{"id":3302,"date":"2024-02-08T17:33:43","date_gmt":"2024-02-08T22:33:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/history\/?p=3302"},"modified":"2024-02-08T17:33:47","modified_gmt":"2024-02-08T22:33:47","slug":"student-ambassadors-spread-the-word-about-africana-studies-minor","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/history\/2024\/02\/08\/student-ambassadors-spread-the-word-about-africana-studies-minor\/","title":{"rendered":"Student ambassadors spread the word about Africana Studies minor"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

This story was written by Caroline Bledsoe and originally appeared on the UTC news blog<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

February 6, 2024<\/strong> | Caroline Bledsoe<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Sophomore<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sophomore Mychael Allen-Fennessee is the recipient of a 2024 Linnemann Scholarship and part of the initial cohort of Africana Studies ambassadors. Photo by Angela Foster.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Department of History at the University of Tennessee in Chattanooga announced the recipients of 2024 Linnemann Scholarships and launched a new ambassador program to highlight the Africana Studies minor<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Dr. Russell Linnemann Memorial Endowment in History to support Africana Studies in the Department of History was established in 2021. The scholarship was created to honor Linnemann, who taught African and British Empire History\u2014and courses on the blues\u2014at UTC for 36 years before his unexpected passing in 2006.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The 2024 recipients are senior Zennia Nesmith, a non-traditional student majoring in psychology, and Mychael Allen-Fennessee, a sophomore history major.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In their scholarship applications, Nesmith and Allen-Fennessee shared their thoughts on the significance of the Africana Studies program.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIn my two semesters as an Africana Studies minor, I have gained a more foundational understanding of the complex and beautiful history of Black Americans than I did in 12 years of grade school,\u201d wrote Allen-Fennessee, a native of Nashville. \u201cAfricana Studies is so much more than a minor; it\u2019s the cultivation of critical thinking skills, the expansion of your worldview, and a deepening connection to your fellow man.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nesmith said that the knowledge gained from her Africana Studies classes translates into discussions with her friends and family.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHailing from this region and having attended public school, the content I am currently exposed to is unlike anything I\u2019ve encountered in my 48 years of learning. Each class I take contributes to a transformative process, and I find myself evolving with every session,\u201d Nesmith wrote.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2021, the Dr. Russell Linnemann Memorial Endowment in History to support Africana Studies  was established by Linnemann\u2019s longtime friend, Bill Epstein. The endowment provided $500,000 to support the study of African and African-American history and the history of the blues to honor the career and academic contributions of Linnemann<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Zennia<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Zennia Nesmith<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

When they learned of a new ambassador program being launched by UC Foundation Assistant Professor of History Julia Cummiskey, the interim director of the Africana Studies program, they both jumped at the opportunity. Nesmith and Allen-Fennessee are joined as Africana Studies ambassadors by senior Ahok Wol, a communication major from South Sudan, Africa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The ambassadors program is primarily designed to introduce the Africana Studies minor to new students and promote the minor within the campus community. Cummiskey plans to have ambassadors serve on a semester-by-semester basis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Allen-Fennessee\u2019s goal as an ambassador is to collaborate with different groups and clubs at UTC to educate students on Black history and culture while promoting the Africana Studies minor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He has already scheduled his first event, which will take place from 6-8 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 28, in the University Center Raccoon Mountain Room.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s an event around voter suppression in collaboration with the Political Science Club and the (Alpha Kappa Alpha) sorority,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nesmith, a Chattanooga native, declared Africana Studies as her minor in fall 2023. She wants to open dialogue between UTC and Chattanooga State Community College, fostering a \u201cspark\u201d by creating a book club where students from both institutions can mingle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Ahok<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ahok Wol<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI want to take the African American Lit class from Chatt State and incorporate it with the Africana Studies program and have all of us read (James Baldwin\u2019s) \u2018The Fire Next Time\u2019 together,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wol was a 2023 recipient of a Linnemann scholarship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI think not enough people know about the minor or even the study of Africana Studies as a whole,\u201d she said, \u201cand the fact that it\u2019s here at UTC is a really big opportunity\u2014not only for the students but also for the school.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cummiskey liked that the first cohort of ambassadors come from different walks of life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThey\u2019re coming at it from very different perspectives in terms of their age and where they are in their career trajectories,\u201d she said, \u201cand I think it\u2019s really interesting to see how people at different moments find this program to be meaningful.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Learn More<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Visit UTC<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

UTC Department of History<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Africana Studies<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

How to apply<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Russell Linnemann spent 36 years as a UTC professor before passing away unexpectedly in 2006.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Department of History at the University of Tennessee in Chattanooga announced the recipients of 2024 Linnemann Scholarships and launched a new ambassador program to highlight the\u00a0Africana Studies minor.<\/p>\n

Continue Reading <\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":800,"featured_media":2429,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[83250],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-3302","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-africana-studies","8":"entry"},"yoast_head":"\nStudent ambassadors spread the word about Africana Studies minor - History Archive: Jul 2007 - Oct 2025<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/history\/2024\/02\/08\/student-ambassadors-spread-the-word-about-africana-studies-minor\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Student ambassadors spread the word about Africana Studies minor - History Archive: Jul 2007 - Oct 2025\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The Department of History at the University of Tennessee in Chattanooga announced the recipients of 2024 Linnemann Scholarships and launched a new ambassador program to highlight the\u00a0Africana Studies minor. 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