From literature and cinema to culture and verse, we honor and center Black Scholarship in the Humanities at the University of Washington as a beacon. For Black History month, we invite you to learn more about the intersections between the Humanities and Black scholarship through people. Their achievements and works connect past to present, with more to come in the future. 

 

Dr. Colleen J. McElroy, Professor Emerita of English

Colleen J. McElroy was a nationally known poet and the first Black woman to serve as a full-time faculty member at the University of Washington. She traveled the world and wrote in almost every genre imaginable, understanding and advocating for the power found in language. After earning a Ph.D. in ethnolinguistic patterns of dialect differences and oral traditions, Dr. McElroy joined the faculty of the English department and the creative writing program in 1973 until her retirement in 2006.

You can read about Dr. McElroy's life and career here.

 

Dr. Maya Angela Smith, Associate Dean for Equity, Justice and Inclusion in the College of Arts & Sciences/ Associate Professor of French & Italian Studies

As a faculty member with the Department of French & Italian Studies, Dr. Smith's work focuses on the intersection of racial and linguistic identity formations among marginalized groups in the African diaspora, particularly in the postcolonial francophone world. With equity, justice, and inclusion central to her research agenda, Dr. Smith's lived experiences and expertise are key factors in her leadership role as Associate Dean for equity, justice and inclusion.

Learn more about Dr. Smith's perspective and approach here.

 

Tré Cotten, UW Arts & Sciences alumnus, MFA, Acting

Cotten's path to acting and dialect coaching show the powerful overlaps possible with the Arts & Humanities. Dialect coaching takes up much of Cotten’s time, but he’s also been part of videogame projects and is developing new work for stage and screen. “The voice makes up so much of us, and as people of color, that is often the first thing that is taken away. So to have a career to help people realize not only their voice but to represent unrepresented voices? I’ll take that.”

Learn more about Tré's journey to the screen here.