Food for the Body and Soul

Amid the savory smell of freshly cooked soul food, approximately 35 faculty, staff and students enjoyed lunches in advance of the “Who Am I? Blackness as a Threat” panel discussion.

“Soul Food Friday” is part of the University of Missouri-Kansas City Multicultural Student Affairs “Who Am I” annual series. The programs explore various issues surrounding identity, including topics related to race and ethnicity, sexuality and leadership.

This year’s event explored the role of student activism in light of the events leading to the Black Lives Matter Movement.

Toya Like-Haislip, Ph.D., associate professor, Department of Criminal Justice & Criminology, gave a brief lecture on social movements and, particularly, the similarities and contrasts between the Black Lives Matter Movement and the Civil Rights Movement.

Following the introduction, Like-Haislip moderated the interactive discussion, which included student leaders and faculty panelists who also were well-versed on this topic.

The panelists were Ida Ayalew, Student Government Association president; Rakeem Golden, The African American Student Union (TAASU) president; Jacqueline Wood, Ph.D., associate professor, Black Studies Program; Cordell Pulliam, event coordinator, Men of Color Initiative; and Linwood Tauheed, Ph.D., associate professor, Department of Economics.

|Wandra Brooks Green, Division of Strategic Marketing and Communications