Experts Advisory: Black History Month Experts at the University at Albany

ALBANY, N.Y. (January 7, 2010) -- The life and legacy of Martin Luther King Jr., black heritage, issues affecting people of African descent and African American literature and poetry are topics covered by UAlbany's faculty experts.

BLACK HERITAGE is celebrated throughout Black History Month. Africana Studies and History Professor Allen Ballard offers insight into the history and culture of African Americans, as well as the history of the Civil War. Ballard has published several books, including The Education of Black People (1973) and Carried by Six (2009). He was also one of the first two African Americans to integrate Kenyon College.

AFRICAN AMERICAN LITERATURE includes stories about the unsung heroes in African American history and the Civil Rights Movement.

Africana Studies and English Professor Leonard Slade Jr. discusses the contributions of black authors to America's literary landscape. Slade can also offer insight into the life and legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. He is the editor of Black Essays (1995), a collection of short pieces by African American critics and scholars. AFRICAN PSYCHOLOGY, including issues affecting people of African heritage, enslavement and colonial experiences of people of African descent, HIV/AIDS,

and transracial adoption are among the areas of expertise of Marcia Sutherland, chairwoman of UAlbany's Department of Africana Studies Department. Sutherland is author of Black Authenticity: A Psychology for Liberating People of African Descent (1997).

Contact(s): Catherine Herman (518) 956-8150