2024 Conference Awards Banquet

Awards Banquet

SATURDAY,SEPTEMBER28,2024

7:30P.M.-11:00P.M.EST TheAnnualASALHAwardsBanquetrecognizesthecontributionsof ASALHmembers,communityandnationalleaderswhohavemade significantcontributionstoAfricanAmericanhistory.

OMNI WILLIAM PENN HOTEL

Each year, ASALH presents several awards to recognize community leaders and those who make significant contributions to the preservation of African American history.

CARTER G. WOODSON SCHOLAR'S MEDALLION

Establishedin1993,theCarterGodwinWoodsonScholarsMedallionispresentedtoascholarwhosecareeris distinguishedthroughatleastadecadeofresearch,writing,andactivisminthefieldofAfricanAmericanlifeandhistory

MARY MCLEOD BETHUNE SERVICE AWARD

ThisawardwasestablishedintributetoDr.MaryMcLeodBethunebecauseofherdynamicleadershipandheryearsof contributingtoeducation,women’shistory,andAfrican-Americanlifeandculture.Dr.Bethuneservedasthefirst womanpresidentofASALHfrom1936to1951andisoneofthemostoutstandingwomenrolemodelsinourhistory

LIVING LEGACY AWARD

InpartnershipwithFarmersInsurance,theASALHLivingLegacyAwardshonorAfricanAmericanwomenandmen acrossthecountryengagedinextraordinaryworktoimprovecommunities,institutions,organizationsandfamilylife

FREEDOM SCHOLAR AWARD

AFreedomScholarseekstoempowerandinspire AFreedomScholarprovidesadirectbenefittoAfrican-American communitieslocallyornationally ASALHhasinitiatedtheFreedomScholarawardtohonorearlyscholarsofany disciplinewhocandemonstratethattheirfieldofstudyishavingadirectpositiveimpactonthelifeofAfrican-Americans.

THE ASALH LUMINARY AWARD

TheASALHLuminaryAwardwasestablishedtorecognizetheoutstandingworkandcontributionsrelatedtothe missionandgoalsofASALH,includingthelocalbranch,byapersoninthelocaleoftheannualconvention

COUNCIL AWARD OF SPECIAL RECOGNITION

ASALHestablishedtheAwardofSpecialRecognitiontoacknowledgethecontributionsofindividuals, institutionsandcorporationsthatmakeasubstantialcontributiontothesuccessofASALHinpursuingthe missionofitsfounder,Dr.CarterG.Woodson.

PRESIDENT’S SERVICE AWARD

ThePresident’sServiceAwardispresentedtoanindividualwhohasmadeexceptionalcontributionstotheAfrican Americancommunity,locallyandnationally ThePresidentofASALHselectsanindividualwhoserecordof communityserviceexemplifiesoneofthemostimportantobjectivesofASALH:selflessservicetotheAfrican Americancommunity.

THE DOROTHY PORTER WESLEY AWARD

TheDorothyPorterWesleyAwardwasestablishedin2018bytheInformationProfessionalsoftheAssociationforthe StudyofAfricanAmericanLifeandHistory(ASALH)tohonoranddocumenttheoutstandingworkofInformation Professionals;Bibliophiles,Librarians,Archivists,CuratorsandCollectors ManyofourInformationProfessionals havealsoplayedamajorroleinsupportingtheworkofASALH,byservinginleadershiprolesandasmembers.

ASALH ANNUAL AWARDS BANQUET PROGRAM

KAYE WISE WHITEHEAD, MISTRESS OF CEREMONIES

IntroductionofMistressofCeremonies

Welcome,Occasion&IntroductionofExecutiveCouncil

Greetings&Acknowledgments

Invocation

SylviaY.Cyrus

KayeWiseWhitehead

FelixGermain

Rev.AnitaShepherd

DinnerisServed

PresentationoftheCharlesDelsondesBranchCharter

W.MarvinDulaney

PRESENTATIONOFAWARDS

CarterG.WoodsonScholarsMedallion Awardee:LaShawnHarris Awardee:PeroDagbovie

MaryMcLeodBethuneServiceAwardPresentations Awardee:SamuelBlack

LivingLegacyAwardPresentations Awardee:DeborahGrayWhite Awardee:SoniaSanchez Awardee:JessieJackson,Sr

FreedomScholarAwardPresentation Awardee:AshleyJordan

ASALHLuminaryAwardPresentations Awardee:JoeTrotter

CouncilAwardofSpecialRecognitionPresentations Awardee:SharitaJacobs-Thompson Awardee:GladysGaryVaughn

