Emma Norman Todd Distinguished Lecture Series
The Emma Norman Todd Distinguished Lecture Series is named for one of the first Black students to attend Central Michigan University. After completing her studies in 1910, Todd taught in a single-room school in the Mid-Michigan community of Remus, where she was born.
This series honors her legacy as an educator and advocate for community and equality by bringing distinguished scholars in the fields of racial and social justice to campus to share their knowledge and experiences.
Speakers are chosen based on their research and their ability to inspire dialogue, community engagement and civic education within our campus community.
Dr. Candace Hall and Dr. J.T Snipes
Thursday, Nov. 2 | 6 p.m. at Plachta Auditorium
Join us for an evening with Dr. Candace Hall & Dr. J.T. Snipes with a screening of Clusterluck followed by a panel discussion.
Film Synopsis - Black faculty are a few in the academy, less than 6%. This documentary short, clusterluck, captures the intentionality of recruiting Black faculty to Southern Illinois University Edwardsville; and explores the creation of an intentional community to support Black faculty toward thriving and experiencing joy at the institution. This film is a digital visualization of my research on Black faculty experiences in academe and encourages higher education leaders to reimagine recruitment and hiring practices necessary for diversification of the professoriate. I am hopeful this work shows the world what is possible for Black faculty when recruitment is done with care and intentionality.
Candace N. Hall, Ed.D. (she/her/hers) is a creative academic in Higher Education and Student Affairs. Her research interests include the recruitment, retention, and support of Black faculty at historically white institutions. Hall aims to show the possibility of Black joy in the academy in hopes that more people will invest in spaces where Black faculty can authentically experience joy, hope, and community. Her recent project clusterluck, a documentary short, highlights the experiences of a group of Black faculty within a department at a historically white institution. This short film unpacks what community means and what it looks like for Black scholars to have supportive communities within their departments at their institutions. Hall earned her doctorate in education (EdD) in Higher Education Leadership at Maryville University, a master's of arts (MA) in Communication Arts in the School of Education at Webster University, and a bachelor's of arts (BA) in English from the University of Missouri-St. Louis. Hall is an assistant professor of Educational Leadership at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville.
J.T. Snipes, Ph.D. is Associate Professor of Educational Leadership at Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville. Prior to his faculty appointment, he worked for over 15 years in higher education administration. Currently, his research interest focuses on religion and spirituality in higher education, African American collegiate students, and critical race theory in education. His research can be found in the Journal of College Student Development, International Journal of Qualitative Studies in Education, and the Journal of Diversity in Higher Education. His latest edited volume Remixed and Reimagined: Innovations in Religion, Spirituality, and (Inter)Faith in Higher Education invites readers to rethink religious scholarship and practice in higher education and student affairs.