Black Education
Quarterman & Keller Social Justice Scholarships
Spelman, Morehouse, and Clark Atlanta (HBCU Center) 2022 - 2023 Recipients
The Reparations Project’s first educational initiative — Social Justice Scholarships — supports 10 HBCU students at Spelman, Morehouse, and Clark Atlanta in their work toward creating a platform for social change that is undergirded by an anti-racist framework.
Quarterman & Keller Social Justice Scholars at the HBCU Center engage in social justice engagements and activities supported by the Truth, Racial Healing and Transformation Center established at Spelman College under the auspices of the American Association of Colleges and Universities. The Center is directed and managed by the Director of the Social Justice Program, Dr. Cynthia Spence.
The Quarterman & Keller Social Justice Scholars program with Spelman College, Morehouse, and Clark Atlanta supports HBCU scholars as they work toward change.
Among other things, scholars in the program will engage in oral history work and work surrounding descendant families and healing, including an oral history of the Quarterman family, in Port Wentworth and Savannah.
Aiyana Edwards Spelman College
Aiyana Edwards
Aiyana C. Edwards is a senior Political Science major and African Diaspora Studies minor on a Pre-Law track from Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Aiyana's career aspirations are to become a Civil Rights Attorney and, subsequently, a U.S. Senator in Congress. Aiyana aspires to be a civic and social change agent in the social sciences, legal field, and the arena of politics, whose practice and tactics will assist with eliminating and destroying racial and discriminatory institutions that oppress African Americans. Additionally, Aiyana is devoted to serving as a Social Justice changemaker that contributes to the reformation of the American Criminal Justice System, which has disproportionately obtained and retained the lives of African Americans, their families, and their communities. Aiyana is committed to being a progressive-minded political servant that advocates for the betterment and progression of underserved, urban, and low-income communities throughout the U.S.
In the summer of 2021, Aiyana was a Political Science Undergraduate Research Student at the University of California San Diego, where she conducted research on Descriptive Representation, and State Legislatures across the U.S. Aiyana's prior research investigated oppressive U.S. Systematic Institutions, and her current research project assesses the Post-Transatlantic Disconnect between African Americans and Continental Africans. Aiyana is the director of Black Talk With A.C.E, founder of KWEENIN, LLC, a SpelREADS Reading Guide at Harper Archer Elementary School, and a Black Studies curriculum/content creator and advisor for high schools in Broward County, Florida. Additionally, Aiyana is the Political Action Co-Chairperson of the Spelman College Chapter of NAACP, a Thurgood Marshall Legal Defense Fund (LDF) HBCU Ambassador, and a Tony's Chocolonely Collegiate Changemaker where she advocates for the ending of Child Labor within Côte d’Ivoire and Ghanaian Cocoa industries in West Africa.
I am social justice...
"because I am determined to fulfill the goal of advancing the Black community through legal and governmental work that will contribute to the overall socioeconomic, educational, and political growth and status of my community".
Calvin Bell Morehouse College
Calvin Bell
Calvin Bell III is a junior political science and philosophy double major from Pennsauken, New Jersey. Currently his UNCF Mellon Mays research evaluates the structural parallels between the criminal justice system and normative systems such as academic institutions. However, he designs a “school of radical love” to explore the transgressive and imaginative perspective of what pedagogy can become.
Through the Quarterman-Keller Scholars Program, Calvin looks forward to engaging in oral research, anti-racist training, and dialogue as forms of restorative justice. By partaking in this social justice program, fellows like Calvin will be able to uplift principles of racial healing, truth, and transformation through an anti-racist framework.
I am social justice...
“because I seek to amplify the voices of the unheard, serve constituents who lack the resources to serve themselves, cultivate equitable spaces in places without them, and spread radical love in a world full of hatred.”
Chloë Catrow Spelman College
Chloë Catrow
Chloë Catrow is an Art History major, Curatorial Studies minor from Prince George’s County, Maryland. During the summer, Catrow served as the AUC Visual Studies intern at the California African American Museum. There, she worked for Essence Harden and Taylor Renee Aldridge, the museum’s visual arts curators; conducted research for upcoming exhibitions, completed object reports for items in the
museum’s permanent collection, and created an exhibition proposal.
I am social justice...
“because I believe in de-constructing historically exclusive institutions while acknowledging the diverse
Black experience: past, present, and future.”
