Pvamu Announces Melina Abdullah As Its Inaugural Activist-in- Residence

PRAIRIE VIEW, Texas, Oct. 7, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Prairie View A&M University (PVAMU) has announced that scholar and co-founder of the Los Angeles Chapter of Black Lives Matter, Melina Abdullah, will be the university's inaugural Activist-In-Residence for the 2021-2022 academic year. The Activist-in-Residence will be charged with teaching students more about their power as change agents in society.

"I look forward to grounding students in a tradition that ties intellectual work to justice struggle," said Abdullah, who also serves as a professor of Pan-African Studies at California State University, Los Angeles. "I hope to tie them to the long history of the Black freedom struggle, to expose them to justice warriors who walked before them, to deepen their sense of 'linked fate,' to give them tools that enable them to do meaningful work in the world, to inspire them to bring their gifts and talents to the charge of Black liberation, and to deepen their understanding of and commitment to this movement moment."

PVAMU students are no strangers to having their voices heard. Over the years, many have spoken out on various issues, from the death of Sandra Bland to voting rights issues in Waller County and even a debate over the placement of a local landfill.

"I have immense pride in our legacy as an institution whose students are always actively asserting their rights and resisting efforts to silence them," said Melanye Price, director of the Ruth J. Simmons Center for Race and Justice. "The person who would take on this role would help our students better understand what it means to have a life of service and commitment to the community."

For more information about PVAMU's Activist-in-Residence position, contact Dr. Price at mtprice@pvamu.edu.

About Prairie View A&M University: Designated an institution of "the first class" in the Texas Constitution, Prairie View A&M University is the second-oldest public institution of higher education in the state. With an established reputation for producing engineers, nurses, and educators, PVAMU offers baccalaureate degrees, master's degrees, and doctoral degree programs through eight colleges and schools. A member of The Texas A&M University System, the university is dedicated to fulfilling its land-grant mission of achieving excellence in teaching, research, and service. For more information regarding PVAMU, visit www.pvamu.edu.

Candace Johnson
Executive Director of Marketing
and Communications
936-261-1566, cajohnson@pvamu.edu  

Marchita Shilo
Communications Manager
936-261-2134
mlshilo@pvamu.edu  
The Office of Marketing and Communications, 936-261-1560, www.pvamu.edu/marcomm

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/pvamu-announces-melina-abdullah-as-its-inaugural-activist-in--residence-301395559.html

SOURCE Prairie View A&M University