The Andrew Goodman Historically Black College and University (HBCU) Cohort is a national platform where HBCU student leaders can thought-partner and form proactive measures to increase voter registration, participation, and engagement among HBCU students and their surrounding communities.
Monica Clarke is the Freshman Academy Service Learning Coordinator and an adjunct English faculty member at Alabama A&M Univeristy.
Thalia Butts (she/her) is majoring in mass communications with a concentration in journalism and a minor in creative writing at Claflin University.
While matriculating at Claflin University, she has served in a variety of leadership positions across the campus, including the Student Government Association, Claflin University Association of Black Journalists, Panther S.T.E.P.S Peer Mentor Program, ACT Honors College, and the Freshmen College. As a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., Thalia currently serves locally in the Gamma Chi chapter, on a regional level as the South Carolina State Facilitator, and on a national level as a member of the 2020-2021 Leadership DELTA cohort. While at Claflin, she was blessed many times with opportunities to travel to and study abroad in Japan, South Korea, Poland, and Finland.
She also worked as a Poll Defender with the MTV +1 the Polls initiative in Fall 2020 toward ensuring Claflin students had safe access to a polling place to exercise their right to vote.
After graduation, Thalia plans to pursue a Master of Mass Communications at the University of South Carolina, and then to secure full-time employment as a UX writer before retiring to become a midwife and farmer. As an alumna, she also hopes to travel frequently and be able to serve and contribute to her beloved Claflin University.
Zhariah Walker, a native of Hopkins, SC, is in the Alice Carson Tisdale honors college at the illustrious Claflin University in Orangeburg, SC. She is a Finance major, with a minor in Spanish and apart of multiple organizations on campus including the campus’ chapter of the NAACP, and currently serves as an executive assistant on the Student Government Association. Beyond campus life, Zhariah is very involved in the Orangeburg community; she has initiated and founded a mentoring and literacy program for young girls at a local elementary school near the University’s campus. Since a young child, Zhariah has always been very faith-oriented and driven to giving back to the community. She lives by the scripture 1 Timothy 4:12 which reads “Don’t let anyone think less of you because you are young. Be an example to all believers in what you say, in the way you live, in your love, your faith, and your purity.” Following graduation, Zhariah anticipates enrolling in a dual-degree law program earning an M.B.A in International Business and a Juris Doctorate to pursue a career in Sports and Entertainment Law.
Terrance Middleton, a native of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, is a junior business administration major and marketing minor who attends the historical Claflin University in Orangeburg, South Carolina. Terrance serves in numerous organizations on and off campus. He serves as the president of the Claflin University Chapter of NAACP and Parliamentarian for the Claflin University Student Government Association. Terrance’s life commitment is to his family, his community, and his future alma mater. He strives in life by helping others who need it the most, specializing in the effectiveness of not only young African Americans but of those who are seemingly overlooked. Terrance has made ground shaking movement on the campus by inviting presidential candidates to the campus through his organizations, hosting forums for the betterment of African Americans and minorities, giving back to local community organizations, and serving in his fullest potential regardless of the circumstances.
Teri Platt is a Community of Practice Fellow, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) for the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge at Civic Nation.
Teri Platt, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor in the Department of Public Administration and the Director of the Isabella T. Jenkins Honors Program at Clark Atlanta University. She has over 15 years of higher education teaching experience in courses on American political institutions, public policy, urban politics and planning, and research methodology. Dr. Platt has a long-standing commitment to research and service in areas of civic engagement and community-based participatory research activities. She is currently a Faculty Affiliate with Data Science Initiative of the Atlanta University Center Consortium and the Center for Cancer Research and Therapeutic Development at Clark Atlanta University where she is a social science researcher and lead of the Community Engagement and Dissemination Core. Through her work with the CCRTD, Dr. Platt has received funding to explore the relationship between civic engagement, self-efficacy, and prostate health through the National Institutes of Health.
Dr. Platt was a 2021-2022 Fellow with the National Center for Free Speech and Civic Engagement at the University of California, Irvine where she evaluated student voter engagement at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). She is also the Faculty Champion for the Andrew Goodman Foundation HBCU Cohort; a Co-Designer with the Ask Every Student Initiative of the Students Learn, Students Vote coalition; a member of the Executive Council of the Students Learn, Students Vote Coalition; participant in the HBCU Community of Practice for the ALL IN Democracy Challenge; and Faculty Champion for the Democracy Fellows of the Campus Vote Project.
An active member of scholarly associations, Dr. Platt has served on committees and participated in the annual meetings of the American Society for Public Administration, Conference for Minority Public Administrators, Southeastern Conference for Public Administration, National Conference of Black Political Scientists, Midwest Political Science Association, and American Political Science Association.
Dr. Platt resides in Atlanta with her family and is an active member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated. She provides additional service to the community through her church and the Atlanta Public Schools.
Janiah Henry, hailing from Middle Georgia, began her freshman year of college during her junior year of high school. She began her first year at Clark Atlanta University as a sophomore. She is interested in law and shaping public policy and is majoring in Political Science. Her highest aspirations are to be a District Attorney and later a woman of the U.S. Congress. Her experience as an African American woman with racial microaggressions, classroom neglect, voter suppression, and witnessing poverty and the school-to-prison pipeline destroy her community sparked her interest in serving her community through law. In high school, Janiah served as a member and ambassador of a civic engagement girls empowerment group by the name of New Vision MSK; with New Vision MSK Janiah worked to increase voting rights, voter registration, and voter turnout during election season. Janiah also served as a head intern on the first African American Woman District Attorney-Elect Anita Howard Campaign team. Janiah also served as a campaign administration for Elizabeth Johnson's Congressional Campaign. In the future, she hopes to attend law school to continue her work systemically helping her community and strengthening her platform for better civic engagement while holding her public offices.
