Speaking and Workshops

“Sankofa: Centering Africa in African American Studies” seeks to re-center Africa in African American Studies curriculum at the California Community Colleges (CCC). While there is a long history of African American/Black Studies disciplines in the CCC, California’s legislative mandate, AB-1460, has led to the creation of Ethnic Studies curriculum that is primarily U.S. specific. Yet, early curriculum in Black Studies and Pan-African Studies programs in the 1970s included intentional study of Africa and its importance to people of African descent in the United States and throughout the diaspora.

Early scholars in the field returned to the West African word Sankofa, literally translated as “go back and fetch it” from the Twi language of the Akan people. It was and remains a central concept in African American Studies that teaches the importance of the past as a guide to the present and future. The focus on African culture and history in African American Studies also de-centered the history of enslavement as the central narrative link between people of African descent to critique the foundation of a people’s history at their nadir. To return to the global roots of the discipline, this project aims to build curricular modules that include the following: (1) the importance of diverse African cultures, languages, and histories, (2) the history of African Americans and Pan-Africanism, (3) the connection between African independence movements, the Civil Rights Movement, and the Black Power Movement, (4) the global Black Lives Matter Movement, and (5) African governmental calls to bring African diasporic people back to the continent during the Year of Return (2019). By creating a cultural and historical thread to Africa, this project hopes to teach students in African American Studies about the integral global relationship of people of African descent and its importance to our own local histories and communities. The curricular work will be incorporated into the African American History two-course series and Introduction to African American Studies.

“Global Studies Curriculum Development” seeks to continue work to develop curriculum in Global Studies at Riverside Community College District (RCCD). While there is a long history of Study Abroad programming in RCCD, only recently have there been efforts to develop a curriculum that centers Global Studies. Currently, RCCD and the colleges in the district do not have the Global Studies discipline, and there are no courses in Global Studies. The plan is to develop the discipline, the introductory courses, and a Global Studies Associate Degree for Transfer (ADT) program.

The project is intentionally interdisciplinary and can offer global learning to a larger number of students beyond those that can complete a study abroad program. The CAORC-FLITE program is an excellent opportunity to draft and develop the curriculum in conversation with a network of faculty and administrators working in global learning projects. By creating a Global Studies ADT, this project will enable students to take individual courses to meet general education requirements with global learning courses. In addition, this allows students to have a pathway to transfer that will further their interest in and develop connections to global relations, diplomacy, and workforce readiness. With faculty approval, the Global Studies curriculum will be incorporated across the three colleges in the Riverside Community College District.

After drafting the curriculum, I plan to spearhead its movement through the curriculum process. One integral part of the process is to recruit faculty interested in membership on a Global Studies Faculty Council to manage future curricular changes and course/program review. The work would follow several stages:

1. Draft Curriculum
2. Global Studies Faculty recruitment
3. Curriculum Editing before departmental votes
4. Institutional and State Curriculum processes to approve curriculum (typically one academic year)
5. Advertising and Recruitment – Global Studies courses and program.

I plan to share the project’s curriculum with local faculty at my college and district with a workshop on Global Studies along with other GLSAC members. I plan to include a discussion about Global Studies and the ways that students can meet general education requirements in the program. I hope to actively participate and learn from the esteemed seminar leaders and bring back material to expand the GLSAC efforts in RCCD with a specific focus on internationalizing the curriculum. The FLITE program would be an invaluable opportunity to continue this work.

This curriculum development project is focused on teaching students about African indigenous knowledge systems. African indigenous knowledge systems are intrinsically tied to language and culture. Knowledge of some Zulu concepts can help to recognize a southern African worldview. Education in the U.S. includes limited or no conversations about worldviews other than a Western/Eurocentric worldview. A Western/Eurocentric worldview is founded in individualism while an African worldview is collectivist. History can be skewed or twisted for political gain.

