LECTURE ARCHIVE
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Dr. Wallis Hamm Tinnie
Seminole Maroon Descendant
Lecture Link: youtu.be/zoWt4ReXJ3s?si=cJ5NTpobgAywSwVH
Dr. Wallis Hamm Tinnie, a proud descendant of the Seminole Maroons, is the granddaughter of the late Florence Ealer Jones Hamm. Florence was born in the village of Mikasuki on the edge of Tallahassee, Florida. She later moved to Tampa and eventually to West Palm Beach after marrying James Hamm in the early 20th century. Their union produced seven children, including Dr. Tinnie’s father.
A native of West Palm Beach, Florida, Dr. Tinnie holds a Bachelor of Arts from Florida A&M University, a Master of Arts from the University of Florida, and a Doctor of Philosophy from the University of Iowa.
Dr. Tinnie serves as President of the Florida Black Historical Research Project, Inc., a nonprofit organization founded by her late cousin and fellow Seminole Maroon descendant, Isa Hamm Bryant. Isa was instrumental in reclaiming Loxahatchee River Park in Jupiter, Florida, as a recognized battlefield site.
A retired college professor and former Protocol Officer for the City of Miami, Dr. Tinnie has long been a cultural programmer and advocate for community heritage. She was one of the chief organizers of Miami’s annual Pan African Bookfest and Cultural Conference, a project of the African American Caribbean Cultural Arts Commission, which she co-founded.
For over 15 years, Dr. Tinnie has continued her cousin Isa Hamm Bryant’s mission of honoring the sacred ancestral sites of Seminole Maroon descendants—an effort deeply rooted in family, legacy, and the preservation of history.
Seminole Maroon Descendant
Lecture Link: youtu.be/zoWt4ReXJ3s?si=cJ5NTpobgAywSwVH
Dr. Wallis Hamm Tinnie, a proud descendant of the Seminole Maroons, is the granddaughter of the late Florence Ealer Jones Hamm. Florence was born in the village of Mikasuki on the edge of Tallahassee, Florida. She later moved to Tampa and eventually to West Palm Beach after marrying James Hamm in the early 20th century. Their union produced seven children, including Dr. Tinnie’s father.
A native of West Palm Beach, Florida, Dr. Tinnie holds a Bachelor of Arts from Florida A&M University, a Master of Arts from the University of Florida, and a Doctor of Philosophy from the University of Iowa.
Dr. Tinnie serves as President of the Florida Black Historical Research Project, Inc., a nonprofit organization founded by her late cousin and fellow Seminole Maroon descendant, Isa Hamm Bryant. Isa was instrumental in reclaiming Loxahatchee River Park in Jupiter, Florida, as a recognized battlefield site.
A retired college professor and former Protocol Officer for the City of Miami, Dr. Tinnie has long been a cultural programmer and advocate for community heritage. She was one of the chief organizers of Miami’s annual Pan African Bookfest and Cultural Conference, a project of the African American Caribbean Cultural Arts Commission, which she co-founded.
For over 15 years, Dr. Tinnie has continued her cousin Isa Hamm Bryant’s mission of honoring the sacred ancestral sites of Seminole Maroon descendants—an effort deeply rooted in family, legacy, and the preservation of history.
Dr. Sarah N. Johnson
Seminole Maroon Descendant
Founder and Executive Director
Lecture Link: youtu.be/7_Ua0rrLIb4?si=u10H93-EyyJf6JjF
Dr. Sarah N. Johnson is the Founder and Executive Director of the Seminole Negro Indian Scout Historical Society. In this role, she leads the organization’s research efforts and sets its strategic direction, ensuring that the legacy of the Seminole Negro Indian Scouts and their descendants is preserved, studied, and shared with the world.
A sixth-generation direct descendant of Chiefs John Horse and Elijah Daniel, Dr. Johnson’s work is deeply rooted in her personal heritage. Her academic expertise lies in peace, conflict resolution, and displaced populations—subjects that intersect directly with the history, cultural survival, and migration patterns of the Black Seminole people.
Dr. Johnson earned her Doctorate in International Studies from The American University in Washington, DC. Through her scholarship and leadership, she bridges historical inquiry with contemporary understanding, illuminating the complex narratives of identity, resilience, and diaspora within the Seminole Maroon community.
Seminole Maroon Descendant
Founder and Executive Director
Lecture Link: youtu.be/7_Ua0rrLIb4?si=u10H93-EyyJf6JjF
Dr. Sarah N. Johnson is the Founder and Executive Director of the Seminole Negro Indian Scout Historical Society. In this role, she leads the organization’s research efforts and sets its strategic direction, ensuring that the legacy of the Seminole Negro Indian Scouts and their descendants is preserved, studied, and shared with the world.
A sixth-generation direct descendant of Chiefs John Horse and Elijah Daniel, Dr. Johnson’s work is deeply rooted in her personal heritage. Her academic expertise lies in peace, conflict resolution, and displaced populations—subjects that intersect directly with the history, cultural survival, and migration patterns of the Black Seminole people.
Dr. Johnson earned her Doctorate in International Studies from The American University in Washington, DC. Through her scholarship and leadership, she bridges historical inquiry with contemporary understanding, illuminating the complex narratives of identity, resilience, and diaspora within the Seminole Maroon community.
Art T. Burton
Historian and Author
Lecture Link: youtu.be/ttBts31vUlc?si=gC6RC4weetlMP99H
Art T. Burton is a distinguished historian, educator, and author whose groundbreaking work has redefined how African American and Native American contributions to the American West are understood. He holds both a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in African American Studies from Governors State University. After 38 years in higher education, Burton retired in 2015, having served as a history professor at Prairie State College and South Suburban College, and as an administrator in African American Student Affairs at Benedictine University, Loyola University Chicago, and Columbia College Chicago.
Burton is a pioneer in the field of Western history. In 1991, he published Black, Red and Deadly: Black and Indian Gunfighters of the Indian Territory, 1870–1907, the first book to explore African American and Native American outlaws and lawmen in the Wild West. He followed with Black Buckskin and Blue: African American Scouts and Soldiers on the Western Frontier (1999), the first work focused on Black scouts and soldiers of the era. In 2007, he authored the first scholarly biography of an African American frontier lawman, Black Gun, Silver Star: The Life and Legend of Frontier Marshal Bass Reeves. His most recent book, Cherokee Bill: Black Cowboy, Indian Outlaw, continues his mission of bringing unsung heroes to light.
Over the years, Burton has received numerous honors for his scholarship and contributions. These include being named a Territorial Marshal by Governor David Walters of Oklahoma in 1995, induction into Who’s Who in Black Chicago (2007) and Who’s Who in America (2010), and being awarded the Living Legend Award by the Bare Bones Film Festival (2015). He was also inducted into the Hall of Fame at the National Multicultural Western Heritage Museum in Fort Worth, Texas (2008), where he now serves as the official historian.
Burton’s expertise has led to appearances in four History Channel documentaries, BET’s Teen Summit alongside Mario Van Peebles, and FOX’s Legends and Lies episode “The Real Lone Ranger.” He also appeared on the AHC series Gunslingers in the episode on Bass Reeves. In addition, he has delivered keynote addresses across the country, including the B.B. King Symposium at Mississippi Valley State University and the 10th Anniversary Bass Reeves Western History Conference in Muskogee, Oklahoma.
A passionate storyteller and researcher, Art T. Burton continues to illuminate the lives of the overlooked heroes of the Wild West, reshaping our understanding of American history one story at a time.
Historian and Author
Lecture Link: youtu.be/ttBts31vUlc?si=gC6RC4weetlMP99H
Art T. Burton is a distinguished historian, educator, and author whose groundbreaking work has redefined how African American and Native American contributions to the American West are understood. He holds both a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in African American Studies from Governors State University. After 38 years in higher education, Burton retired in 2015, having served as a history professor at Prairie State College and South Suburban College, and as an administrator in African American Student Affairs at Benedictine University, Loyola University Chicago, and Columbia College Chicago.