Elizabeth Gowans Spelman College
Elizabeth Gowans
Elizabeth Gowans is a senior history major with a minor in food studies from Corinth, Texas. In the past, Elizabeth has worked as a Community Organizer on the Jon Ossoff for U.S. Senate campaign and as a county election clerk during the 2020 presidential election. She is also interested in studying Black women's lives relating to food and addressing food insecurity. Her ultimate goal is to obtain a Ph.D. and, after time as a professor, to be a college president and change the lives of all the students she
meets.
I am social justice...
“because I want all students who feel that education is not for them to have a safe and loving environment to learn and grow so they can accomplish anything they put their minds to. They will be the future generation of change-makers.”
George Pratt Morehouse College
George Pratt
George Anthony Pratt, a native of Jacksonville, FL, is a third-year history and religion double major at Morehouse College in Atlanta, Ga. He is an active leader and student on campus, serving as the Historian-In-Residence for the Department of Student Life, an SGA Senator At-Large, and Historian of the Glee Club. George is also a staff writer for the Maroon Tiger and serves on the executive board for the MLK Jr. International Chapel Assistants Program and Howard Thurman Honors Program. Additionally, he serves as the Parliamentarian for the International Young People’s Division (YPD) of the A.M.E. Church and is a member of the youth committee for the National Association of Parliamentarians (NAP). George Anthony, a burgeoning scholar and thought leader, received the UNCF Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship and the Andrew Young Center’s Social Justice and Leadership Innovation Award. His research interests include Africana religious studies, African American and African Diaspora studies, and gender and sexuality studies.
I am social justice...
“because I uncover stories that deserve to be told."
Julia Hopkins Clark-Atlanta University
Julia Hopkins
Julia Hopkins is a senior history major/sociology minor at Clark-Atlanta University. Born and raised in Oakland, California, Julia developed a love for activism and change. Learning and reading about the history of enslavement, police brutality, and blatant racism in this country made her want to take action. As a result, in high school, Julia became the Black Student Union (BSU) president and organized meetings to educate the school and community on race relations in our nation. She was also involved in a Restorative Justice program that operated on the principles of equality and peace.
Julia was a member of Revolt Inc., a non-profit service-based organization geared towards educating, enriching, and empowering the community. We strive to educate others on different social issues and make our voices heard. She also worked with the Urban Mentors Network, a non-profit organization that serves underprivileged youth in Oakland, California. Urban Mentors focuses on creating conversations around making social change and being good leaders in society. Her goals are to become an educator in an institution that serves inner-city youth.
I am social justice...
“because I am an advocate for those who cannot advocate for themselves. I am a voice in this world that is powerful yet unwavering. I am a scholar that connects our past to our present. I demand truth, rightfulness, and basic human decency. I exude empathy.”
Lesley Yates Spelman College
Lesley Yates
Lesley Yates is a Junior History major and English minor from Atlanta, Georgia. As a perspective law student, social justice is a very meaningful topic for me, especially as an African American woman. I know social justice to be the equal distribution of wealth, opportunities, and privileges within society, something that has been withheld from the African American community for centuries. As a result, I am proud to become part of a program that enlightens people on the seriousness of this recurring issue while at the same time is actively working and taking steps to improve and even reverse this grim reality for African Americans.
Through the Quarterman Keller Social Justice program, I am very excited to learn and examine in more depth the racial injustice tied to America's legacy of slavery and its harmful impact that it had and continues to have on the African American community today in addition to looking for solutions to help improve the circumstances and conditions surrounding African Americans, for example the reparations project. I strongly believe that the Quarterman Keller Social Justice program will further educate and help me to further develop skills that will assist in molding me into the strong and virtuous lawyer I aspire to be.
I am social justice...
“I believe that diminishing the toxic and racists foundation that the United States was built upon, is the only way to truly save the soul of America from itself and for the first time, make America truly great!”
Neil Grasty Morehouse College
Neil Grasty
Neil Grasty is a junior at Morehouse College majoring in Art History with a double minor in Curatorial Studies and French. At Morehouse, he is a member of the Howard Thurman Honors Program and is a UNCF/Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellow. He has held internships at the Getty Research Center and
with the Association of Research Institutes in Art History. In the future, he would like to be a college professor and museum curator. As an emerging curator and art historian, he would like to specialize in African Diasporic art of the early twentieth century. Within the art world, he plans to address issues of
racial inequity and accessibility.