DorothyPorterWesleyAwardPresentations Awardee:RuthHodge

President’sServiceAward Awardee:NikkiTaylor Awardee:AnthonyB Mitchell Awardee:AaishaHaykal Awardee:ZebulonMiletsky Awardee:AnitaShepherd

ClosingRemarks

LeslieEtienne SheilaFlemming

AaishaHaykal

CameshaScruggs

MauriceHobson

AishaJohnson LopezMatthews

W.MarvinDulaney

SylviaY.Cyrus

LASHAWN H

LaShawnHarrisisanAssoc UniversityandformerAssis AmericanHistory(JAAH). centuryAfricanAmericana essayshaveappearedinThe ofSocialHistory,Journalof History.Harris’sworkhasb includingTV-One,Glamou TheHistoryChannel,andP monographSexWorkers,Ps NewYorkCity’sUndergroun IllinoisPressin2016 In20 RunnerswontheOrganizat ClarkHineawardforthebe genderhistory;anditwont andWorking-ClassHistory OrganizationofAmericanD AssociationofBlackWome member Currently,Harris policebrutalityinNewYor publishedbyBeaconPressi

PERO DAGBOVIE

PeroG.DagbovieisaUniversityDistinguishedProfessorofHistory,theViceProvost forGraduateandPostdoctoralStudies,andtheDeanoftheGraduateSchoolat MichiganStateUniversity(MSU) Heistheauthorofseveralbooks,includingThe EarlyBlackHistoryMovement(2007),AfricanAmericanHistoryReconsidered (2010),CarterG WoodsoninWashington,DC (2014),WhatisAfricanAmerican History?(2015)andReclaimingtheBlackPast:TheUseandMisuseofAfrican AmericanHistoryintheTwenty-FirstCentury(2018).Alongtimelifetimememberof ASALHandformereditorofTheJournalofAfricanAmericanHistory,Dagboviehas beenactiveinavarietyofAssociationinitiativesforclosetotwodecades,suchas servingastheprincipalinvestigatorfortheCarterG WoodsonHome,NHSHistoric ResourceStudyandasamemberofASALH’sCarterG WoodsonHomeCommittee Activeinpublichistory,Dagboviewasascholarconsultantforthe“AndStillWe Rise”permanentexhibitattheCharlesH WrightMuseumofAfricanAmerican HistoryinDetroitandhasservedasaconsultantforhistoryandsocialstudies curriculumdevelopmentwithpublicschoolsystemsinMichigan.Hehasled numerousteachinghistoryworkshopsandsummerinstitutesforsecondaryschool historyteacherssupportedbytheUS DepartmentofEducation,theMichigan DepartmentofEducation,andtheNationalEndowmentfortheHumanities Dagbovieactivelymentorsstudentsandjuniorfaculty,supportsMSUgraduate students’engagementatASALHmeetingsandconferences,andhasservedasthe majoradvisorofnumerousgraduatestudentswhohaveearneddoctoraldegrees.His forthcomingbook,ForeverinthePath:TheBlackExperienceatMichiganState University,willbereleasedinFebruary2025

DEBORAH GRAY WHITE

LIVING LEGACY AWARD

DeborahGrayWhiteisanemeritusBoardofGovernorsDistin ProfessorofHistoryatRutgersUniversity,NewBrunswick,N isauthorofAr’n’tIAWoman?FemaleSlavesinthePlantatio HeavyaLoad:BlackWomeninDefenseofThemselves,1894-1 12textbooksonUnitedStatesHistory,andLetMyPeopleGo, Americans1804-1860 In2008,shepublishedaneditedwork Histories:BlackWomenintheIvoryTower,acollectionofpers writtenbyAfricanAmericanwomenhistoriansthatchronicle blackwomenintothemodernhistoricalprofessionandthede thefieldofblackwomen’shistory FreedomOnMyMind:AH AfricanAmericans,aco-authoredcollegetext,isinitsthirded fellowattheWoodrowWilsonInternationalCenterforSchol Washington,D.C,andasaJohnSimonGuggenheimFellow,W conductedresearchonhernewestbook,LostintheUSA:Ame fromthePromiseKeeperstotheMillionMomMarch Shehol WoodsonMedallionandtheFrederickDouglassMedalforexc AfricanAmericanhistory,andin2019wasawardedtheSteph OralHistoryAward From2016-2021sheco-directedthe“Sca Project”whichinvestigatesNativeAmericansandAfricanAm historyofRutgersUniversityandisco-editorofthethree-part Blackseriesthatexploresthishistory.Sheiscurrentlyatworko autobiography,tentativelytitled“O(h)-O(h):ABlackFemale GenerationthatCould.”