Burton is a pioneer in the field of Western history. In 1991, he published Black, Red and Deadly: Black and Indian Gunfighters of the Indian Territory, 1870–1907, the first book to explore African American and Native American outlaws and lawmen in the Wild West. He followed with Black Buckskin and Blue: African American Scouts and Soldiers on the Western Frontier (1999), the first work focused on Black scouts and soldiers of the era. In 2007, he authored the first scholarly biography of an African American frontier lawman, Black Gun, Silver Star: The Life and Legend of Frontier Marshal Bass Reeves. His most recent book, Cherokee Bill: Black Cowboy, Indian Outlaw, continues his mission of bringing unsung heroes to light.
Over the years, Burton has received numerous honors for his scholarship and contributions. These include being named a Territorial Marshal by Governor David Walters of Oklahoma in 1995, induction into Who’s Who in Black Chicago (2007) and Who’s Who in America (2010), and being awarded the Living Legend Award by the Bare Bones Film Festival (2015). He was also inducted into the Hall of Fame at the National Multicultural Western Heritage Museum in Fort Worth, Texas (2008), where he now serves as the official historian.
Burton’s expertise has led to appearances in four History Channel documentaries, BET’s Teen Summit alongside Mario Van Peebles, and FOX’s Legends and Lies episode “The Real Lone Ranger.” He also appeared on the AHC series Gunslingers in the episode on Bass Reeves. In addition, he has delivered keynote addresses across the country, including the B.B. King Symposium at Mississippi Valley State University and the 10th Anniversary Bass Reeves Western History Conference in Muskogee, Oklahoma.
A passionate storyteller and researcher, Art T. Burton continues to illuminate the lives of the overlooked heroes of the Wild West, reshaping our understanding of American history one story at a time.
Dru Holley
Director & Producer
Lecture Link: youtu.be/p1BioVb3KMo?si=b7nlh17whzxpbvsm
Dru Holley is an accomplished director and producer dedicated to telling powerful, inspiring stories that challenge broken systems and elevate underrepresented voices. His work centers on marginalized communities, illuminating untold histories and sparking dialogue around justice, equity, and truth.
A graduate of the Art Institute of Colorado with a focus in video broadcasting, Dru brings technical expertise and deep storytelling instincts to every project. He was selected for the prestigious 2020 Firelight Documentary Lab Fellowship by acclaimed filmmaker Stanley Nelson, as well as the Black Public Media 360 Incubator and the 2022 Better Angels Levine Fellowship, honors that recognize his rising impact in the world of documentary filmmaking.
Dru recently collaborated on a four-part short-form series exploring the past, present, and future of Oregon’s Albina Vision Project, and is currently in pre-pre-production on his upcoming documentary, Exonerated. His feature directorial debut, Buffalo Soldiers: Fighting on Two Fronts, explores the complex legacy of Black soldiers in American military history and marks a significant milestone in his career as a filmmaker committed to social impact.
Director & Producer
Lecture Link: youtu.be/p1BioVb3KMo?si=b7nlh17whzxpbvsm
Dru Holley is an accomplished director and producer dedicated to telling powerful, inspiring stories that challenge broken systems and elevate underrepresented voices. His work centers on marginalized communities, illuminating untold histories and sparking dialogue around justice, equity, and truth.
A graduate of the Art Institute of Colorado with a focus in video broadcasting, Dru brings technical expertise and deep storytelling instincts to every project. He was selected for the prestigious 2020 Firelight Documentary Lab Fellowship by acclaimed filmmaker Stanley Nelson, as well as the Black Public Media 360 Incubator and the 2022 Better Angels Levine Fellowship, honors that recognize his rising impact in the world of documentary filmmaking.
Dru recently collaborated on a four-part short-form series exploring the past, present, and future of Oregon’s Albina Vision Project, and is currently in pre-pre-production on his upcoming documentary, Exonerated. His feature directorial debut, Buffalo Soldiers: Fighting on Two Fronts, explores the complex legacy of Black soldiers in American military history and marks a significant milestone in his career as a filmmaker committed to social impact.
Rhonda Grayson
Advocate, Historian, and Community Leader
Lecture Link: Lecture Unavailable
Rhonda Grayson is a passionate historian, genealogist, and advocate for the Creek Freedmen, with deep ancestral roots in Indian Territory. A graduate of Douglass High School in Oklahoma City, she earned her Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Central Oklahoma in 1991.
Professionally, Rhonda has dedicated over 26 years to a managerial career at a Global Fortune 500 company. Outside of her corporate work, she has devoted herself to family research and the preservation of Creek Freedmen history—an effort that led her to become a named plaintiff in Grayson/Kennedy v. the Muscogee Creek Nation.
Rhonda's great-grandmother, America Cohee, was an original Dawes Enrollee of the Muscogee Creek Nation (Roll #4661), receiving 160 acres of land. Her lineage includes Toney Hawkins, born around 1790 in the old Creek Country; Peter Wolf, a Loyal Creek Freedmen refugee; and Quash McLish, a First Indian Home Guard soldier. What began as a casual interest in genealogy became a lifelong mission to advocate for justice and historical recognition for the Creek Freedmen.
Rhonda has organized and chaired numerous Freedmen conferences and cultural events since 2004, bringing scholars, anthropologists, authors, and historians to Oklahoma to engage in meaningful dialogue around Freedmen history. In 2010, she launched a traveling exhibit to educate the public about the extraordinary legacy of the Creek Freedmen.
This exhibit has been showcased at the Five Civilized Tribes Museum, Africa West, Oklahoma Black Museum, Oklahoma Metro Library System, African American Genealogical Interest Group (Dallas, TX), the Congressional Black Caucus Convention (Washington, D.C.), the Seminole Nation Museum, and the Museum of Broken Arrow—where it broke attendance records in July 2022, drawing more than 185 guests to its opening reception and remaining the museum’s most popular temporary exhibit to date. Rhonda envisions the establishment of a permanent museum in Northeast Oklahoma City to tell the untold stories of Black Natives of Indian Territory—stories too often marginalized in mainstream history. Her unwavering commitment is to ensure these stories are preserved, honored, and accessible to all.
Support her efforts: Donate to the exhibit project
Advocate, Historian, and Community Leader
Lecture Link: Lecture Unavailable
Rhonda Grayson is a passionate historian, genealogist, and advocate for the Creek Freedmen, with deep ancestral roots in Indian Territory. A graduate of Douglass High School in Oklahoma City, she earned her Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Central Oklahoma in 1991.
Professionally, Rhonda has dedicated over 26 years to a managerial career at a Global Fortune 500 company. Outside of her corporate work, she has devoted herself to family research and the preservation of Creek Freedmen history—an effort that led her to become a named plaintiff in Grayson/Kennedy v. the Muscogee Creek Nation.
Rhonda's great-grandmother, America Cohee, was an original Dawes Enrollee of the Muscogee Creek Nation (Roll #4661), receiving 160 acres of land. Her lineage includes Toney Hawkins, born around 1790 in the old Creek Country; Peter Wolf, a Loyal Creek Freedmen refugee; and Quash McLish, a First Indian Home Guard soldier. What began as a casual interest in genealogy became a lifelong mission to advocate for justice and historical recognition for the Creek Freedmen.
Rhonda has organized and chaired numerous Freedmen conferences and cultural events since 2004, bringing scholars, anthropologists, authors, and historians to Oklahoma to engage in meaningful dialogue around Freedmen history. In 2010, she launched a traveling exhibit to educate the public about the extraordinary legacy of the Creek Freedmen.