I am social justice...
“because I believe in righting the wrongs of our nation’s past.”
Nia Dillard Spelman College
Nia Dillard
Nia Dillard, C’2024, is a History major with a minor in Theatre & Performance from Evanston, Illinois. Nia is a newly admitted student into the Secondary Education Certification program that will guide her
towards becoming a certified high school History teacher upon graduation.
Nia is a proud member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., History Club, Springs Burroughs Group, and First-Generation Club. She devotes her time to the community and has done much work in Atlanta and at home. This summer, she worked with Amplifying Black Voices and Northwestern University to administer surveys and interview elders in Evanston to allow individuals to express their thoughts regarding the availability of quality and relevant educational experiences.
I am social justice...
“as an aspiring History teacher, I want to hand my future students the knowledge that will educate them on inequality and injustices in this country. I want to encourage the students to take what I have taught them and fight for a better society.”
Rosemarie Louissant Spelman College
Rosemarie Louissant
Rosie Louissaint is a rising sophomore from Vallejo, California who is majoring in English on the pre-law track. She is also a member of the Bonner Scholar program at Spelman College. Advocacy and service is purposeful to her growth as a scholar.
During the summer, Rosie interned for the Vallejo Together nonprofit organization as a student assistant in their office. She helped with administrative needs and researched with the Racial Equity Team about ways to best serve shelter-challenged people of color. This organization does coalition-building between organizations and strives to conduct outreach in areas such as business, safety, and education in the Vallejo Community. She also consistently works with the Brother Helping Brother Haiti Mission nonprofit organization that her parents founded, which provides resources for the people of Haiti. She has been on five mission trips as a missionary and analyzed the political climate in Haiti.
I am social justice...
“because I am invested in the well-being and success of those in my community. Through advocacy, positive change can occur and will improve lives.”
UC Santa Barbara Quarterman & Keller Racial Justice Scholarship 2022 - 2023 Recipients
In the 2022 - 2023 academic year, UC Santa Barbara welcomed the first cohort of the Quarterman & Keller Racial Justice Scholarship. These 14 students are scholars who embody the mission of the social sciences and black studies. In pursuit of their degrees, they will ask critical questions for the common good and form touchstones for how we move in our communities.
Taylor Kirk Los Angeles, CA
Taylor Kirk
Taylor Kirk is a Theatre BFA Acting major and Black Studies double major from South Los Angeles, California. They came to UCSB because of its beautiful environment, joyful campus, and its busy, intense theatre department. Taylor is a Black Studies major because they believe theatre is transformative and Black stories
should be amplified within it, hence their research topic. Taylor combines their two
disciplines discussing Black youth's liberation within theatre education. They aspire to
become a professional actor who consistently creates their own work.
Jacob Nicholas San Diego, CA
Jacob Nicholas
I chose Black Studies because I never saw enough of myself within academia, and I needed to find that to succeed. My research topic is on how Black Queer people express freedom because when I did not see my Queerness in Black Studies, I began to look for ways to merge the two. My career goals are to work in fashion as a Stylist in
New York City.
Brianna White Riverside, CA
Brianna White
To be entirely honest with you, UCSB was not at all on my radar when choosing colleges, but I was privileged enough to receive the UCSB Promise scholarship as a first-generation low-income student. In attending this university I fell love with the campus, Black Studies, and Communication. Corny as it sounds I am so glad that the stars aligned and put this university on my radar because I will hold this place fondly in my memory for so many years to come. This is especially true of the Black Studies department which acts as an endless safe haven and source of inclusive knowledge. In the senior seminar, I chose to research Black cyclists. After graduating, I am open to a lot of different types of opportunities, and I've got 5+ years of work experience to pull from, so only time will tell which company wants to take a chance on me.
Wayne Johnson Oakland, CA
Wayne Johnson
I received a scholarship on behalf of The Reparations Project and I am so thankful. The journey of higher education has been a rocky one, but very self-fulfilling. I would like to share a picture of me and one of my favorite basketball players. Thank you again for the opportunity. I couldn’t be more grateful.
Ascari Bryant Gardena, CA
Ascari Bryant
I chose to come to UCSB for the great educational program offered and my ties to the school. I pursued Black Studies as a major because I am deeply intrigued by my culture and its history. My research project is on sentencing disparity among race in the criminal court system. My future career aspiration is to become a criminal defense attorney.