EL BLACK

kistheDirectoroftheAfricanAmerican eumofAfricanAmericanHistoryattheSenatorJohn Center HeisaformerPresidentoftheAssociationof canMuseumsandservedontheExecutiveCounciland CouncilofASALHaswellastheprogramcommitteeof AllianceofMuseums,andtheCouncilofthe HistoricalAssociation.HeistherecipientoftheDr.John ardoftheAAAMin2016,a2018graduateoftheJekyll mentInstituteoftheSoutheasternMuseumsConference, ffiliatesfellow;a2019FulbrightGermanyfellow;andthe nAssociationforStateandLocalHistory,History titute.HeservesontheAAMExcellenceinDEAI mittee.BlackistheeditorofSoulSoldiers:African theVietnamEra;co-authorofThroughtheLensof APhotographicHistoryofAfricanAmericansin ioandeditorofTheCivilWarinPennsylvania:The canExperience Heisthe2024recipientoftheDavey article,“TheNegroMotoristGreenBook:Exploringthe canAmericanTravel,Migration,andMobility”

ONIA SANCHEZ

niaSanchezisarenownedpoet,playwrightandactivist.Born yearsagoinBirmingham,Alabama,shehaslivedan raordinarylife.AchildoftheGreatMigration,shemovedto rlemin1943.ShereceivedherBAfromHunterCollegeand postgraduatestudiesatNewYorkUniversity.Sachez'snoted rkaspoetbeganasastudentandwritinggroupworkshop veloper.AsanintegralfigurewithintheBlackArtsMovement dtheriseofBlackStudies,sheisknownforherwork omotingempowermentandcreativefreedomfortheAfrican mericancommunity.Herworkisdistinctlycharacterizedby mesofresistanceandliberation Sanchezistheauthorofover entyvolumesofpoetry,sevenplays,threechildren'sbooks, dtwoanthologies Shehaseducatedothersatnumerous legesanduniversities Shehasreceivednumeroushonorsand oladesincludingpoetlaureateofPhiladelphia Sanchezis ognizedasoneoftheleadingAfricanAmericanfemalevoices nchez'spresenceatASALHiseminentaspresenter,panelist dproponent.SoniaSanchezisaculturaliconandtruly bodiesthisyear'sthemeAfricanAmericansintheArts.

JESSE JACKSON, SR.

TheReverendJesseLouisJackson,Sr,founderandpresidentoftheR PUSHCoalition,isoneofAmerica’sforemostcivilrights,religiousa figures.Overthepastfortyyears,hehasplayedapivotalroleinvirtua movementforempowerment,peace,civilrights,genderequality,and andsocialjustice OnAugust9,2000,PresidentBillClintonawarded JacksonthePresidentialMedalofFreedom,thenation’shighestcivili ReverendJacksonhasbeencalledthe“ConscienceoftheNation”an GreatUnifier,”challengingAmericatobeinclusiveandtoestablishju humaneprioritiesforthebenefitofall.Heisknownforbringingpeo togetheroncommongroundacrosslinesofrace,culture,class,gende belief Arenownedoratorandactivist,ReverendJacksonhasreceived honorsforhisworkinhumanandcivilrightsandnonviolentsocialc 1991,theU.S.PostOfficeputhislikenessonapictorialpostalcancel onlythesecondlivingpersontoreceivesuchanhonor.Hehasbeeno GallupListoftheTenMostRespectedAmericansformorethanado HehasreceivedtheprestigiousNAACPSpingarnAwardinaddition fromhundredsofgrassroots,civicandcommunityorganizationsfrom coast.From1992to2000,ReverendJacksonhosted“BothSidesWit Jackson”onCNN(CableNewsNetwork) Hecontinuestowriteaw columnofanalysiswhichissyndicatedbytheChicagoTribune/LosA Times Heistheauthoroftwobooks:KeepHopeAlive(SouthEnd 1989),andStraightFromtheHeart(FortressPress,1987).In1996,R JacksoncoauthoredthebooksLegalLynching:Racism,Injustice,and Penalty(Marlowe&Company,1996)andIt’sAboutTheMoney(R House,1999)withhisson,US RepresentativeJesseL Jackson,Jr

