A Jackson State University professor has been appointed to join the leadership of the National Association of African-American Studies and Affiliates (NAAAS), a multicultural research association.
Dr. Lucille A. Green, assistant professor and coordinator of JSU’s seniors college in the School of Lifelong Learning, said her selection is a great opportunity because NAAAS helps expose JSU students to other cultures worldwide. NAAAS aims to serve as a resource for scholars researching experiences of African-American, Hispanics, Native Americans, Asians and other populations. It also promotes globalization through international forums.
“Being with the association will also allow me to promote Jackson State University and be a catalyst for showing how we can be inclusive as an institution. We can also encourage students to prepare presentations or posters for annual conferences,” said Green, who taught briefly in Liberia. She’s also spent time in South Africa.
“I have a broader view of what education is about across the globe,” she said. “We’re fortunate in the U.S. because we have all the freedom there. However, in Liberia, they’re very limited in what they have, but they welcome knowledge. They thirst for it.”
Green, who received her doctorate at age 70, touts Lifelong Learning as an important avenue for nontraditional students, such as working adults with families, to continue their education. She said evening and online programs “are very attractive for this group because many of these folks work full time. They’re able to share classes with like-minded individuals. By being apart from younger students, they don’t have to feel out of place. For some reason, education may have been delayed for them, but they decided later to enroll in school.”
During its annual national conferences, the organization provides benefits to scholars, students and guests by engaging them in intellectual dialogue on a broad range of topics. These categories include business, education, fine arts, health sciences, history, HIV/AIDS, immigration, law, medicine, political science and social sciences.
In addition, the NAAAS conference includes a career fair, health screenings, book fair, exhibits, entertainment, and academic training skills for test taking and career planning for junior and senior high school students.
The 2017 conference will be held in February in Dallas.