But to place it in its proper perspective, we need to know a bit of the institution - this institution's history in relation to this state's black community. And maybe some of you all know this, but it never hurts to rehearse it, especially here in the Tower, where much of this is probably forgotten. As Representative Turner said, in 1950, due to the historic Sweatt v. Painter Supreme Court decision, Herman Marion Sweatt was originally admitted into this University, and that summer, he was joined by five other African American women and men. This marked the beginning of a series of firsts for the black community in relationship to The University of Texas over time, including 1952, when the first graduate degrees were actually given to black students, 1956, when the first undergraduates of color-actually, undergraduates, black undergraduates-were admitted to the University, 1964, when the first tenure-track African American faculty member was hired, 1969, when the first tenured faculty member was hired. Also in 1969, the Ethnic Studies Center was created, which housed Afro American Studies and Mexican American Studies. And then in 1973, what is now the John Warfield Center for African and African American Studies was created with John Warfield at its helm. And now, 2010, we have the first Department of African and African Diaspora Studies, as Representative Turner said, the first one in the state. When we get through with things, we'll be the first department of black studies in the South and Southwest to offer a Ph.D. This is a big and historic occasion. [applause] So this year then marks 60 years since the State of Texas and its flagship academic institution first recognized that African Americans have a legitimate place in our institution of higher learning, and 37 years since it first officially recognized the intellectual and academic validity of the scholarly discipline created by and about people of African descent. The present moment is historic - is of historic importance because of what it means for the consummation of both of these processes begun decades ago. Through the establishment of the Department of African and African Diaspora Studies and the Institute for Critical Urban Studies, the University is acting symbolically and concretely to assure that citizens of the State of Texas and the nation know that this institution is open to all Texans regardless of race and/or ethnicity. More specifically, the institution's leadership is reiterating that UT values its past, present and potential future black undergraduates and graduate students and faculty, and that there is a legitimate space open to us here on this campus. Very important because that wasn't always the case and people know it. However, it's stating more. By institutionally recognizing black studies through the creation of a department and institute, it is stating that it takes the intellectual and scholarly work by and about people of African descent seriously. It takes our discipline seriously enough to embark on the creation of a scholarly unit characterized by intellectual achievement, academic excellence and scholarly rigor that will take its place among other recognized scholarly disciplines on our campus. Our new department and institute will build upon more than a decade of work to build a black studies faculty of excellence and high achievement. In creating these units, the administration - now creating these units, the administration is officially recognizing that these efforts have come to maturity and deserve the recognition of their institutionalization. Our aim, therefore, is not merely to enhance the diversity of our campus - though that's important - but to create here at the University of Texas the premier black studies unit in the country. [applause] And, importantly, one that aims to use research and knowledge on behalf of underserved and marginalized communities and particularly the African American community here in the State of Texas. So we thank the President and Provost Leslie and the Provost's Office and the vice presidents, particularly Vice President Vincent, and the deans, particularly Dean Diehl, but other deans who have participated, the staff, faculty and students here at the University as well as the legislators and others for their support in this endeavor. However, this moment of consummation is the result of the vision, work and commitment of UT's black community - past and present students, alumni, staff and faculty. And for that, we thank you. [applause] Steve Leslie Thank you very much Ted. Ted referred to the dean of the College of Liberal Arts and it would be an oversight, I think, if we didn't recognize the fact that the department and the institute are going to report through the College of Liberal Arts, and we need to recognize the distinguished leader, the dean of the College of Liberal Arts, Randy Diehl. Randy, please stand. [applause] The dean will be a great partner in terms of building and strengthening the new department and the institute, and he's been exceedingly supportive of the center all along. And let me also say thanks to Representative Turner. We're very appreciative of your strong support and your future involvement in all this and everyone in the Legislative Black Caucus for what you're going to do to help us work through issues that are important to Texas. Let me say thanks to Omi Jones for being in Houston and trying to get here. And thanks to Shirley for all you do for your leadership role in our African American studies on campus. And thanks to Joe Jamail once again for his visionary support and all that he's done in so many ways for this very, very wonderful University. And Bill Powers is not here, and he's already had one round of applause, but since he's not here and since he has been the key leader in this and he has brought it to this point at a critical time, including where we have financial issues that we're dealing with, and yet he's going ahead and moving forward with high priority for this, let's give a round of applause for our distinguished leader Bill Powers. [applause] I know we all have confidence that, in ten to twenty years from now, we'll look back on this day as a significant step forward in the breadth and rigor of scholarship on our campus around an exceedingly important area. UT will be a place where scholars in history, the arts, anthropology, urban studies and many other areas will come together to further our understanding and awareness of Africa and the African Diaspora. Thank you all for joining us on this historic occasion. [applause] And now we would be happy to take questions from the media. Any questions? I'd be happy to take questions, Professor Turner, I'm sure-I mean Representative Turner I'm sure would- Professor Gordon would be... [laughter] You look like a professor to me. Any questions from the media? If not, once again, thank you all so much. What a wonderful day this is for the University of Texas at Austin and for Texas. Thank you.