Loyola Marymount University of Los Angeles: Department of African American Studies

Professor Jewell's areas of specialization include Race/Ethnicity; Intersections of Race, Class, and Gender; Education; and Comparative-Historical Sociology. He teaches courses in Sociology of the Black Community, Theories of Race and Ethnicity, and Interdisciplinary Research Methods. He is the author of Race, Social Reform and the Making of a Middle Class: The American Missionary Association and Black Atlanta, 1870–1900 (Rowman & Littlefield, 2007). His articles have appeared in the Journal of Negro Education, Urban Education, Daedalus, and Research in Higher Education. His current research considers the relationship between race and class in social reform movements.

Professor Bennett's areas of specialization include African-American urban anthropology and popular culture, critical race theory, feminist theory, and psychological anthropology. She is the author of Sepia Dreams: A Celebration of Black Achievement Through Words and Images and co-editor of Revolutions of the Mind: Cultural Studies in the African Diaspora Project 1996-2002.

Professor James holds a doctorate in Sociology and a Masters in African American Studies. Her publications and current research interests are in the areas of: Racial Classification, Social Research Methods, Urban Demography, and Race and Family Formation.

Professor Martin teaches courses in African American Studies and Theological Studies. She is the author of Beyond Christianity: African Americans in a New Thought Church (New York University Press, 2004). She is currently co-editing New and Creole Religions, for the Women in Religions Series for Greenwood Praeger press (forthcoming 2009). Her research interests include Varieties of African American Religions, New Thought Religions, and American Religions. She also speaks regularly to church and school communities.

Professor Zeleza received his PhD from Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

Professor Barrett is an internationally recognized specialist on the study of cross-cultural differences in death, dying, and funeral rites. He has published widely on African American funeral practices and multicultural perspectives, and teaches courses on cross-cultural counseling and the Psychology of Death and Dying. Professor Barrett is widely known for his expertise on urban youth homicidal violence. He has received grants from the Kellogg Foundation and served as a consultant to groups from across the country, including the Open Society Institute, the Los Angeles and Philadelphia County coroner's offices, and the Mayor's Office of the City of Baltimore. Professor Barrett is also the founder of the Caribbean African International Bereavement Association.

Professor Blackman's research is in African-American history, and recent American history, with a focus on Black Power movements.

Professor Datcher teaches courses in poetry, literary nonfiction and journalism. He is the author of critically acclaimed New York Times Bestseller Raising Fences. His most recently produced play Silence was commissioned by and premiered at the Getty Museum. His poetry is widely anthologized. He is a frequent news commentator who has appeared on Nightline, Dateline and the BBC.

Dr. Grills is a clinical psychologist and consults nationally on a number of issues particularly regarding matters of cultural and social competence, multiculturalism and Africentric interventions. Her research interests include African-centered models of treatment engagement with African American substance abusers; community psychology; and the provision of research and program evaluation services to community based organizations engaged in social action, community change and prevention. She has also studied under traditional medical practitioners in Ghana, Nigeria, and Senegal and is a registered member of the Ghana National Association of Traditional Healers.

Professor Jok teaches courses on Modern Africa, South Africa, and the Sudan. He has conducted research on how violence is reproduced within Sudanese communities and families during times of violent political conflict as well as on the impact of humanitarian aid in Sudan. Professor Jok has published numerous books and articles, including Militarization, Gender, and Reproductive Health in South Sudan (Edwin Mellen Press, 1998), War and Slavery in Sudan: The Ethnography of Political Violence (University of Pennsylvania Press, 2001) and Sudan: Race, Religion, and Violence (Oneworld Publications, 2007).

Professor Reilly's information may be found on the English Department homepage.

Professor Singleton teaches courses in Microeconomic Theory, Principles of Macroeconomics, Economic Development of Minority Communities, and Urban Economic Geography.

Professor Stone specializes in contemporary continental metaphysics in the Department of Philosophy. He also does research in the philosophy of race, gender, and sexuality. He is the author of "Defending Society from the Abnormal: The Archaeology of Bio-Power," "On the Very Problem of the Problem of God in Zubiri and Unamuno," "Making Religious Practices Intelligible: A Prophetic Pragmatic Interpretation of Radical Orthodoxy," and several other articles. He is currently finishing two manuscripts on Heideggerian metaphysics. Dr. Stone offers courses in continental philosophy, ethics, pragmatism, and logic. He is a lay preacher in the Baptist, Congregational, and Episcopalian traditions.

Professor Veney has scholarly articles and book chapters on refugee women in Kenya and Tanzania, US-Africa foreign policy, and the role of the African Diaspora both historic and contemporary in African affairs. She has a book titled Forced Migration in Eastern Africa: Democratization, Structural Adjustment, and Refugees (Palgrave-MacMillian, 2007). She has two co-edited books: Women's Scholarly Publishing African Studies (Africa World Press, 2001) and Leisure in Urban Africa (Africa World Press, 2003).

Professor Becton teaches courses in the History of Jazz for African American Studies and the American Cultures Program. He also hosts the radio program "Jazz Journey" on KXLU (89.3 FM).

Professor Foster is currently pursuing his doctorate in Cultural Studies at The Claremont Graduate University focusing on Contemporary Black Britain, Postmodernism and Popular Culture.

Dr. Lang's professional experience includes an extensive history with the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health, as well as in private clinical practice. She has also been a Senior Family Mediator for the L.A. Superior Court. She teaches courses in Black Family Life, and Sex, Race and Violence.