GLADYS GARY VAUGHN

COUNCIL AWARD OF SPECIAL RECOGNITION

GladysGaryVaughnisapart-timeProgramSpecialistattheUSDA's OfficeoftheAssistantSecretaryforCivilRights Shebeganherfederal serviceinMay1998asaNationalProgramLeaderforHumanSciences Research,nowpartoftheNationalInstituteforFoodandAgriculture, andwasawardeda25-yearservicecertificatein2024 RaisedinOcala, Florida,asthethirdoffivechildrenofHomerandOllieColdenGary, GladysgrewupinthesegregatedSouth,engagingin4-H,NHA,band, sports,andAMEChurchyouthprograms SheearnedaBS fromFlorida A&MUniversityin1964,anMS fromIowaStateUniversityin1968, andaPhD fromtheUniversityofMarylandin1974,withanHonorary DoctorofHumaneLettersfromFontbonneUniversityin2004 Gladys hasfocusedonthecontributionsofBlackwomen,co-authoring"African AmericanWomen:ContributionstotheHumanSciences"(2009)and "AdvocacyinAction:100YearsofSocialActioninDeltaSigmaTheta Sorority"(2013) Sheco-foundedtheCoalitionforBlackDevelopmentin FamilyandConsumerSciencesandhasheldroleswithTheLinks, Incorporated,HabitatforHumanity,andDeltaSigmaThetaSorority She servesontheExecutiveCouncilofASALH,asVicePresidentfor LegislativeAffairsforTheBlackWomen’sAgenda,andchairstheDaniel AlexanderPayneCommunityDevelopmentCorporation

ACOBS THOMPSON

nisaProfessorintheSocialSciences orge ’sCommunityCollegewheresheteaches andAfricanAmericanHistory Sheisaformer vilWarEraStudiesandAfricanaStudiesat researchfocusesonBlackMarylandersand heAmericanCivilWarandReconstruction ntedherworkatnationalconferencessuchas ricanHistorians,theAssociationforthe anLifeandHistory,theBlackStudies kshireConferenceofWomenHistorians.She 3seriesLecturesinAmericanHistoryand rtheHistoryChanneldocumentary, CivilWar.Thompsonappearedinanepisode thLisaLing.Shehaspublishedbookchapters, Thompsonrecentlycompletedachapter umetitledTheCivilWarinMaryland workingonamonographthatwillchronicle MarylandersduringtheCivilWarand F SPECIAL RECOGNITION

Y JORDAN

anjoinedtheAfricanAmericanMuseumin President&CEOinSeptember2021.Dr.Jordan,who rvedasSeniorDirectorofDevelopmentatthe groundRailroadFreedomCenterinOhio,brings iencemanagingandleadingculturalinstitutions orializingandcelebratingtheAfricanAmerican eUnitedStates.Shewasrecentlyappointedby R.BidentoserveasamemberoftheNational braryServicesBoardinWashingtonD.C.Othercareer deservingasExecutiveDirectoroftheEvansville nMuseuminIndianaandcuratorfortheNational MuseumandCulturalCenterinWilberforce,Ohio. dherdoctorateinUnitedStatesHistoryandaMaster HistoryfromHowardUniversityinWashington, helorofArtsinHistoryfromKentStateUniversityin Jordanistheproudrecipientofnumerous demic,andcivicawards,includingthePaceSetter AssociationofAfricanAmericanMuseums,theBlack dfromtheNationalAssociationfortheAdvancement le(NAACP),andmultipledoctoralfellowships.

JOE TROTTER

JoeWilliamTrotter,Jr istheGiantEagleUniversityProfessorofHistory andSocialJusticeandpastHistoryDepartmentChairatCarnegieMellon UniversityinPittsburgh,Pennsylvania HeisalsoamemberoftheAmerican AcademyofArtsandSciences;theDirectorandFounderofCarnegie Mellon’sCenterforAfricanamericanUrbanStudiesandtheEconomy (CAUSE)andPastPresidentoftheUrbanHistoryAssociationandthe LaborandWorkingClassHistoryAssociation Hislatestpublicationsare WorkersonArrival:BlackLaborintheMakingofAmerica(Universityof CaliforniaPress,2019);PittsburghandtheUrbanLeagueMovement:A CenturyofSocialServiceandActivism(UniversityofKentuckyPress,2020); andAfricanAmericanWorkersandtheAppalachianCoalIndustry (UniversityofWestVirginiaPress,2022) Heiscurrentlycompletingtwo bookprojects,onetitledFromEnslavementtoCovid-19:AfricanAmerican Labor,Health,andHistory(UniversityofNorthCarolinaPress)andthe otherBuildingtheBlackCity:TheTransformationofAmericanLife (UniversityofCaliforniaPress) Dr TrotterreceivedhisBAdegreefrom CarthageCollegeinKenosha,WisconsinandhisMA andPhD degrees fromtheUniversityofMinnesota HewasbornandraisedinMcDowell County,WestVirginia,whereheattendedtheall-Blackpublicschoolsof Vallscreek,Berwind,Excelsior,andWelch

