Building Community
On-Campus
Audre Lorde reminds us that “without community, there is no liberation…but community must not mean a shedding of our differences, nor the pathetic pretense that these differences do not exist.” I take this approach to collegiality seriously, understanding it as a practice of supporting and collaborating with others in ways that honor difference without overshadowing or monopolizing individual skill sets. For me, collegiality is not about sameness or ease, but about ethical engagement—listening closely, sharing labor, and remaining accountable to one another.
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Building community on campus is central to how I understand my role as a faculty member. I approach relationships with colleagues, staff, and students as opportunities for collaboration, care, and shared growth, especially within interdisciplinary and creative contexts. In the same way that I teach my students to value work that holds difference while cultivating connection, I aim to enact those principles in my scholarly and artistic praxis. This includes making space for dialogue, supporting colleagues’ work, and contributing to environments where creativity and intellectual risk can thrive.
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This page highlights the ways I contribute to a campus culture grounded in mutual support, open communication, and collective responsibility. The examples that follow reflect my belief that community-building is an ongoing practice. While not an exhaustive list, each experience is shaped by presence, care, and a shared commitment to sustaining one another’s work.
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Reflecting on Collegiality
Interdepartmental Teaching & Collaboration
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I regularly teach and collaborate across departments, contributing to interdisciplinary learning and relationship-building:
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Women’s Studies (WMST)
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Women’s Studies / Mass Communication (WMST/MSCM)
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XCOR (multiple courses)
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English / Women’s Studies (ENGL/WMST)
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Exponential Honors/Performance Studies (PERF)
I have also invited colleagues from the ENGL department to teach PERF courses, supporting cross-disciplinary exchange and shared curricular investment
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Campus Engagement & Support of Colleagues’ Work
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I consistently attend and support on- and off-campus events that highlight faculty and student scholarship, performance, and creative work, including but not limited to:
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MaPo Kinnord’s Faculty Colloquium (sabbatical presentation)
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Ron Bechet’s exhibition at the Center for the Arts and Culture
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Miranda Myles-Jackson’s student exhibit for the Xavier centennial, "Young, Gifted, and Black" (including collaborating for a dance opening of the exhibit)
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Kai Knight’s site-specific course presentation and Cultural Ties showcase
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Dr. Jeff Benjamin’s film showcase at the Black Film Festival of New Orleans
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Dr. Sakinah Davis’s Pirates of Portsmouth production (including assisting students with performance preparation)
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Showcases by the Music Department
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Dr. Robin Runia’s Faculty Colloquium (Women's Writing in Analog & Digital Archives)
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Co-Authored a NEH grant for Faculty at HBCU's submission with Miranda Myles Jackson, Dr. Jennifer Morrison, Dr. Cassandra Shepard, Dr. Leonard Curry, and Dr. Sakinah Davis. I was the principal investigator. (Grant was terminated due to language that supports diversity.)
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Faculty Development & Institutional Participation
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I actively participate in faculty development and institutional initiatives, including:
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Events sponsored by CAT+FD (e.g., AI integration panel, mindfulness workshops, public discussions on AI policy)
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Faculty Writing Group
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Faculty Portfolio Working Group, including reviewing and providing feedback on colleagues’ portfolios
I also reviewed and edited Dr. Sakinah Davis’s article on Opera and HBCUs, which has since been published.
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Student Support & Recruitment
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My collegial practice also includes supporting students and departments through formal recruitment and public-facing events:
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Open House (Fall 2024, Fall 2025)
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Lagniappe (Spring 2025)
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Recruitment support for the Music Department
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Attendance at student senior exhibitions on and off campus
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Visit high schools in New Orleans (started Spring 2026)
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Speak to middle school students in Texas (started Spring 2026)
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Additionally, I served as a guest lecturer for two sections of Dr. Jennifer Morrison’s course, Black Hair Narratives, and attended events sponsored by African and African Diaspora Studies faculty, including work by Dr. Cassandra Shepard and Dr. Camille Dantzler.
Finally, I invite you to check out my Lagniappe page.