CAS CONNECT 2015

10 CENTER FOR AFRICANA STUDIES Established in 2006, the Center for Africana Studies at OSU has seen a reinvigoration under its new director, Dr. LaRicka Wingate of the OSU Department of Psychology. Africana studies involve the collection of mate- rials (literature, art, music, documents, etc.) that reflect the geographical, historical and cultural development of the nations of Africa and its peoples. Thanks to her persistence, the center has a temporary office and more funding for its budget. Recently, alumna Brenda Neal gave the center $5,000. Continued funding and other gifts will help keep the Center for Africana Studies running so opportunities and resources are available to those who are interested in Africana studies. “Students and faculty are already approaching the center to talk about current events, so the interest is there,” Wingate says. “However, my immediate goal is to make the minor strong. Eventually, I do want to establish a council that works on larger events for the community.” Wingate’s background provides a personal perspective on the importance of the Center for Africana Studies. Raised in Honolulu, Hawaii, Wingate came from a community that she describes as a “melt- ing pot.” Her father is black and her mother is white, but her biracial identity never was an issue. When she moved to north Florida to attend Florida State University, she had quite the cultural shock. Since her arrival at OSU in 2006 Wingate has supported the Center for Africana Studies. When Dr. Bret Danilowicz arrived in 2012 as the dean of the College of Arts & Sciences, he wanted to revive some less active centers, including the Center for Africana Studies. In 2013, with encourage- ment from Danilowicz, Wingate became the center’s director. “When I started at OSU, the college had the structures in place to support education and research on issues of race, ethnicity and gender, but the area of black studies was relatively inactive,” Danilowicz says. “Dr. Wingate was engaged and passionate when discussing the Center of Africana Studies. She didn’t realize it at the time, but I knew I had just met the center’s future director.” Since taking over, Wingate has increased awareness about the center with educa- tional events promoting discussions about race and by publicizing OSU’s 18-credit- hour Africana Studies minor. Courses from several departments fit the requirements for the minor, but two courses created by the center were offered for the first time this summer. Introduction to Africana Studies and Black Psychology were online courses with plans to offer them again next spring. PHOTO / THE CENTER FOR AFRICANA STUDIES / A&S Dr. LaRicka Wingate and David Hol l ingsworth, a 2015-2016 graduate assistant for the Center for Africana Studies, attend the 2014 Associat ion of Black Psychologists Internat ional Conference.