RUTH HODGE

Dr.RuthHodgeisanaward-winningarchivist,educator,and communityactivistwhohasfurtheredtheadvancementofAfrican AmericanandUnitedStatesmilitaryhistoryresearchandwriting duringthe20thandearly21stcenturies.Shehasspentdecades advocatingforandtellingthehistoryofAfricanAmericansand workedtirelesslytomakesurethosestoriesweresharedlocally. Throughoutherprofessionalcareer,Dr.Hodgealsoworkedtomake surethatmilitaryhistoryincludedthestoriesofAfricanAmericans. Herdedicatedworkasanarchivistalsocreatedguidesforothersto followanddoadditionalresearch.HiredbythePennsylvaniaState ArchivesinHarrisburg,Pennsylvaniain1993asanarchivist,she becametheArchives'African-Americanspecialist.In1997,shealso becameaconsultanttothePennsylvaniaMilitaryMuseumin Boalsburg,andwasabletosecuregrantfundstosupportthemuseum's launchofaprogramtorecordtheoralhistoriesofAfrican-Americans whohadservedintheU.S.militaryduringWorldWarII.She authoredtheGuidetoAfricanAmericanResourcesatthe PennsylvaniaStateArchivesandcontinuouslypressesforthehistorical narrativetotellafullerstoryandcontinuestoadvocateforthe historiesthathavebeenlongignored.

NIKKI TAYLOR

Dr NikkiM Taylor,ProfessorofHisto centuryAfricanAmericanHistory Her Urban,AfricanAmericanWomen,and EducatedattheUniversityofPennsylva University(MA,PhD,CertificateinWo Taylorhaswonseveralfellowshipsinclu ScienceResearchCouncil,andWoodro thePrincipalInvestigatoroftwoinstitu the$5millionMellonJustFuturesgran MaysUndergraduateFellowshipProgra 2017).Taylor'sBroodingOverBloodyR Women'sLethalResistancewasrecently CambridgeUniversityPress Thebooke womenwhousedlethalviolencetoresis colonialtoantebellumeras,challenging interpretationsaboutthenatureoftheir

NTHONY B. MITCHELL

AnthonyB Mitchell,Sr,isaProfessorEmeritusatPennStateUniversity,where aughtintheDepartmentofAfricanAmericanStudies.Inthe1990s,Dr.Mitchell elopedthe“BringYour‘A’Game;”workshoptoprovidehealthyracialidentityand alizationforadolescentboysofAfricandescent Hehascollaboratedwith merousschools,institutions,andcommunityorganizations Someofthese anizationsincludeTechniquesAssistingMotivationandExcellence,Inc,the sburghCoalitionAgainstSubstanceAbuse,theNationalRitesofPassageInstitute, maaUnlimited,theMalenesstoManhoodProgram,Inc,the100BlackMenof erica,theHillHouseYoungFather’sProgram,UnityConsultants,Community powermentAssociation,Inc,theCommunityIntensiveSupervisionProgram,the ckMaleLeadershipDevelopmentInstitute,theHeinzFellowsProgram,the ldren’sWindowToAfrica,SankofaVillagefortheArts,theHealthyVillage rningInstitute,andtheMenofColorWhoRescue(CenterforFamilyExcellence) Mitchell’s37yearsofserviceatPennStateincludeinitiativesthatadvance cationamonghistoricallymarginalizedandunder-representedgroups Since2006, hasservedontheEquityAdvisoryPaneltoraiseAfricanAmericanstudent evementinthePittsburghPublicSchools.HehasalsodevelopedAfrican-centered CulturallyResponsiveEducationprogramsforeducatorsandyouthleadership anizationsandpre-collegepipelineprogramsforK-12studentstoincreaseaccessto cationalopportunities Dr Mitchellhasreceivedrecognitionandawardsfrom ousnationalandcommunityserviceorganizations Recently,hereceivedthe ED,Inc.“EducationVanguardAward”(May2024).AtPennState,hereceivedthe esRobinson”EqualOpportunityAward;”(2022),the“ServicetoPennState mniAward;”(2017),andtheForumonBlackAffairs&HumanitarianService ard;”(2015) Finally,Dr Mitchelldrawsgreatinspirationfromhiswifeof42years, Bea,childrenTamara,Anthony,Dante,andtheirgrandchildren RESIDENT’S