This exhibit has been showcased at the Five Civilized Tribes Museum, Africa West, Oklahoma Black Museum, Oklahoma Metro Library System, African American Genealogical Interest Group (Dallas, TX), the Congressional Black Caucus Convention (Washington, D.C.), the Seminole Nation Museum, and the Museum of Broken Arrow—where it broke attendance records in July 2022, drawing more than 185 guests to its opening reception and remaining the museum’s most popular temporary exhibit to date. Rhonda envisions the establishment of a permanent museum in Northeast Oklahoma City to tell the untold stories of Black Natives of Indian Territory—stories too often marginalized in mainstream history. Her unwavering commitment is to ensure these stories are preserved, honored, and accessible to all.
Support her efforts: Donate to the exhibit project
Dr. Anthony Dixon
Historian, Archivist, Author, and Public History Consultant
Lecture Link: youtu.be/ZFUcpedQUwo?si=2OsjxBRKcAgRecHU
Dr. Anthony Dixon is a distinguished historian, archivist, educator, and public history consultant with a career rooted in preserving and promoting African American and African Diaspora history. A native of Fort Valley, Georgia, Dr. Dixon earned his B.S. in History with a minor in African American Studies (1994) and his M.A.S.S. in History (2001) from Florida A&M University. He was later awarded a prestigious doctoral fellowship from Indiana University, where he earned his Ph.D. in History in 2007, specializing in the African Diaspora, African American and African History, with a minor in Library Science focused on Special Collections and Archives.
Dr. Dixon began his museum and public history career with the John G. Riley Museum in Tallahassee, Florida, where he served as graduate archival intern and later as Head Archivist and Historian. In 2007, he became the Curator for the Historic Virginia Key Beach Park in Miami, Florida, playing a key role in its rehabilitation and reopening. That same year, he founded Archival and Historical Research Associates, LLC, a consulting firm serving African American museums and historical institutions nationwide, including the B.B. King Museum and the Ritz Theatre and Museum in Jacksonville.
From 2009 to 2015, Dr. Dixon served as Assistant Director and Field Director for the Florida African American Heritage Preservation Network, where he supported the development of African American museums statewide through archival training and program planning. From 2015 to 2019, he served as a Professor, Curator, and Archivist at Bethune-Cookman University, where he led the revitalization of the University Archives and Foundation Museum and established a Public History program. During this time, he also earned a Master’s in Information Science from Florida State University.
A prolific public historian, Dr. Dixon is the author of two key publications. His first book, Florida’s Negro War: Black Seminoles and the Second Seminole War (2014), reframes the conflict as both a military and a slave rebellion led by Black Seminoles. That same year, he published Florida’s African Diaspora Timeline, a resource designed to help integrate African American history into Florida’s public education system.
Currently, Dr. Dixon serves as the President of Archival and Historical Research Associates, continuing his mission to elevate and preserve the stories of African Americans and the African Diaspora through scholarship, archival work, and cultural preservation.
Historian, Archivist, Author, and Public History Consultant
Lecture Link: youtu.be/ZFUcpedQUwo?si=2OsjxBRKcAgRecHU
Dr. Anthony Dixon is a distinguished historian, archivist, educator, and public history consultant with a career rooted in preserving and promoting African American and African Diaspora history. A native of Fort Valley, Georgia, Dr. Dixon earned his B.S. in History with a minor in African American Studies (1994) and his M.A.S.S. in History (2001) from Florida A&M University. He was later awarded a prestigious doctoral fellowship from Indiana University, where he earned his Ph.D. in History in 2007, specializing in the African Diaspora, African American and African History, with a minor in Library Science focused on Special Collections and Archives.
Dr. Dixon began his museum and public history career with the John G. Riley Museum in Tallahassee, Florida, where he served as graduate archival intern and later as Head Archivist and Historian. In 2007, he became the Curator for the Historic Virginia Key Beach Park in Miami, Florida, playing a key role in its rehabilitation and reopening. That same year, he founded Archival and Historical Research Associates, LLC, a consulting firm serving African American museums and historical institutions nationwide, including the B.B. King Museum and the Ritz Theatre and Museum in Jacksonville.
From 2009 to 2015, Dr. Dixon served as Assistant Director and Field Director for the Florida African American Heritage Preservation Network, where he supported the development of African American museums statewide through archival training and program planning. From 2015 to 2019, he served as a Professor, Curator, and Archivist at Bethune-Cookman University, where he led the revitalization of the University Archives and Foundation Museum and established a Public History program. During this time, he also earned a Master’s in Information Science from Florida State University.
A prolific public historian, Dr. Dixon is the author of two key publications. His first book, Florida’s Negro War: Black Seminoles and the Second Seminole War (2014), reframes the conflict as both a military and a slave rebellion led by Black Seminoles. That same year, he published Florida’s African Diaspora Timeline, a resource designed to help integrate African American history into Florida’s public education system.
Currently, Dr. Dixon serves as the President of Archival and Historical Research Associates, continuing his mission to elevate and preserve the stories of African Americans and the African Diaspora through scholarship, archival work, and cultural preservation.
Amadu Massally
CEO and Co-Founder, Fambul Tik
Lecture Link: youtu.be/M2Do8NJhCmE?si=Q0L1N8bRVLWOfkTN
Amadu Massally is a proud native of Sierra Leone who has spent much of his adult life in the United States, where he earned his education and built a successful career. A retired accountant and information systems auditor, Amadu worked for major Fortune 500 companies including American Express and PriceWaterhouseCoopers before leaving the corporate world to pursue his true passion—reconnecting Africans on the continent with their descendants in the diaspora.
As CEO and Co-Founder of Fambul Tik, an organization committed to building cultural bridges between Africa and its diaspora, Amadu brings a unique perspective as a man of two worlds. His life's work focuses on creating meaningful and lasting connections between Africans and African descendants around the globe through cultural exchange, engagement, and storytelling.
In 2019, Amadu organized and led the largest delegation of Gullah-Geechee African Americans on a historic return journey to Sierra Leone. This groundbreaking study tour captured the attention of the State of South Carolina, which sent a film crew to document the experience—resulting in the acclaimed documentary, Gullah Roots.
Amadu has also been instrumental in reconnecting Sierra Leone with its diasporic kin in Jamaica, Trinidad & Tobago, and Carriacou, Grenada. His efforts have contributed significantly to the global dialogue around African identity, ancestry, and historical memory.
Today, Amadu continues to serve as a cultural ambassador, historian, and visionary, helping illuminate the deep-rooted connections between the Gullah-Geechee people, Black Seminoles, and the broader African diaspora.
CEO and Co-Founder, Fambul Tik
Lecture Link: youtu.be/M2Do8NJhCmE?si=Q0L1N8bRVLWOfkTN
Amadu Massally is a proud native of Sierra Leone who has spent much of his adult life in the United States, where he earned his education and built a successful career. A retired accountant and information systems auditor, Amadu worked for major Fortune 500 companies including American Express and PriceWaterhouseCoopers before leaving the corporate world to pursue his true passion—reconnecting Africans on the continent with their descendants in the diaspora.
As CEO and Co-Founder of Fambul Tik, an organization committed to building cultural bridges between Africa and its diaspora, Amadu brings a unique perspective as a man of two worlds. His life's work focuses on creating meaningful and lasting connections between Africans and African descendants around the globe through cultural exchange, engagement, and storytelling.
In 2019, Amadu organized and led the largest delegation of Gullah-Geechee African Americans on a historic return journey to Sierra Leone. This groundbreaking study tour captured the attention of the State of South Carolina, which sent a film crew to document the experience—resulting in the acclaimed documentary, Gullah Roots.
Amadu has also been instrumental in reconnecting Sierra Leone with its diasporic kin in Jamaica, Trinidad & Tobago, and Carriacou, Grenada. His efforts have contributed significantly to the global dialogue around African identity, ancestry, and historical memory.
