DaMareo is the executive director of the Ohio Organizing Collaborative, a statewide organization dedicated to improving the lives of everyday Ohioans. He has played an integral role in shaping and developing the OOC’s electoral and community organizing campaigns across the state since 2008. His passion for organizing grew out of the love for the community in which he was raised, and currently lives (Akron, Ohio). DaMareo has spent his career working with leaders in communities of color, and developing campaigns to address issues of race and economic inequality in grassroots communities.

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Victoria Jackson is state policy fellow with Policy Matters Ohio. Jackson is one of eight fellows selected nationally through a highly competitive process by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. Her research focuses on K-12 education, higher education, and food assistance policy.

Your Gift's Impact

Your generous support helps sustain the department’s founding mission of accessibility and educational excellence, ensuring Africana Studies’ bold future.

Each semester the Institute hosts up to three Lunch and Learn presentations; these lunch-time presentations provide faculty with opportunities each fall and spring semester to make presentations on the third Wednesday of the month. This speaker series is intended to serve as a forum where scholars and professionals across campus can showcase research and creative interests.

IAAA is instrumental in holding a biennial conference titled: Africa and the Global Atlantic World Conference. This conference is especially significant because it provides faculty and students with the opportunity to showcase their research to a wider audience. Since its inception in 2012, we have hosted three conferences themed: Cultures, Identities, and Racial Violence in the Pan-African World, 2016; Revisiting Black History, Identities and Popular Culture, 2014; Slavery Colonialism and African Identities in the Atlantic World 2012.

Institute for African American Affairs (IAAA)/New World Studies

Currently, the Institute for African American Affairs (IAAA) serves as the research arm of the Department of Pan-African Studies. IAAA supports students and faculty collaboration as well as sponsors workshops for the University and community to train professionals and students in culturally appropriate curriculum and pedagogy. Your gift to IAAA will support programs such as these:

The Uumbaji Art Gallery is a space dedicated to examining themes about global Africa and its diasporas, social justice and other social justice issues facing Peoples of Color. However, it is also a space that embraces themes not directly related to Africa and its diasporas. We exhibit multimodalities of art based on the quality, how it fits within our theme, as well as the interest an exhibition may have for the entire university and surrounding community. We encourage artists to exhibit work that reflects a variety of media, styles and viewpoints.

Since 2017, this creative and cultural enrichment institute is intended to use cultural and academic enrichment to critically and creatively empower youth to be change agents in their communities and beyond. The overall vision of FIAA is to co-create space for young people to be affirmed in themselves so that they are prepared to work effectively in their own best interests.

The African Community Theatre in the Department of Pan-African Studies increases exposure to and knowledge of the theatre heritage of African American for student and local community residents of all ages. Students enhance communication skills and gain awareness and appreciation of the African American heritage as depicted through theatre. Established in 1970, the African Community Theatre brings awareness and appreciation of the experiences of people of African descent as illustrated through theatrical performances.