About the Program

“African Knowledge Systems: Performing Arts in South Africa During Apartheid and Beyond,” the four-week Fulbright-Hays GPA program will be held in South Africa. The Fulbright-Hays Group Projects Abroad Program (GPA) is a national, federally-funded program by the U.S. Department of Education, with partial support from California State University, Los Angeles. California State University, Los Angeles is the administrative institution for the program. The program is designed to promote, improve, and develop the study of modern foreign languages and area studies in the United States. The short-term curriculum development GPA is a four week program that provides faculty, teachers, administrators, and students of social sciences, humanities, and foreign languages from across U.S. institutions of education with an opportunity to advance their competency in the Zulu language and culture in South Africa and the opportunity to acquire resource materials for curriculum development in modern foreign language  (i.e. Zulu language) and area studies (performing arts) for use and dissemination in the United States.

Project Goals

• To promote the integration of international/ethnic studies into the social sciences and/or humanities curriculum throughout U.S. school systems at all levels;
• To increase linguistic and cultural competency among U.S. students and educators; and
• To focus on a particular aspect of area study.

The California legislature created a new CSU Ethnic Studies requirement in 2020. While many courses were added to California State University and California Community College curricula to meet the mandate, few campuses have included intersectional courses and curricula that center queer, trans, and gender-expansive BIPOC. In fact, Ethnic Studies has historically been critiqued for patriarchal and homophobic practices. This session discusses ways to “queer Ethnic Studies” to rectify this history. (500)

The California legislature passed AB-1460 on August 17, 2020, ushering in a new CSU Ethnic Studies requirement. While many courses have been added to California State University and California Community College curricula to meet the mandate, few campuses have included intersectional courses and curricula that center queer, trans, and gender-expansive BIPOC. In fact, Ethnic Studies has historically been critiqued for patriarchal and homophobic practices. This session works to rectify this history. Thus, this session will discuss intentional ways to “queer Ethnic Studies.”

The California legislature passed AB-1460 on August 17, 2020, ushering in a new CSU Ethnic Studies requirement. While many courses have been added to California State University and California Community College curriculum to meet the mandate, few campuses have included intersectional courses and curricula that center queer, trans, and gender-expansive BIPOC. This session will discuss intentional ways to “queer Ethnic Studies.” 

This session addresses the lack of representation of LGBTQIA2S+ curriculum and course offerings for BIPOC LGBTQIA2S+ students. As Ethnic Studies courses and programs develop throughout the state of California, faculty and administrators should be aware of the importance of highlighting the intersections between and integral history, culture, and contemporary realities of BIPOC LGBTQIA2+, particularly when considering that a majority of students in both the California State University system and California Community Colleges are BIPOC.

Session Type: 3-hour Interactive Workshop

Room Organization: Round Tables

For whom is your presentation most relevant: Beginner (For Everyone)

Presenters: Anita Tijerina Revilla, Vero Garcia, Francisco Najera, Kiki Rivera, Deborah Brown

Timed Agenda: 

This interactive workshop will follow the outline below:

I. Pouring Libations/Honoring the Queer and TransAncestors Ritual (10 minutes)

II. Introductory Discussion about the Intersections of Ethnic Studies, Queer Studies, and Trans Studies (15 minutes)

III. CSU and CCC Ethnic Studies Program and Course Development to date (15 minutes)

IV. Queer of Color Theories/Trans of Color Theories (30 minutes)

1. Joteria Studies and the creation of the Association for Joteria Arts, Activism and Scholarship (AJAAS)
2. Black Queer Studies & Black Trans Studies
3. AAPI Queer Studies & AAPI Trans Studies
4. Native American Indigenous Queer Studies

IV. Activity 1: BIPOC/LGBTQIA2S+: Umbrellas Throw Shade (30 minutes) 

V.  Activity 2: Connecting Theory to Praxis/Practice (30 minutes)

VI. Activity 3: Creating Curriculum Discussion about Connections to Community (30 minutes)

VII. Call to Action, Concluding Thoughts, and Q&A (25 minutes)

VIII. Honor the Queer and TransAncestors and Close the Space (5 minutes)

Participants Learning Outcomes (3-4):

1. Participants will learn about California AB-1460 and examine its importance to BIPOC LGBTQIA2+ Students
2. Participants will critically analyze the intersections of Ethnic Studies, Queer Studies, and Trans Studies
3. Participants will engage with curriculum and course outline examples for Queer and Trans-focused Ethnic Studies program development