Today, Amadu continues to serve as a cultural ambassador, historian, and visionary, helping illuminate the deep-rooted connections between the Gullah-Geechee people, Black Seminoles, and the broader African diaspora.
In Memoriam: Dr. Rosalyn Howard
Cultural Anthropologist | Educator | Advocate of Diasporic History
Memoriam Link: youtu.be/ZDrToW6V1CE?si=h2di5ud28nBIp7ck
It is with deep sadness and profound respect that we remember Dr. Rosalyn Howard, who passed away in April 2023. Dr. Howard was a distinguished Associate Professor of Anthropology at the University of Central Florida (UCF) and a pioneering scholar whose work illuminated the complex, intertwined histories of African and Indigenous peoples throughout the Americas and the Caribbean.
A specialist in Cultural Anthropology, Dr. Howard’s ethnohistorical research was rooted in a deep commitment to telling the stories of African Diaspora communities—stories often overlooked in mainstream historical narratives. Her groundbreaking book, Black Seminoles in the Bahamas, brought international attention to the community of Red Bays on Andros Island, preserving its legacy as a descendant settlement of Black Seminoles who sought freedom and refuge.
Dr. Howard’s scholarship was not confined to the classroom or written word. She worked in partnership with archaeologists, community historians, and cultural heritage leaders on vital projects like "Looking for Angola," which unearthed the history of a 19th-century maroon community near present-day Sarasota, Florida. Her commitment to public anthropology helped forge tangible connections between the people of Red Bays, Fort Mose, and the Gullah Geechee Corridor, helping to establish a shared cultural heritage that spans borders and generations.
Her passion for education and global understanding also led her to South Africa, Swaziland, and Botswana through distance education and Fulbright-Hays programs, where she explored issues of culture, education, and democracy.
Dr. Howard joined UCF’s Department of Anthropology in 1999 and retired in 2015, leaving behind a legacy of mentorship, scholarship, and community engagement. She will be remembered as a brilliant mind, a generous spirit, and a fierce advocate for historical justice and cultural preservation.
We honor Dr. Rosalyn Howard’s life and contributions, and we extend our deepest condolences to her family, colleagues, students, and the many communities touched by her work. Her legacy lives on in the stories she told, the voices she uplifted, and the truth she so passionately pursued.
May she rest in peace and power.
Cultural Anthropologist | Educator | Advocate of Diasporic History
Memoriam Link: youtu.be/ZDrToW6V1CE?si=h2di5ud28nBIp7ck
It is with deep sadness and profound respect that we remember Dr. Rosalyn Howard, who passed away in April 2023. Dr. Howard was a distinguished Associate Professor of Anthropology at the University of Central Florida (UCF) and a pioneering scholar whose work illuminated the complex, intertwined histories of African and Indigenous peoples throughout the Americas and the Caribbean.
A specialist in Cultural Anthropology, Dr. Howard’s ethnohistorical research was rooted in a deep commitment to telling the stories of African Diaspora communities—stories often overlooked in mainstream historical narratives. Her groundbreaking book, Black Seminoles in the Bahamas, brought international attention to the community of Red Bays on Andros Island, preserving its legacy as a descendant settlement of Black Seminoles who sought freedom and refuge.
Dr. Howard’s scholarship was not confined to the classroom or written word. She worked in partnership with archaeologists, community historians, and cultural heritage leaders on vital projects like "Looking for Angola," which unearthed the history of a 19th-century maroon community near present-day Sarasota, Florida. Her commitment to public anthropology helped forge tangible connections between the people of Red Bays, Fort Mose, and the Gullah Geechee Corridor, helping to establish a shared cultural heritage that spans borders and generations.
Her passion for education and global understanding also led her to South Africa, Swaziland, and Botswana through distance education and Fulbright-Hays programs, where she explored issues of culture, education, and democracy.
Dr. Howard joined UCF’s Department of Anthropology in 1999 and retired in 2015, leaving behind a legacy of mentorship, scholarship, and community engagement. She will be remembered as a brilliant mind, a generous spirit, and a fierce advocate for historical justice and cultural preservation.
We honor Dr. Rosalyn Howard’s life and contributions, and we extend our deepest condolences to her family, colleagues, students, and the many communities touched by her work. Her legacy lives on in the stories she told, the voices she uplifted, and the truth she so passionately pursued.
May she rest in peace and power.
Dr. Daniel F. Littlefield, Jr.
Historian, Educator, Director of the Sequoyah National Research Center
Lecture Link: youtu.be/eBbP1OyPhho?si=ILJjT8_BTMRIr4B8
Dr. Daniel F. Littlefield, Jr. holds a Ph.D. from Oklahoma State University and has spent over six decades as a teacher-scholar in Native American and African American studies. He began teaching in 1960 and served as a faculty member at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock starting in 1970. From 1983 to 2005, he directed the American Native Press Archives, the world’s largest archival repository of Native American newspapers and periodicals. In 2005, he transitioned to become Director of the Sequoyah National Research Center, which houses the Archives along with other major collections.
Dr. Littlefield's academic career includes fellowships and visiting professorships at institutions such as Johns Hopkins University, the University of Arizona, the University of Alabama, and Colgate University. He has authored, co-authored, or edited over 20 books on Native American and African American history and literature, including Africans and Seminoles (1977), The Cherokee Freedmen (1978), The Chickasaw Freedmen (1980), Alex Posey: Creek Poet, Journalist, and Humorist (1992), and Seminole Burning: A Story of Racial Vengeance (1996). His extensive bibliography also includes multiple encyclopedias, anthologies, and archival reference works in collaboration with longtime co-author James W. Parins.
His recent research focuses on the Dawes Commission and Indian removal, continuing a career dedicated to illuminating the histories of marginalized peoples in the Southeastern United States. Dr. Littlefield has served on the Cherokee Nation’s Great State of Sequoyah Commission and the Board of Directors of the Arkansas Humanities Council.
He has received numerous honors, including induction into the Oklahoma Historians Hall of Fame (2001), a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Arkansas Historical Association (2014), and recognition as “A Legend Among Us” by the Arkansas Heritage Celebration of Black History Month (2023). Dr. Littlefield concluded a remarkable 64-year career in teaching and scholarship at the end of the Spring 2024 semester.
Historian, Educator, Director of the Sequoyah National Research Center
Lecture Link: youtu.be/eBbP1OyPhho?si=ILJjT8_BTMRIr4B8
Dr. Daniel F. Littlefield, Jr. holds a Ph.D. from Oklahoma State University and has spent over six decades as a teacher-scholar in Native American and African American studies. He began teaching in 1960 and served as a faculty member at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock starting in 1970. From 1983 to 2005, he directed the American Native Press Archives, the world’s largest archival repository of Native American newspapers and periodicals. In 2005, he transitioned to become Director of the Sequoyah National Research Center, which houses the Archives along with other major collections.
Dr. Littlefield's academic career includes fellowships and visiting professorships at institutions such as Johns Hopkins University, the University of Arizona, the University of Alabama, and Colgate University. He has authored, co-authored, or edited over 20 books on Native American and African American history and literature, including Africans and Seminoles (1977), The Cherokee Freedmen (1978), The Chickasaw Freedmen (1980), Alex Posey: Creek Poet, Journalist, and Humorist (1992), and Seminole Burning: A Story of Racial Vengeance (1996). His extensive bibliography also includes multiple encyclopedias, anthologies, and archival reference works in collaboration with longtime co-author James W. Parins.
His recent research focuses on the Dawes Commission and Indian removal, continuing a career dedicated to illuminating the histories of marginalized peoples in the Southeastern United States. Dr. Littlefield has served on the Cherokee Nation’s Great State of Sequoyah Commission and the Board of Directors of the Arkansas Humanities Council.