AAISHA HAYKAL

AaishaHaykalistheManagerofArchivalServicesattheCollegeof Charleston’sAveryResearchCenterforAfricanAmericanHistoryand Culture SheservesastheVicePresidentforProgramsfortheAssociation fortheStudyofAfricanAmericanLifeandHistory(ASALH).Inthisrole shehasdevelopedBlackHistoryMonththemematerialsandreviewed exhibitiondesignplansfortheWoodsonHouse,aNationalParkService site.Additionally,shehasmanagedtwosuccessfulannualconferencesand hassupportedtheworkofthetheSocialJusticeatASALHprogramming, theASALHpublications,theBlackHistoryMonthfestival,includingthe luncheonandvirtualprogramming,anddevelopingpartnershipswith relatedorganizations,suchastheNationalAssociationofInterpretation (NAI)andtheBlackCaucusoftheAmericanLibraryAssociation.Haykal hassoughttoimproveASALH’sleadershipcommunicationandworkflow throughcreativeandeffectiveuseofeducationalandprojectmanagement tools Sheconductsworkshopsonpreservingfamilyhistories,community archiving,andmemorywork HaykalhasBA degreesinEnglishand TextualStudiesandAfricanAmericanStudiesfromSyracuseUniversity andaMastersofScienceinLibraryandInformationSciencefromthe UniversityofIllinoisatUrbana-Champaign

ZEBULON MILETSKY

Dr ZebulonVanceMiletskyisanAssociateProfessorintheDepartment ofAfricanaStudiesandHistoryatStonyBrookUniversity(SUNY) His researchcentersontheBostonSchoolDesegregationCrisisandtheparentledcivilrightsmovementinBoston,whichculminatedinhisbook,Before Busing:AHistoryofBoston’sLongBlackFreedomStruggle,publishedby UNCPressin2022 HeearnedhisPhD inAfricanAmericanStudies fromtheWEB DuBoisDepartmentattheUniversityofMassachusetts atAmherstin2008 Inrecognitionofhiscontributions,Miletskyreceived the“GameChangerAward”fromtheLongIslandAreaNAACPin2020 andservesasavotingmemberoftheCitywideEducationCouncil(CEC) forDistrict32inBushwick,Brooklyn Thatsameyear,theTownof BrookhavenBlackHistoryCommissionhonoredhimbydeclaring February5th“Dr ZebulonMiletskyDay”In2023,hedeliveredthe annualJohnHopeFranklinLectureatAdelphiUniversityandreceivedthe “HumanitarianandCivilRightsAward”attheBlackAuthorsFestivalin SagHarbor,NYMiletskyhasbeenre-electedtotheExecutiveCouncilof ASALHthreetimes,chairingboththeAcademicProgramandMarketing andPublicRelationsCommittees,wherehehasenhancedthe organization’svisibilityandoutreach Heispassionateaboutpromoting thelegacyofCarterG WoodsonandtheimportantworkofASALH

ANITA SHEPHERD

Rev AnitaShepherdjoinedtheJamesWeldonJohnsonBranchofAS in2011andisproudoftheresolve,struggles,andresilienceofdescend oftheAfricanDiaspora TheAssociationfortheStudyofAfrican AmericanLifeandHistory(ASALH)allowedhertoraiseawarenesso CarterG Woodsonandsupporthislegacythroughserviceatthebran andnationallevel Servinginseveralofficesatthebranchlevelandas presidentforsevenyearsgavehertheground-floorexpertisein understandingtheimportanceofbranches,andtheirvitalroleinthe community.Italsoenabledhertobringthebranchperspectivetothe decision-makingprocessontheExecutiveCouncil.Rev.Shepherdser onseveralcommitteesasanExecutiveCouncilMember:Strategic Planning,Nominating,Governance,andMembership.Shecurrently theAuditandFinanceandtheMembershipSupportandEnhanceme Committees.Fromherperspective,effectiveorganizationsrequireser mindedleaderstoenhancetheorganization'sconstructivecollaborati andvalueitsmembers'contributions Otherservicesincludeservingo president'sadvisorycommitteeandkitchencabinet Shedesirestoenh theNationalMembershipCommittee,andsupportbranchesandme inthespiritofDr Woodson