Nineteen Fifty-Six Vol. 4 Issue 1
Nelson Mandela once said “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” With the Fall 2023 Issue of Nineteen Fifty-Six, "Blackology" we wanted to highlight stories of Black Education from past, present and future. Focusing on the beautiful aspects of Black education but also he trials and hardships with it as well. Mostly we wanted to celebrate what it means to Black and Educated in an edition dedicated to Black educators, students and youth.
Nelson Mandela once said “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” With the Fall 2023 Issue of Nineteen Fifty-Six, "Blackology" we wanted to highlight stories of Black Education from past, present and future. Focusing on the beautiful aspects of Black education but also he trials and hardships with it as well. Mostly we wanted to celebrate what it means to Black and Educated in an edition dedicated to Black educators, students and youth.
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Tide Trailblazers<br />
Meet Eight Black Faculty and Staff Members Who Are Leaving Their Mark On Campus<br />
Gabby Blackshear<br />
The University of Alabama is known for being a well-oiled machine with an athletics<br />
department with exceptional prowess, an expansive network of alums and a picturesque<br />
1,200-acre campus. However, with such a large population of faculty, staff and students, many<br />
significant pieces of the machine get overlooked.<br />
According to the University’s Office of Institutional Research and Asssment, in fall 2022, of the<br />
2,054 faculty members, only 168 are Black. As the University continues its work towards a more<br />
diverse, equitable and inclusive campus, here’s a list highlighting eight remarkable Black faculty<br />
and staff members leaving their mark on campus.<br />
Yolanda Manora<br />
Yolanda Manora is an assistant professor who’s a member of the English, American studies,<br />
and gender and race studies departments. Manora teaches many topics, including advanced<br />
African-American literature and advanced American literature. As an Americanist, Manora’s<br />
research focuses on issues related to race, class, gender, sexuality and subjectivity in texts by<br />
20th/21st century women writers of color. Manora is currently working on a project titled<br />
“The Uninsinging,” which is a collection of prose poetry and lyric essays exploring growing<br />
up as a Black girl/woman in the South from post-Civil Rights Movement decades through<br />
the Black Lives Matter.<br />
Tara Mock serves as an assistant professor in the University’s Honors College. Within the<br />
corridors of Honors Hall, Mock takes students on an intellectual journey through her various<br />
teaching interests that focus on Modern Africa, Africa-China relations, diaspora, cultural<br />
identity and community formation, globalization, and historical memory. Currently, she just<br />
completed her first book, which focuses on historical and contemporary constructions of<br />
Africanity in China.<br />
Tara Mock<br />
Samory Pruitt<br />
Samory Pruitt became the University’s first Black permanent vice president for the Division<br />
of Community Affairs since the division’s inception in 2004. As vice president, Pruitt is<br />
responsible for leading efforts to improve the quality of life for those in Alabama and<br />
beyond. Pruitt has been recognized locally and nationally for his work and serves on several<br />
national boards. He was the first African American to receive the prestigious E. Roger Sayers<br />
Distinguished Service Award and was recently inducted into the Tuscaloosa County Civic<br />
Hall of Fame.<br />
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