He has received numerous honors, including induction into the Oklahoma Historians Hall of Fame (2001), a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Arkansas Historical Association (2014), and recognition as “A Legend Among Us” by the Arkansas Heritage Celebration of Black History Month (2023). Dr. Littlefield concluded a remarkable 64-year career in teaching and scholarship at the end of the Spring 2024 semester.
Lonnie Harrington
Musician, Cultural Historian, Author, and Community Advocate
Lecture Link: https://youtu.be/xpF7hSjlHno?si=91F2g-7fuQO7iD7j
Born in Tallahassee, Florida in 1952, Lonnie Harrington’s early years were split between Florida and New York City. From a young age, his visits to the Dania (now Hollywood) Seminole Reservation with his mother sparked a lifelong interest in Native American culture. After relocating to New York in 1959, he returned to Florida for several extended stays in the early 1960s. While attending Hunter College from 1970 to 1972, he began researching the relationships between Native Americans and African Americans, a topic that would shape his life's work.
A talented musician, Lonnie performed in rock, soul, and R&B bands throughout the Northeast and Canada in the 1970s. He returned to New York City in 1976 and began a dual career in the arts and public service. In 1977, he joined the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, and by 1981, became a founding staff member at ArtsConnection, a nonprofit dedicated to arts education, where he remained until 2018. Simultaneously, he pursued music, releasing Northern Tropicale' and Other Romantic Illusions (2017), the instrumental single I Wonder (2018), and Such A Groove (2023).
In 1981, Lonnie became active in the Native American community in New York City. He joined the Northeastern Native American Association (NENAA) in 1992, serving as group historian and Pow Wow committee chair. As a traditional singer and dancer, he performed with drum groups including the Drum Circle Singers, Iron Feather Singers, and Red Thunder Bear Singers, and danced at Pow Wows across the U.S.
With fellow NENAA member Bethanna Ferguson, Lonnie helped launch the “Torn Pages Project,” which spotlighted African and Native American cultural intersections. His scholarly work culminated in the publication of Both Sides of the Water: Essays on African/Native American Interactions (Rosedog Books, 2007), solidifying his voice as a vital contributor to the narrative of Black-Indigenous heritage in America.
Musician, Cultural Historian, Author, and Community Advocate
Lecture Link: https://youtu.be/xpF7hSjlHno?si=91F2g-7fuQO7iD7j
Born in Tallahassee, Florida in 1952, Lonnie Harrington’s early years were split between Florida and New York City. From a young age, his visits to the Dania (now Hollywood) Seminole Reservation with his mother sparked a lifelong interest in Native American culture. After relocating to New York in 1959, he returned to Florida for several extended stays in the early 1960s. While attending Hunter College from 1970 to 1972, he began researching the relationships between Native Americans and African Americans, a topic that would shape his life's work.
A talented musician, Lonnie performed in rock, soul, and R&B bands throughout the Northeast and Canada in the 1970s. He returned to New York City in 1976 and began a dual career in the arts and public service. In 1977, he joined the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, and by 1981, became a founding staff member at ArtsConnection, a nonprofit dedicated to arts education, where he remained until 2018. Simultaneously, he pursued music, releasing Northern Tropicale' and Other Romantic Illusions (2017), the instrumental single I Wonder (2018), and Such A Groove (2023).
In 1981, Lonnie became active in the Native American community in New York City. He joined the Northeastern Native American Association (NENAA) in 1992, serving as group historian and Pow Wow committee chair. As a traditional singer and dancer, he performed with drum groups including the Drum Circle Singers, Iron Feather Singers, and Red Thunder Bear Singers, and danced at Pow Wows across the U.S.
With fellow NENAA member Bethanna Ferguson, Lonnie helped launch the “Torn Pages Project,” which spotlighted African and Native American cultural intersections. His scholarly work culminated in the publication of Both Sides of the Water: Essays on African/Native American Interactions (Rosedog Books, 2007), solidifying his voice as a vital contributor to the narrative of Black-Indigenous heritage in America.
Joseph Hill
Veteran Journalist, Documentary Filmmaker, and Founder of Pothos Productions LLC
Lecture Link: youtu.be/QZZCiaNXwow?si=7CyZHWlRTM8Q3tQv
Joseph Hill is an award-winning journalist and founder of Pothos Productions LLC, with a career spanning over 30 years across television, radio, print, and digital media. He spent 22 years as a television news reporter and producer, working in Nebraska, Wyoming, Kansas, and New York, covering stories ranging from crime and politics to three papal visits and the aftermath of 9/11.
As one of the original staff members at R-News, a 24-hour Time Warner local news station in Rochester, New York, Hill utilized the extended format to create long-form specials and documentaries. His acclaimed works include Mission of Hope: Rochester in Haiti—which won a Cable Ace Award in 1994—and Remembering Malcolm X in Rochester, a Peabody Award nominee and NABJ Award winner. His documentary Four Days in Denver followed youth from Rochester to World Youth Day in 1993.
In recent years, Hill has turned his focus toward historical storytelling through film. His documentary Black Border Warriors: The Seminole Negro Indian Scouts traces the journey of Black Seminoles from Florida to Texas, where they served as elite scouts for the U.S. Army. The film won Best Feature Length Documentary at the 2018 Black International Cinema Berlin Film Festival, was screened at the 2019 Pan African Film Festival in Cannes, and was named a semi-finalist at the 2021 Cannes World Cinema Film Festival.
His current project, The Fight for Freedom: Black Soldiers in the Civil War, began production in 2019 at Fort Negley in Nashville. It tells the powerful story of the United States Colored Troops (USCT) and their vital role in securing Union victory and advancing Black freedom.
Originally from Chicago and a graduate of the University of Wisconsin–Whitewater, Joseph Hill now resides in Saint Paul, Minnesota, close to his two adult children, their spouses, and four grandchildren.
Veteran Journalist, Documentary Filmmaker, and Founder of Pothos Productions LLC
Lecture Link: youtu.be/QZZCiaNXwow?si=7CyZHWlRTM8Q3tQv
Joseph Hill is an award-winning journalist and founder of Pothos Productions LLC, with a career spanning over 30 years across television, radio, print, and digital media. He spent 22 years as a television news reporter and producer, working in Nebraska, Wyoming, Kansas, and New York, covering stories ranging from crime and politics to three papal visits and the aftermath of 9/11.
As one of the original staff members at R-News, a 24-hour Time Warner local news station in Rochester, New York, Hill utilized the extended format to create long-form specials and documentaries. His acclaimed works include Mission of Hope: Rochester in Haiti—which won a Cable Ace Award in 1994—and Remembering Malcolm X in Rochester, a Peabody Award nominee and NABJ Award winner. His documentary Four Days in Denver followed youth from Rochester to World Youth Day in 1993.
In recent years, Hill has turned his focus toward historical storytelling through film. His documentary Black Border Warriors: The Seminole Negro Indian Scouts traces the journey of Black Seminoles from Florida to Texas, where they served as elite scouts for the U.S. Army. The film won Best Feature Length Documentary at the 2018 Black International Cinema Berlin Film Festival, was screened at the 2019 Pan African Film Festival in Cannes, and was named a semi-finalist at the 2021 Cannes World Cinema Film Festival.
His current project, The Fight for Freedom: Black Soldiers in the Civil War, began production in 2019 at Fort Negley in Nashville. It tells the powerful story of the United States Colored Troops (USCT) and their vital role in securing Union victory and advancing Black freedom.
Originally from Chicago and a graduate of the University of Wisconsin–Whitewater, Joseph Hill now resides in Saint Paul, Minnesota, close to his two adult children, their spouses, and four grandchildren.
