By Hailey MacDonald, Editor-in-Chief
Rivers Memorial Hall glistened with gold on Thursday, November 4 for the fifth annual African American Female Professor Awards. Hosted by the African American Female Professor Award Association (AAFPAA), this ceremony honored five award recipients as well as two of the organization’s first ever scholarship winners.
According to their website, Traci Talbert, the Founder and President of AAFPAA, started this organization to “honor and recognize an underrepresented group of women in higher education, which is African American females.” The women honored at this ceremony were nominated by their peers for their selfless service and dedication to their careers in higher education.
The National Center for Education Statistics states that as of Fall 2018, Black females account for a mere 2% of all full-time professors nationwide. As a college student herself a few years ago, Traci noticed this lack of representation and took it upon herself to recognize and celebrate the work of African American Female Professors in the area.
Since then, the AAFPAA has grown more each year. This year’s ceremony, hosted by Western New England University, allowed past and present honorees and their loved ones to come together and celebrate each other’s work and success as professional educators. It has been the first in-person celebration since before the pandemic.
The ceremony started off with opening remarks from Provost Maria Toyoda, who welcomed award winners and attendees to our campus. She touched on the importance of representation in a classroom setting and the “invisible work” of these educators to support the success and achievement of students of color on both a personal and professional scale.
In the words of Toyoda, “the needle has not moved very much” in terms of female African-American professors around the country, but this organization is going to “lead further discussions on how to move the needle.”
The first award winner of the evening was Dr. Lucie Lewis, one of the recipients of the Inspirational Awards. Lewis was not present at the ceremony, but it was said that she has a way of glowing everywhere she goes, both as an educator and entrepreneur — and also as a friend and peer. She is the founder of Creative Futures LLC and a senior writer for the Western Massachusetts Women’s Magazine, and she teaches business and career courses at Bay Path University.
Lewis has multiple degrees including a Bachelors of Science, a Masters in Business Administration from Western New England University, a Masters of Science, and a Doctorate in Educational Leadership. She is also dedicated to community service and nonprofit work.
The second winner of the Inspirational Award was Professor Yvette Frisby, an adjunct professor of a Women in Employment course at Bay Path University. Frisby is on multiple boards and committees as well, including in the Springfield school system, Bay Path University, and other statewide committees. She was also the recipient of the 2017 President’s Award at Bay Path.
Frisby told the audience that at the beginning of each semester, she would give each of her students a gift bag with a journal, pen, and post-it notes. She believes that journal writing is a good act of self care, and she also deeply believes in positive affirmations to encourage her students to reframe negativity, stay optimistic, and look for the good in their lives. Spreading this joy to her students gives her joy, too.
The final Inspirational Award recipient was Destinee Chambers, an Assistant Professor of Psychology at American International College. She teaches neuroscience and behavior courses, and she was honored for her dedication to academia and the personal success of her students.
Chambers is also the Chair of the Faculty Senate and the Faculty Advisor for the Psychology Honor Society. According to SPEAKER, Chambers “embodies inspiration and dedication” in her peers, students, and everyone else in her life. When Chambers came to the stage, she told the audience about her experiences with students coming to her and expressing their thankfulness for having a professor who looks like them. She believes in the importance of representation in higher education as well as recognition.
Next up was Professor Huguette Williams, a Veteran of the United States Army and a Professor of Criminal Justice at Westfield State University. She currently has three degrees, and on top of that she is in the process of pursuing both a law and doctorate degree.
She has taught at Springfield Technical Community College, Cambridge College, Asnuntuck Community College, and currently Westfield State University. She also served 25 years in the Army National Guard and received a certificate from former President Barack Obama through her “heroic example of protecting, serving, and educating.” According to Williams, “the best part of teaching is being aware you’re making a significant effect on humanity.” Of all the things she has done, she claims teaching to be the best.
The final award winner of the evening was Jean Denton Thompson, who was given the Special Legacy Award for her “nontraditional contribution to education.” Thompson is one of the Freedom Riders arrested in Mississippi in 1961 and currently resides in Amherst, Massachusetts, where she has dedicated her life to justice, equity, and diversity.
Thompson says she is able to trace her family back to the 1700s, and five of her uncles and her grandfather voted for the first time in 1867. She joined the NAACP’s Youth Chapter in 1960 when she was 19 years old, and that is when she became active in the fight for civil rights. She was always taught, and continues to teach, that “if you see injustice, you have to do something about it.” Thompson will celebrate her 80 birthday on January 13.
Lastly, two AAFPAA’s first ever scholarship recipients are Jasmine Bogle and Paris Lizana. The organization’s ability to provide scholarships for these young African American women is new this year, and they have hopes for this element to continue in future years.
The fifth annual African American Female Professor Awards was a night of recognition, laughter, appreciation, and light. This association’s ability to recognize African American women in academia provides a wonderful service to those in the world of higher education. For Western New England University to host the fifth annual ceremony on our campus was an honor, and our University will continue to be involved in this initiative in the future.
