Christina McVay is a white Pan-African Studies Professor at Kent State University. Dowdy conducted an interview with McVay in order to include people who I have gained from the study of Black women and Black Literature. In the Interview, McVay talks about her past and how she became interested in Black studies. What I thought was the most interesting part of the interview was when McVay talked about her Black friend at a boarding school she attended. McVay’s friend, Alice, would receive readings such as Eldridge Cleaver, The Autobiography of Malcolm X, and other black power literature. From these readings, McVay developed a new perspective on whites as well as African Americans.
McVay’s teaching techniques are different than many other professors in her field as well. By having her Black students create their own “Slang Dictionary”, it not only helped McVay understand the Black culture but it created a new way for her students to learn in a more interactive style. McVay’s differentiating perspective probably confuses people because many would feel as if she cannot relate to Pan-African Studies, but her passion and dedication toward the subject makes up for any doubts that people may have.
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