Augusta “Gigi” Pines
President of the Seminole Indian Scouts Cemetery Association (SISCA)
Lecture Link: youtu.be/q7yxwmladRU?si=7eO21S3AqsXBv4fZ
Augusta “Gigi” Pines is a proud native of Brackettville, Texas, and the longtime president of the Seminole Indian Scouts Cemetery Association (SISCA). A devoted member of the organization for more than half of her life, Gigi has served in multiple leadership roles before assuming the presidency in 2013.
Guided by the legacy and mentorship of the late Miss Charles Emily Wilson—founder of SISCA—Gigi works tirelessly to preserve and honor the history of the Seminole Negro Indian Scouts and their descendants. Under her leadership, SISCA has expanded its digital reach, enhanced community engagement, and upheld beloved traditions such as the annual Seminole Days and Juneteenth celebrations.
Gigi also spearheaded the opening of SISCA’s museum, a cornerstone of cultural preservation, and has overseen crucial improvements to the Seminole Indian Scouts Cemetery, ensuring that the most sacred grounds of the community continue to be maintained with dignity, respect, and care.
President of the Seminole Indian Scouts Cemetery Association (SISCA)
Lecture Link: youtu.be/q7yxwmladRU?si=7eO21S3AqsXBv4fZ
Augusta “Gigi” Pines is a proud native of Brackettville, Texas, and the longtime president of the Seminole Indian Scouts Cemetery Association (SISCA). A devoted member of the organization for more than half of her life, Gigi has served in multiple leadership roles before assuming the presidency in 2013.
Guided by the legacy and mentorship of the late Miss Charles Emily Wilson—founder of SISCA—Gigi works tirelessly to preserve and honor the history of the Seminole Negro Indian Scouts and their descendants. Under her leadership, SISCA has expanded its digital reach, enhanced community engagement, and upheld beloved traditions such as the annual Seminole Days and Juneteenth celebrations.
Gigi also spearheaded the opening of SISCA’s museum, a cornerstone of cultural preservation, and has overseen crucial improvements to the Seminole Indian Scouts Cemetery, ensuring that the most sacred grounds of the community continue to be maintained with dignity, respect, and care.
Joseph A. Opala
Historian, Cultural Preservationist, and Founder of the “Gullah Connection”
Lecture Link: youtu.be/hkzyOJx2A-c?si=L1xmaDTKAVcnM13s
Joseph A. Opala is an American historian widely recognized for establishing the “Gullah Connection,” the historic and cultural ties between the Gullah people of the Low Country in South Carolina and Georgia, and the people of Sierra Leone in West Africa.
Opala’s groundbreaking research began with the study of Bunce Island, a British slave trading post in Sierra Leone. He was the first scholar to identify Bunce Island as the most important West African site tied to the ancestry of Gullah people, calling it “the most important historic site in Africa for the United States.” His original research laid the foundation for decades of cultural reconnection between Sierra Leone and the Gullah communities.
For over 30 years, Opala has traveled extensively between Sierra Leone and the American South, producing documentary films, museum exhibits, and educational resources highlighting this transatlantic bond. He is best known for organizing a series of "Gullah Homecomings," which allowed Gullah descendants to journey to Sierra Leone and explore their ancestral connections.
Opala’s work builds upon that of earlier scholars like Lorenzo Dow Turner and has helped foster national conversations in both Sierra Leone and the U.S. about the legacy of the Atlantic slave trade. The term “Gullah Connection” was first coined by Sierra Leonean media in response to Opala’s efforts to rekindle lost familial and cultural links.
His contributions have earned recognition in both nations. In 2012, he received the Order of the Rokel—Sierra Leone’s highest civilian honor—and was granted Sierra Leonean citizenship in 2013. In 2014, the Penn Center, the oldest Gullah cultural institution in the United States, inducted him into the esteemed “1862 Circle” for his lifelong commitment to cultural preservation and historical justice.
Historian, Cultural Preservationist, and Founder of the “Gullah Connection”
Lecture Link: youtu.be/hkzyOJx2A-c?si=L1xmaDTKAVcnM13s
Joseph A. Opala is an American historian widely recognized for establishing the “Gullah Connection,” the historic and cultural ties between the Gullah people of the Low Country in South Carolina and Georgia, and the people of Sierra Leone in West Africa.
Opala’s groundbreaking research began with the study of Bunce Island, a British slave trading post in Sierra Leone. He was the first scholar to identify Bunce Island as the most important West African site tied to the ancestry of Gullah people, calling it “the most important historic site in Africa for the United States.” His original research laid the foundation for decades of cultural reconnection between Sierra Leone and the Gullah communities.
For over 30 years, Opala has traveled extensively between Sierra Leone and the American South, producing documentary films, museum exhibits, and educational resources highlighting this transatlantic bond. He is best known for organizing a series of "Gullah Homecomings," which allowed Gullah descendants to journey to Sierra Leone and explore their ancestral connections.
Opala’s work builds upon that of earlier scholars like Lorenzo Dow Turner and has helped foster national conversations in both Sierra Leone and the U.S. about the legacy of the Atlantic slave trade. The term “Gullah Connection” was first coined by Sierra Leonean media in response to Opala’s efforts to rekindle lost familial and cultural links.
His contributions have earned recognition in both nations. In 2012, he received the Order of the Rokel—Sierra Leone’s highest civilian honor—and was granted Sierra Leonean citizenship in 2013. In 2014, the Penn Center, the oldest Gullah cultural institution in the United States, inducted him into the esteemed “1862 Circle” for his lifelong commitment to cultural preservation and historical justice.
Dr. Kevin Johnson
Engineer, Cultural Anthropologist, and Community Advocate
Lecture Link: youtu.be/EoS5aF7ZIkU?si=BXtMxyC4D3VYi-C9
Dr. Kevin Johnson is a December 2024 Ph.D. graduate in Anthropology from Texas A&M University, where he focused on cultural anthropology—the study of human societies, customs, and cultural expressions. His academic journey reflects a unique blend of engineering precision and deep humanistic inquiry.
Kevin began his career in STEM, earning a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Texas A&M University (1984) and an M.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin (1987). While working in the petrochemical industry for many years, he cultivated a growing interest in the social sciences, leading him to complete an M.A. in Sociology (2015), an M.A. in Cross Cultural Studies (2018), and multiple graduate certificates in Women's Studies, African American Studies, and Africana Studies from institutions including the University of Houston and Texas A&M.
Deeply involved in student and cultural life, Kevin has been a longstanding member of organizations such as the MSC Black Awareness Committee (BAC), the Voices of Praise (VOP) Gospel Choir, and the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE). As a graduate student, he continued his leadership and advocacy through participation in the Black Graduate Student Association, Native American and Indigenous Student Organization, Students of Eastern Africa (serving as Advisor), and other affinity groups at Texas A&M.
Kevin is also an active supporter of several community-based organizations, including the Nigerian American Multicultural Council, the Ewe Association of Houston, the Society for Africans in the Diaspora, and the Dominica Houston Association. His commitment to scholarship and excellence has earned him membership in multiple honor societies, including Pi Tau Sigma (Mechanical Engineering), Alpha Kappa Delta (Sociology), Ankh Maat Wedjau (Black Studies), and Lambda Alpha (Anthropology).
Angela Y. Walton-Raji
Genealogist, Historian, Author, and Advocate for African-Native American Heritage
Lecture Link: youtu.be/WOQmISeli5c?si=Ell-LGQ52sK6l_B5
Angela Y. Walton-Raji is a nationally recognized genealogist and historian whose pioneering work has illuminated the often-overlooked history of African-descended peoples in Native American communities. Born in western Arkansas and raised on the Arkansas-Oklahoma border in Ft. Smith, she holds a degree in Romance Languages from St. Louis University and a Master's in Education from Antioch University.
