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On Strike, Shut It Down: the Past, Present, and Future of Africana Studies
Get PDFThis paper explores the history of Black Studies, which began as a result of student protest movements--spurred on by the student strike at San Francisco State College in 1968--and spread across the country to hundreds of colleges and universities. Black students everywhere sought control over their education, including at the Claremont Colleges, a small consortium of liberal arts colleges located in Southern California. The mobilization on behalf of Black students at the Claremont Colleges, and the subsequent administrative attempts to not only block the creation of a Black Studies department, but to delegitimize the department after its founding, tells a compelling, though seldom-known story about the character of Africana Studies. Uncovering this history through various archival documents helps to illustrate a path forward for the discipline, both at the Claremont Colleges and elsewhere. In particular, looking back to the past can help reorient towards a more radical, liberatory future by preparing students to center their academics around community organizing and Black freedom, just as Black students did in the 1960s
"A Conversation about Reparations in America with Professor Amilcar Shabazz"
Get PDFA champion of social justice and a distinguished scholar-activist, Amilcar Shabazz has dedicated his life and career to the discipline of Black Studies and community engagement. As a native of Beaumont, Texas, he completed his bachelor’s degree in economics at the University of Texas-Austin (1982) before obtaining his master’s degree in history from Lamar University (1990) and PhD in history from the University of Houston (1996). Shabazz has taught at multiple higher education institutions such as the University of Alabama, Oklahoma State University, and the University of Oklahoma. He currently serves as a full professor of history and Africana Studies in the W.E.B. Du Bois Department of Afro-American Studies at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst.
Over the course of his career, Shabazz has accumulated an extensive publication record. He is the author of Advancing Democracy: African Americans and the Struggle for Access and Equity in Higher Education in Texas (2004). He is co-editor of The Forty Acres Documents: What Did the United States Really Promise the People Freed from Slavery? (1994) and Women and Others: Perspectives on Gender, Race, and Empire (2007). His journal articles and short essays appear in the Journal of African American History, The Houston Review, The Human Tradition in Texas, ArtLies: Texas Art Journal, and the Texas Gulf Historical and Biographical Record. In addition to his written scholarship, Shabazz’s leadership is evident in multiple academic and civic organizations. He is a past president of the National Council for Black Studies as well as a founding member of the New African People’s Organization, the National Coalition of Blacks for Reparations in America, and the African Heritage Reparation Assembly of Amherst, Massachusetts. His advocacy surrounding reparations has been covered by major media outlets such as the Boston Globe, Washington Post and NBC News. In the following interview, Dr. Shabazz discusses the roots of his activism, his journey to professorship, the state of Black Studies in the academy, and the current push for reparations. This conversation took place at the New Africa House on the campus of the University of Massachusetts-Amherst
FOXA2 and NKX2-1 Orchestrate Neuroendocrine Lineage Plasticity in Prostate Cancer
No full textNeuroendocrine prostate cancer (NEPC) is a treatment-resistant subtype that arises through lineage plasticity, allowing tumor cells to bypass androgen receptor (AR)–targeted therapies. In a recent study, Lu et al. define a transcriptional and epigenetic hierarchy that drives this transdifferentiation. The pioneer factor FOXA2 initiates enhancer remodeling and regional DNA demethylation, while the neural lineage transcription factor NKX2-1 is required to complete the NE program. Together, these factors reorganize 3D chromatin architecture and activate lineage-specific genes through enhancer–promoter looping. Crucially, the histone acetyltransferase p300/CBP is essential cofactor in this process. Pharmacologic inhibition of p300/CBP with CCS1477 suppresses NE gene expression and impairs tumor growth in NEPC models. These findings offer a mechanistic insight of lineage plasticity and highlight p300/CBP as promising therapeutic targets. The study also raises key questions about the stability and reversibility of chromatin remodeling and sets a framework for understanding enhancer-driven plasticity in other cancers
An eagerness for conspecifics: The distribution of nests of the sunflower leafcutting bee, Megachile pugnata (Megachilidae), when nesting cavities are in excess
Get PDFUnder unmanaged conditions, many ground-nesting bee species nest in large aggregations. Although cavity-nesters (xylophiles) will also nest in large aggregations when managed in agricultural settings, it is unclear if they do so instinctively or due to opportunity. Here we report that females of the xylophile Megachile pugnata Say preferentially aggregate their nests at three measured scales of cavity availability even when nesting cavities are in excess. We also find that they sometimes prefer to initiate nesting at the edges of nesting blocks but that they are generally unresponsive to the position of cavities in nest shelters: aggregations are evident irrespective of location. We propose that an important but previously unemphasized reason that aggregation behavior has been maintained by xylophiles and ground-nesting species, is the genetic benefits realized by having many unrelated mating partners available
