History, Philosophy & Religious Studies

The birth and expansion of the American police can be traced to a host of contributing factors. The practice of enslavement and the control of minorities, however, were the leading causes of the formation of early policing. Slave patrols in the south, and northern constables were created to control the behaviors of minorities. These organizations served as the forerunner of modern American law enforcement. In the wake of Black Lives Matter, we are reminded of the long history of violent confrontations between African-American citizens and the police. The purpose of this research is to examine whether progress in law enforcement has been made following the Civil Rights Act of 1964. My hypothesis is that the current pervasive and disproportionate killing of African Americans indicates the Supreme Court’s inability to effectively remedy the injustices in American policing. I reviewed eleven sources to gather evidence to prove my hypothesis. Ultimately, The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was supposed to ban discrimination and extend all rights to African Americans. However, despite strides made during the Civil Rights Movement, police practices continue to mirror Jim Crow.

In this research project titled “In God’s Image: Black Womanhood and Effective Leadership,” I asked, "How have Black clergywomen utilized a positive paradigm of Black womanhood to construct an effective leadership style?" The goal of this qualitative study was to discover a correlation between Black clergywomen possessing an affirming understanding of their womanhood, in particular Black womanhood, and their ability to lead effectively as Black clergywomen who serve in the Black Church. Using womanist approach, I argued that there is a correlation between Black clergywomen having a positive paradigm of Black womanhood and leading effectively as Black clergywomen within the occasionally oppressive and restrictive context of the Black Church. For the data collection, I conducted semi-structured interviews and participant observation with three Black clergywomen who serve within the Black Church in the city of Atlanta, GA. I interviewed and observed my participants by visiting their religious settings. Through content analysis of collected data, I discovered that my participants have positive self-defining narratives of Black womanhood and lead effectively as Black clergywomen with a collaborative leadership style.
 

 In this research project, I examined the interactions between the women of Hinduism and the fashion industry. This project addresses the unrestricting versatility of traditional Indian attire and how Hindu women wear these garments. Using the pluralist theory as defined by Diana Eck and the sociological approach as defined by Debra Majeed, this research project sought to answer the following questions: “Are there restrictions in traditional Indian attire that hinder the individuality of women who practice Hinduism? If so, what are they?” I collected qualitative data through interviews and participant observation. Analysis of the data led me to the conclusion that while the attire that many Hindu women wear may be traditional Indian attire, the women do not find it restricting to their individuality or self-expression. In fact many find it liberating. To thoroughly understand this research project, it is helpful to be acquainted with some terminology in Indian fashion. Sari is a traditional draped Indian garment of five to nine yards of fabric that is worn by women. Bindi is a marking that is placed in the center of the forehead which previously only held religious significance, but is now a fashion statement. Other words and phrases are defined or described within the presentation. 

During ancient times, patriarchy fueled a clear and distinct division within society. However, we must acknowledge that within Ancient Philosophy, many women contributed great thought to the discipline.This research focuses on women philosophers of ancient Greece, Egypt, and Israel. This study explores the lives of four philosophers of the ancient period: Perictione I, Diotima of Mantinea, Bruriah, and Hypatia of Alexandria. These women will be used as case studies to narrate the forgotten stories of women in ancient philosophy. They stood as the forbearers of profound knowledge by: 1) expounding from Pythagorean discipleship, 2) contributing to the philosophy of love and Midrash Halacha, 3) engaging in metaphysics, and 4) advancing the philosophy of mathematics respectively. The goal of this work is to emphasize the importance of exploring, understanding and engaging with women philosophers of the ancient period. This observation interrogates the conceptualization of women within the ancient period by challenging the idea that women existed solely for the will of man and to abide by the rules of the nation which intended to further subjugate her being. It also underscores the claim that without women, as Simonides states, society would be not able to continue.