Malaak Hattab Los Angeles, CA
Malaak Hattab
I was first attracted to UCSB because of the
surrounding nature and the student population. Right on the beach with a lively student body, this school was not too far from home but just far enough to give me the full, independent college experience. I chose to major in Black Studies because I knew it was one of the few spaces where my systemic criticisms would be not only accepted but supported. After already majoring in Political Science with a focus in
American politics, I felt dissatisfied with the field's conversations about systemic inequality. The Black Studies courses I had already taken seemed to fill these gaps with an intersectional approach to oppression. Through archival research and interviews with Black and Palestinian student activists, I have spent the past year researching the history of Black and Palestinian solidarity, its contributors, as well as the challenges to its development. I plan to further my education after graduation by attending law school and continuing to advocate for marginalized communities, both in the U.S. and abroad.
Hana Belmonte - Ryu San Diego, CA
Hana Belmont-Ryu
I came to UCSB because of the size, the professors and classes, and the beautiful location. I chose Black Studies because of the call to justice as well as the incredible professors and the curious and kind fellow student scholars. My research topic is on housing inequities, specifically Black women's experiences with renting in Los Angeles. Post-grad I will be supporting incarcerated individuals as a Client Advocate at the Houston Harris County Public Defender's Office under the organization Partners for Justice.
Nazrawi Allen Oakland, CA
Nazrawi Allen
I came to UCSB because I really like the campus, and I knew it would give me the best opportunity to live a life that was different than the city life I was accustomed to. I chose Black Studies because I have a passion for learning and advocating for African people across the diaspora. My research topic relates to the gendered social dynamics of Eritrea during the Eritrean War for Independence ( 1961-1991). After graduating from UCSB, I will be pursuing my JD from UCLA or Howard University ( Hopefully). From there, I will be pursuing International Human Rights or Criminal Defense, depending on what decision I make as I get closer to that time.
Milla Wu Thousand Oaks, CA
Milla Wu
I came to UCSB to learn from and think alongside the incredible scholars here about how to understand the injustices of the racial capitalist world and how we might end the world as we know it in order to build a better one. Black Studies classes at UCSB were the space in which my understanding of the world, my political orientation, and my training as a scholar were formed, and I became a major in Black Studies because I could not see myself anywhere else. My research is about examining how racial capitalism operates in Los Angeles's Chinatown through the lens of Black and Chinese relations. I combine archival research (locating Blackness in the L.A. Chinatown archives) and ethnography (interviewing Black and Chinese people who are located in Chinatown) in order to expand our understanding of Black/Asian relations under racial capitalist ideology and to unearth where solidarity may emerge. I hope to continue this research on Black/Asian relations under racial capitalism in graduate school.
Keri Nakae San Francisco, CA
Keri Nakae
I chose UCSB for the research opportunities and passionate professors. I chose to major in Black Studies out of a desire to research how racial and gender justice are present (or absent) within healthcare. My senior thesis focused on gendered antiblackness within the field of gender-affirming care in Southern California hospitals and how provider constructs of race impact care for Black transgender patients. After graduation, I am continuing my education by pursuing a degree in nursing. I hope to specialize in either gender-affirming care or HIV prevention, with a focus on specialized community-centered models of care and abolition medicine.
Ifeoluwa Akinshilo Lagos, Nigeria
Ifeoluwa Akinshilo
I grew up in Lagos, Nigeria, before moving to Inglewood, CA, almost 7 years ago. My desire to attend UCSB stems from the school trips I took. While attending Inglewood H.S., we visited UC Santa Barbara, and I immediately fell in love with everything about it. Upon entering UCSB, I initially pursued a Biology major. However, I eventually realized that my passion for the sciences was not as strong as I had initially thought. Consequently, I added a Black Studies minor during my second year to complement my Biology major. I had taken a few Black Studies courses and possessed a genuine interest in ethnic and gender studies as a whole. Eventually, I made the decision to switch majors and elevate my Black Studies minor to a major. This choice allowed me to pursue a degree that truly ignited my passion and brought me immense joy. Upon completing my undergraduate studies, I will embark on a new journey as a graduate student at The Ohio State University, pursuing a master's degree in Human Resource Management. Concurrently, I will join the university's residential life department as an Assistant Hall Director. My deep passion for diversity, equity, and inclusion will remain at the forefront of my professional endeavors.