Ecuadorian bumble bees (Apidae: Bombus): Species diversity, distribution, and floral associations
Get PDFEcuador’s bee diversity, particularly bumble bees, remains underexplored despite their significant ecological role. This study provides an updated species list, identification keys in both English and Spanish, potential distribution maps based on Ecological Niche Models (ENM), and a summary of known plant associations. Our dataset includes 1,756 records, comprising 408 museum specimens, 1,234 observations from iNaturalist, and 114 field observations recorded by the first author. We document 13 species distributed across two subgenera. Bombus (Cullumanobombus): B. butteli, B. ecuadorius, B. funebris, B. handlirschi, B. hortulanus, B. melaleucus, B. robustus, B. rubicundus, and B. vogti. Bombus (Thoracobombus): B. excellens, B. pauloensis, B. pullatus, and B. transversalis. Most species are associated with high Andean ecosystems above 2,300 m, though several extend into lower elevations, with records ranging from 180 to 4,719 m. The compiled data span five decades and include records from 17 of 24 provinces in Ecuador. Bumble bees were documented visiting 143 plant species across 39 families, highlighting their broad trophic interactions and potential importance for native vegetation. The ENM-based potential distribution maps offer updated insights into the geographic ranges of those species with sufficient occurrence data, providing a foundation for future ecological and conservation assessments. This study synthesizes the most comprehensive information currently available on Ecuadorian bumble bees, contributing to improved taxonomic knowledge, a deeper understanding of their trophic interactions, and clearer biogeographic insights for the group. Our findings also highlight the importance of continued monitoring and research, particularly to evaluate how these species respond to environmental change and to better understand their functional roles within both Andean and lowland ecosystems
Early Childhood Classroom Design: Integrating Montessori Principles with Neuroeducational Research
Get PDFThis critical literature review explores how classroom design influences attentional development in early childhood education (ECE). Although attention and self-regulation are frequently cited as barriers to school readiness, emerging research suggests that attention is not a fixed trait but one shaped by environmental conditions. Integrating insights from neuroeducation, embodied cognition, and biopsychosocial models, this review highlights how sensory-conscious and biophilic design elements, such as natural lighting, reduced visual clutter, and organic materials, can lower allostatic load, support attentional focus, and enhance encoding for content retention. By conceptualizing the classroom as both a physical and cognitive space, this review underscores the foundational role of environmental design in promoting developmental alignment, reducing educational disparities, and improving learning outcomes. This critical synthesis offers a compelling rationale for optimizing ECE environments through a neurodevelopmental lens, with implications for educational policy, teacher preparation, and future empirical research
ESRD, Peritoneal Dialysis, and Blastomycosis: A Rare Intersection with Life-Limiting Implications
No full textDear Dr. L: ALS
Get PDFRooted in a personal interview with a single individual living with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), this poem offers a reflective narrative that seeks to preserve and honor the specificity of the patient\u27s voice. Rather than generalizing the experience of those with ALS, the work consciously maintains the integrity of one story--acknowledging the nuances, emotional depth, and individuality often lost in broader clinical disclosure.
While clinicians and trainees are well-versed in the pathophysiology of ALS, they may have fewer opportunities to witness its lived experience through the eyes of a patient. Through verse, this piece invites readers to engage more fully with the emotional, physical, and social realities of a life reshaped by diagnosis. It aims to deepen empathy and promote truly patient-centered communication in neurologic care and education
NGOs reports vs. Reality: Indigenous Peruvians’ real-life challenges
Get PDFThis research explores if NGOs accurately document the socioeconomic and environmental issues Indigenous Peruvians face. The study draws on previous literature on environmental challenges and focuses on socioeconomic challenges affecting Indigenous people. Additionally, the research contributes to previous studies as some researchers argue there is a disconnect between development organizations and target communities and propose the outsiders’ theory claiming that development organizations lack the cultural awareness to understand the needs of target communities. The study uses thematic coding to find the seven main issues documented in NGO reports. These seven topics served as the basis for formulating open-ended questions to conduct 45-minute interviews with ten Quechua speakers to then analyze the transcripts through two rounds of thematic coding. Socioeconomic issues are the most pressing issue for Indigenous Peruvians, as these people lack access to basic services. Consequently, Indigenous people leave their communities looking for better jobs and educational opportunities in cities. Furthermore, socioeconomic issues make Indigenous people more vulnerable to environmental challenges as Indigenous migrants are usually poor, and climate change disproportionately affects people facing poverty. The project will help to close the gap between NGO reports and real-life challenges to allow researchers to explore policies on how to address the connection between socioeconomic challenges and environmenta