Her genealogical journey began in 1975 and took a significant turn in 1991 when she discovered her ancestors listed in the records of the Choctaw Nation. This discovery affirmed her family’s oral history, revealing that her great-grandparents were African individuals enslaved by Choctaw Indians. Her Walton ancestors were among thousands of African people enslaved by the Five Civilized Tribes—Cherokee, Choctaw, Chickasaw, Creek, and Seminole—many of whom migrated west on the Trail of Tears.
Her groundbreaking research into the lives of Freedmen of Indian Territory—former slaves of Native Americans who later became tribal citizens—led to her seminal book Black Indian Genealogy Research: African American Ancestors Among the Five Civilized Tribes, a vital guide for descendants navigating this complex and often erased history.
Walton-Raji’s expertise has been featured in the NEH-sponsored My History is America's History initiative, Parade magazine, and the Family History Guidebook. She appeared in the acclaimed documentary Black Indians: An American Story by Rich Heape Productions and presented at a historic 2000 symposium on African-Native American history at Dartmouth College.
A co-founder of the AfriGeneas online community—one of the most influential forums for African American genealogy—she also moderated America Online’s African American Genealogy chat until 2003 and continues to host the only Black Indian genealogy chat in the country. She serves as AfriGeneas Secretary and is a respected presenter at the AAHGS (Afro-American Historical and Genealogical Society) conferences.
Walton-Raji is also the editor of Freedom’s Spirit, an Arkansas Black History journal, and co-publisher of Voices of Indian Territory, a scholarly publication focused on Indian Territory history. Her Civil War research has led to the documentation and commemoration of U.S. Colored Troops burials in western Arkansas, and she is featured on arkansasfreedmen.com.
An alumna of the National Institute of Genealogical Research, she continues to pursue advanced training and research, speaking nationwide from New Hampshire to Washington state. Now residing in Maryland, she works at the University of Maryland Baltimore County as Director of Graduate School Recruitment, while continuing to write, lecture, and preserve the legacy of African-Native American communities and Black history on America’s western frontier.
Dr. María Esther Hammack
Historian, Scholar of Black Liberation, and Assistant Professor at The Ohio State University
Lecture Link: youtu.be/TLbWboU3MvM?si=WT_BthuAGrz_jPfQ
María Esther Hammack is a Mexican-born historian whose groundbreaking scholarship bridges the intertwined histories of liberation and abolition across the United States, Mexico, and Canada. Her work interrogates and reshapes the traditional narratives of Black freedom movements in North America by illuminating the transnational dimensions of resistance.
Her forthcoming book, Channels of Liberation: Freedom Fighters in the Age of Abolitions (under consideration with the University of Pennsylvania Press), reexamines the Underground Railroad by expanding its scope beyond the conventional U.S.–Canada axis. Her research centers the lives, movements, and intellectual and legal contributions of Black Americans who sought—and sometimes struggled to secure—freedom in Mexico. Significantly, her study highlights Black Mexicans and other Mexican abolitionists as active agents in the broader continental and transatlantic fight against slavery, challenging their historical erasure in mainstream abolitionist narratives.
Hammack serves as Assistant Professor of African American History at The Ohio State University. She is also the principal investigator on a Mellon Foundation Humanities in Place grant project, focused on recovering and preserving transnational stories of Black liberation, with particular attention to spaces historically omitted from dominant accounts.
Through her scholarship and public history work, María Esther Hammack redefines the geographical and intellectual contours of abolitionist history, underscoring the hemispheric nature of Black resistance and the enduring legacy of transnational freedom struggles.
Historian, Scholar of Black Liberation, and Assistant Professor at The Ohio State University
Lecture Link: youtu.be/TLbWboU3MvM?si=WT_BthuAGrz_jPfQ
María Esther Hammack is a Mexican-born historian whose groundbreaking scholarship bridges the intertwined histories of liberation and abolition across the United States, Mexico, and Canada. Her work interrogates and reshapes the traditional narratives of Black freedom movements in North America by illuminating the transnational dimensions of resistance.
Her forthcoming book, Channels of Liberation: Freedom Fighters in the Age of Abolitions (under consideration with the University of Pennsylvania Press), reexamines the Underground Railroad by expanding its scope beyond the conventional U.S.–Canada axis. Her research centers the lives, movements, and intellectual and legal contributions of Black Americans who sought—and sometimes struggled to secure—freedom in Mexico. Significantly, her study highlights Black Mexicans and other Mexican abolitionists as active agents in the broader continental and transatlantic fight against slavery, challenging their historical erasure in mainstream abolitionist narratives.
Hammack serves as Assistant Professor of African American History at The Ohio State University. She is also the principal investigator on a Mellon Foundation Humanities in Place grant project, focused on recovering and preserving transnational stories of Black liberation, with particular attention to spaces historically omitted from dominant accounts.
Through her scholarship and public history work, María Esther Hammack redefines the geographical and intellectual contours of abolitionist history, underscoring the hemispheric nature of Black resistance and the enduring legacy of transnational freedom struggles.
Tom Ashmore
President of the West Texas Archeological Society & Lead Researcher at Camp Meyers Spring
Lecture Link: youtu.be/iGwpMZ_cNh4?si=5k404Tout0hiQwYb
Tom Ashmore is the president of the West Texas Archeological Society and a dedicated researcher with a focus on frontier military sites and their historical significance. He has led numerous archeological surveys across the American Southwest, bringing to light often overlooked narratives of life on the frontier.
Ashmore currently leads a major archeological project at Camp Meyers Spring, a historic military sub-post located approximately 100 miles northwest of Fort Clark, Texas. Under his leadership, the West Texas Archeological Society has conducted an extensive three-year field study of the site, covering over 200 acres of rugged terrain. The excavation has revealed intricate details about the camp's structure, operation, and daily life, offering new insights into the complex histories of its diverse occupants.
Throughout its operational years, Camp Meyers Spring hosted infantry and cavalry units, as well as the Black Seminole Indian Scout detachment. Ashmore’s work has helped illuminate the presence and contributions of these groups, particularly the Black Seminole Scouts, in the harsh and remote conditions of the Texas frontier.
His presentation on the Camp Meyers Spring project provides a rare, detailed look into the daily life, challenges, and resilience of those stationed at this significant yet under-documented military post. Through archeology, Ashmore continues to expand the public's understanding of multicultural military history in West Texas.
President of the West Texas Archeological Society & Lead Researcher at Camp Meyers Spring
Lecture Link: youtu.be/iGwpMZ_cNh4?si=5k404Tout0hiQwYb
Tom Ashmore is the president of the West Texas Archeological Society and a dedicated researcher with a focus on frontier military sites and their historical significance. He has led numerous archeological surveys across the American Southwest, bringing to light often overlooked narratives of life on the frontier.
Ashmore currently leads a major archeological project at Camp Meyers Spring, a historic military sub-post located approximately 100 miles northwest of Fort Clark, Texas. Under his leadership, the West Texas Archeological Society has conducted an extensive three-year field study of the site, covering over 200 acres of rugged terrain. The excavation has revealed intricate details about the camp's structure, operation, and daily life, offering new insights into the complex histories of its diverse occupants.
Throughout its operational years, Camp Meyers Spring hosted infantry and cavalry units, as well as the Black Seminole Indian Scout detachment. Ashmore’s work has helped illuminate the presence and contributions of these groups, particularly the Black Seminole Scouts, in the harsh and remote conditions of the Texas frontier.
His presentation on the Camp Meyers Spring project provides a rare, detailed look into the daily life, challenges, and resilience of those stationed at this significant yet under-documented military post. Through archeology, Ashmore continues to expand the public's understanding of multicultural military history in West Texas.
Gabriel Greaves
Educator, Historian, and Interdisciplinary Scholar of African and African Diaspora Studies
Lecture Link: youtu.be/zgLDL8Cns90?si=n4gDcaJPYzQjR5YE
Gabriel Greaves is a professor of African and African Diaspora Studies at Kennesaw State University and a gifted middle grades social science teacher with Atlanta Public Schools. He also serves as an ambassador and research assistant for veteran teacher activists affiliated with the National Council of Elders.