David Simmons Sacramento, CA
David Simmons
I am a community college transfer from Sacramento City College, and I came to UCSB as it is one of the best public schools in California. I chose black studies because of my roots growing up in Sacramento. The part of Sacramento where I was raised is immensely underfunded, policed, and segregated from the rest of the white communities in Sacramento. I was one of the few white people who grew up within this area and had first-hand experience seeing the people I care for and love experience anti- had firsthand black and discriminatory acts by police and other Sacramento city officials. My research topic was on the subprime mortgage crisis within Baltimore but was intertwined with the historical nature of antiblackness and accumulation by dispossession that black communities across Baltimore have faced since the late 1800s. I am actually going to be attending Law school this fall at the University of San Francisco or UC Davis; still deciding. I am leaning towards becoming a sports agent through entertainment law because I have a passion for athletics, and I want to represent athletes, write contracts, and ensure they receive the money they deserve.
Jerome Wong Runaway Bay, Jamaica
Jerome Wong
What brought me to UCSB was the location of being next to the beach which reminded me of Runaway Bay and to explore my research at a reputable institution. I chose Black Studies because I transferred as a communication major and wished it had more focus on Black folks. There is data about Black folks given in other classes but Black Studies puts a perspective on the information. My research topic is called Black Skateboarders Freedom where I discuss the challenges of Black folks that skateboard, why it is significant, and offer solutions. I am an amateur Black skateboarder who started the Skateboard Club at UCSB to provide a space where UCSB students could learn skateboarding. As an aspiring professional Black skateboarder, I hope to represent Jamaica in the Olympics.
Georgia Southern University
Gullah Geechee Center
Rachal Phillips & Leah Mikell
We are thrilled to have awarded two $2,500 Social Justice Scholarships to Georgia Southern University political science major Rachal Phillips and elementary education major Leah Mikell who are part of the new Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage Center at Georgia Southern in Savannah. The students’ research, which will examine the effects of a Eurocentric education system on the Black community and why many Black Americans are not aware of the Gullah Geechee community, respectively, will be presented at Georgia Southern’s Research Symposium in April 2022.
Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage Center
Watch Dr. Maxine Bryant from Georgia Southern University discuss the grand opening of the Gullah Geechee Center on local news and then see a clip of the opening itself. We are proud to participate in supporting the Center, Dr. Bryant's work, and the students at Georgia Southern University.
Columbia Law School & Life Re-entry Scholars
Brandon Harris and Sura Sohna
Brandon Harris and Sura Sohna are childhood friends with a remarkable story of social justice advocacy, determination, and success through education. After working to get Sura released from prison 12 years early, Brandon is beginning his journey at Columbia Law School, where he will be supported by a partial scholarship as a Quarterman & Keller Scholar. After an unexpected early reentry into civilian life, Sura is working to finish his GED and continue with his education as he studies photography and film. Sura will also be supported in his reentry efforts by a partial scholarship as a Quarterman & Keller Scholar. Sura is the first recipient of this type of reentry scholarship from The Reparations Project. We hope to be able to give more.
Congratulations to the 2023 California Bay Area Quarterman & Keller Scholars: Yajaira Beckles, Douglas Adams III, and Faith Cropper.
Other Support of Black Education
Urban Mentoring Academy (Savannah, GA)
The Reparations Project supports Tre Singleton’s Urban Mentoring Academy (UMA) in Savannah which offers courses from Life Skills to Python to Black youth. UMA has partnered with the 1st Aldermanic District of Savannah and its Alderwoman, Councilmen, and School Representative to focus on youth in one area of the City, County, and School District. Their Summer Camp will start the 1st week of June and last for 6 weeks at Moses Jackson Advancement Center. UMA also supports Mr. Mo's Summer Camp on the Eastside of Savannah.
Ms. B’s C.R.L.T. Afrofuturism Course (Bay Area, CA)
The Reparations Project supports Sherinda Bryant’s summer Afrofuturism course for elementary and middle school students, created to introduce scholars to the genre of Afrofuturism through literature, STEM and the arts. The basic tenet of this genre is to use the concept of sankofa (go back and get it) to discover the wisdom and knowledge that existed prior to African enslavement and to use these facts to extinguish myths and stereotypes about African-American culture.
