call & response

In the inaugural issue of Call and Response: The Scholarly Journal of the National Black Graduate Student Association, the essays and research presented grapple with major questions affecting African Americans.  Questions around issues of gender and sexuality within Black communities comprise a major portion of the “Critical Questions in the Humanities” section.  In particular scholars such as Christopher Daniel and Heidi Edwards grapple with issues of self-representation and the possibilities of feminist and womanist formulations for empowering Black women in the areas of sexuality, spirituality, and quality of life.  The relationship between sacred and secular, between the church and politics emerge insistently in this issue, as scholars like Angelina Ray seek to hold the Church accountable to its own stated mission to set captives free and uplift the poor. 

Within our social science section, we have scholars carefully and thoughtfully interrogating issues surrounding contemporary educational practices and their effect on Black youth.  In addition to scholarship that considers the role of technology and its use in the classroom engaged by such scholars as Noemi Waight and Dedrick Sims, these submissions also seek to understand from a qualitative perspective the values that motivate African American students to overcome hardship and pursue higher education (See Edith Blackwell’s piece).  Finally, we have pieces that grapple with the effects of particular educational approaches and strategies on young African-American children.   In particular Jenell Kelly’s piece considers school readiness as a primary concern affecting African American youth, and Monique Mills research offers important insights about the convergences of African American vernacular practices in the perceptions of intelligence of African American youth.

In our business section, we have a significant piece by Ivan B.  Turnipseed entitled “The Essence of Hospitality Internal Marketing” which considers the significance of the phenomenon of internal marketing practices within human resources departments and the effects of these practices on external marketing.  This piece fits within a cultural tradition of Black scholars understanding the importance of engaging endeavors at the level of human impact rather than solely at the level of the corporate bottom-line. 

More generally, the pieces allow us to think carefully not only about problems that we face within Black communities, problems that impede our ability to lead whole, healthy spiritual lives within a range of political choices.  The work presented here also offers very important insights about the ways in which African Americans creatively overcome a range of obstacles and consistently enact strategies for intellectual, cultural, social, and political growth and change.  Finally, the scholarship suggests new directions for research.

Because Call and Response also intends to act as an archive for the work of the National Black Graduate Student Association, the 2007 State of the National Black Graduate Student Association Address entitled “Get Yo’ Ship Together,” presented by 2006-2007 NBGSA President Ivan B.  Turnipseed is included here.  In addition to placing a range of scholarly concerns within the African American rhetorical tradition of call and response, these remarks suggest future directions for NBGSA.

 We hope that the range of (inter)disciplinary perspectives presented will open new avenues for your own interrogations and provide insight and information about the rich contours of our intellectual heritage.

Brittney Cooper
Managing Editor