Previously, Greaves worked as the Programs and Education Coordinator for the Prince George’s African American Museum & Cultural Center from 2019 to early 2022. There, he developed innovative virtual educational programs in collaboration with Prince George’s County Public Schools, the Smithsonian Freedmen’s Bureau Transcription Project, the Smithsonian Folklife Institute, and other national organizations.
Greaves has also served as a moderator for the Prince George’s County Lynching Memorial Project, working in partnership with the Prince George's County NAACP and the Maryland Lynching Memorial Project to honor and document the histories of racial violence and community resilience.
A Kennesaw State University alumnus, Greaves holds a Master’s degree in American Studies with an academic focus on Afro-Latino Studies, the Civil Rights Movement, Christianity in the Americas, and the cultural impact of religious worldviews. His personal heritage reflects a rich Afro-Caribbean lineage, including Coromantee roots in Jamaica and Barbados, West Indian Hispanic ancestry from Panama, and familial ties to the Gullah and Black Seminole peoples.
Having grown up in a multi-ethnic, multi-generational household, Greaves brings a nuanced understanding of identity, oral history, and community to his work. He is deeply committed to community development, movement journalism, and historical activism, with a particular focus on promoting Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s concept of the “Beloved Community.”
Over the past 14 years, Greaves has led educational panels and initiatives on Afro-Indigenous culture across the United States and Canada—including in Maryland, South Carolina, Virginia, Georgia, and Nova Scotia. He continues to travel internationally, forging connections among Indigenous and African Diasporic communities to explore and uplift shared ancestral narratives. For Greaves, history is a tool for healing, empowerment, and unification.
Educator, Historian, and Interdisciplinary Scholar of African and African Diaspora Studies
Lecture Link: youtu.be/zgLDL8Cns90?si=n4gDcaJPYzQjR5YE
Gabriel Greaves is a professor of African and African Diaspora Studies at Kennesaw State University and a gifted middle grades social science teacher with Atlanta Public Schools. He also serves as an ambassador and research assistant for veteran teacher activists affiliated with the National Council of Elders.
Previously, Greaves worked as the Programs and Education Coordinator for the Prince George’s African American Museum & Cultural Center from 2019 to early 2022. There, he developed innovative virtual educational programs in collaboration with Prince George’s County Public Schools, the Smithsonian Freedmen’s Bureau Transcription Project, the Smithsonian Folklife Institute, and other national organizations.
Greaves has also served as a moderator for the Prince George’s County Lynching Memorial Project, working in partnership with the Prince George's County NAACP and the Maryland Lynching Memorial Project to honor and document the histories of racial violence and community resilience.
A Kennesaw State University alumnus, Greaves holds a Master’s degree in American Studies with an academic focus on Afro-Latino Studies, the Civil Rights Movement, Christianity in the Americas, and the cultural impact of religious worldviews. His personal heritage reflects a rich Afro-Caribbean lineage, including Coromantee roots in Jamaica and Barbados, West Indian Hispanic ancestry from Panama, and familial ties to the Gullah and Black Seminole peoples.
Having grown up in a multi-ethnic, multi-generational household, Greaves brings a nuanced understanding of identity, oral history, and community to his work. He is deeply committed to community development, movement journalism, and historical activism, with a particular focus on promoting Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s concept of the “Beloved Community.”
Over the past 14 years, Greaves has led educational panels and initiatives on Afro-Indigenous culture across the United States and Canada—including in Maryland, South Carolina, Virginia, Georgia, and Nova Scotia. He continues to travel internationally, forging connections among Indigenous and African Diasporic communities to explore and uplift shared ancestral narratives. For Greaves, history is a tool for healing, empowerment, and unification.
Luana M. Graves Sellars
A Greater Sense of Self: Discovering Identity Through Gullah Heritage
Lecture Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SUG6NXsed0E
A native New Yorker, Luana M. Graves Sellars quickly realized she was a "misplaced Floridian" at heart. Although she holds degrees in Journalism and Black History, it wasn’t until she moved to Hilton Head Island—one of the South’s most culturally rich and historic regions—that she began a deep exploration of her Gullah Geechee roots. That passion led her to become a cultural preservationist and storyteller, committed to educating others through her writing and community activism.
In 2021, she founded Sankofa Communications, expanding into visual media by writing, directing, and producing both short and long-form cultural documentaries. She is also the founder of Lowcountry Gullah and the Lowcountry Gullah Foundation, and serves as a keynote speaker and advocate for the preservation of Gullah Geechee culture.
In this talk, Sellars shares her personal journey of identity, genealogy, and unexpected connections that led her to a greater sense of self and a life dedicated to cultural heritage.
A Greater Sense of Self: Discovering Identity Through Gullah Heritage
Lecture Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SUG6NXsed0E
A native New Yorker, Luana M. Graves Sellars quickly realized she was a "misplaced Floridian" at heart. Although she holds degrees in Journalism and Black History, it wasn’t until she moved to Hilton Head Island—one of the South’s most culturally rich and historic regions—that she began a deep exploration of her Gullah Geechee roots. That passion led her to become a cultural preservationist and storyteller, committed to educating others through her writing and community activism.
In 2021, she founded Sankofa Communications, expanding into visual media by writing, directing, and producing both short and long-form cultural documentaries. She is also the founder of Lowcountry Gullah and the Lowcountry Gullah Foundation, and serves as a keynote speaker and advocate for the preservation of Gullah Geechee culture.
In this talk, Sellars shares her personal journey of identity, genealogy, and unexpected connections that led her to a greater sense of self and a life dedicated to cultural heritage.
Stefan Moss
Founder, Saltwater Underground Railroad Experience
Lecture Link:
Founder of the Saltwater Underground Railroad Experience, an innovative Google Earth project that retraces the journeys of freedom seekers in the southeastern United States during the early 19th century. The project chronicles their path from enslaved plantations, coastal fortifications, and maroon communities to The Bahama Islands, where many established sustainable settlements that continue to thrive today.
Moss was inspired by visits to numerous national and state parks across the Southeast, where he encountered stories of a lesser-known “Underground Railroad” that led southward to Florida and beyond. Leveraging interactive maps, peer-reviewed research, and historical newspaper clippings, the Saltwater Underground Railroad Experience brings to light the courageous efforts of men and women who risked everything in pursuit of freedom. It highlights their deep understanding of the natural world and their resourcefulness in using the environment to survive and escape bondage.
In 2024, the project earned a prestigious listing in the National Park Service’s Underground Railroad Network to Freedom Program, solidifying its place as a vital contribution to the preservation and interpretation of African American history.
Founder, Saltwater Underground Railroad Experience
Lecture Link:
Founder of the Saltwater Underground Railroad Experience, an innovative Google Earth project that retraces the journeys of freedom seekers in the southeastern United States during the early 19th century. The project chronicles their path from enslaved plantations, coastal fortifications, and maroon communities to The Bahama Islands, where many established sustainable settlements that continue to thrive today.
Moss was inspired by visits to numerous national and state parks across the Southeast, where he encountered stories of a lesser-known “Underground Railroad” that led southward to Florida and beyond. Leveraging interactive maps, peer-reviewed research, and historical newspaper clippings, the Saltwater Underground Railroad Experience brings to light the courageous efforts of men and women who risked everything in pursuit of freedom. It highlights their deep understanding of the natural world and their resourcefulness in using the environment to survive and escape bondage.
In 2024, the project earned a prestigious listing in the National Park Service’s Underground Railroad Network to Freedom Program, solidifying its place as a vital contribution to the preservation and interpretation of African American history.
New lecture recordings are added monthly—check back regularly!