Robert Couch is Langston University student from Kansas City, Kansas majoring in Computer Science. He began his experience at Langston as a member of the marching band, playing Trombone. During his sophomore year, he served on the Student Advisory Board for the state of Oklahoma. On campus, Robert is Chair of the Dean’s Advisory Board for the School of Business. He is also a Spring ’20 Initiate of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Incorporated, Membership Chair of NAACP, Trombone Section Leader, and a Director of Civic Affairs for the Student Government Association.
Jalen Curry is a political science and urban studies major at Morehouse College from Rock Hill, South Carolina. He is the president of the New Deal Democrats, a campus organization that aims to demystify the democratic process. Jalen also serves as presidential ambassador to the college. He looks forward to getting more people involved in all aspects of the political process.
Brandon L. Daye is an Agribusiness and Supply Chain Management double major student under the highly acclaimed Willie A. Deese College of Business and Economics and College of Agriculture and Environmental Systems at North Carolina A&T State University. During his tenure at North Carolina A&T, he's held leadership positions in various organizations on campus. Most notably, SGA Senate Chairperson for the Campus Life Committee, Lead of the GOTV & Excitement Workgroup for the University Wide Civic Engagement Coalition, and Development Coordinator of the Office of Leadership and Civic Engagement L.E.A.D.s. Mr. Daye is beginning his 2nd year an Andrew Goodman Ambassador for North Carolina A&T and he is overly excited to continue his goal of continuously educating and promoting the power of voter, social, and civic engagement. Upon graduation, Brandon hopes to obtain his MBA from Howard University, MISE from Florida A&M University, and PhD from Hampton University. Throughout the work of The Andrew Goodman Foundation, he promises to ensure 100% campus engagement, registration, and voting. Brandon preaches the great words of Barack Obama, “Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we’ve been waiting for. We are the change that we seek.”
Dr. A. J. Stovall is a non-compromising social activist, educator, author, and lecturer. Stovall has committed his life and career to addressing and researching issues dealing with African American Politics, Economics, Education, and Culture. Stovall has been on the firing line, advocating social change, for more than 40 years. Stovall has been a key figure in directing and coordinating specialized minority, community and student programs and services. He earned the Ph.D. degree, Union Institute University, in Urban Studies (Black Politics); MA degree, Atlanta University, African American Studies; MS degree; Tennessee State University, Education Administration; and BA degree, University of Dubuque, History Psychology and Secondary Education. Presently, Stovall chairs the Division of Social Science, is Professor of Political Science and coordinates the Rust College International Program. Stovall serves on various community and academic based Boards, including the Association for Black Culture Centers and the Southern Association of African American Studies, Inc.
Dr. Cynthia Neal Spence is an Associate Professor of Sociology at Spelman College and Director of the UNCF/Mellon Programs. Her teaching and research interests in the areas of sociology, criminology, law, and violence against women support the Law and Criminology concentration in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology. Dr. Spence has served in the capacities of Assistant Dean for Freshman Studies, Associate Academic Dean and Academic Dean at Spelman College. Her interest in issues of higher education access, service-learning, gender role socialization and violence against women frame her research, writing, community service involvement, and public speaking. Her publications include “A Woman’s College Perspective on the Education of Men” (2004) New Directors for Student Series and “The Spelman College Total Person Commits to Positive Social Change” (2006), Engaging Departments: Moving Faculty Cultures from Private to Public, Individual to Collective Force for the Common Good. Her most recent publication “Does Race Trump Gender? Black Women Negotiating their Spaces of Intersection in the 2008 Presidential Campaign” is included in the edited volume “Who Should Be First? Feminists Speak Out on the 2008 Presidential Campaign” (2010). As Director of the UNCF Mellon Programs, Dr. Spence creates, manages and oversees a suite of future faculty development and faculty career enhancement programs for UNCF (United Negro College Fund) students and faculty. The UNCF/Mellon Programs are housed at Spelman College and funded by the Andrew Mellon Foundation.
In her newest role, Dr. Spence serves as the Faculty Lead for the Spelman College Social Justice Fellows Program. Dr. Spence is committed to helping Spelman women fully actualize their commitment to “making a choice to change the world “through social justice advocacy. She has served as a consultant for the Ford Foundation Institutional Transformation Project, the University of Chicago Provost Initiative on Minority Affairs, the Agnes Scott College Center for Teaching and Learning and the Georgia Department of Corrections. She currently serves as Faculty Trustee on the Spelman College Board of Trustees and is the former chair of the Board of the non-profit agency Men Stopping Violence. She is a member of the Board of Directors of Georgia Women for Change and the Women’s Solidarity Society for the Center for Civil and Human Rights. Dr. Spence is a graduate of Spelman College where she earned her B.A. degree. She earned both the Masters and Ph.D. degrees from Rutgers University. She is married to Harold W. Spence and they are the proud parents of two daughters, Christie ’05 and Courtnee ’08.
Chandler Nutall is a third-year student at Spelman College studying English from Washington, D.C. Chandler’s passion for promoting civic engagement stems from her desire to increase civics education and training in academic curricula throughout the country. An Ethel Waddell Githii Honors Scholar, Chandler is the Secretary of Academic Affairs for the Spelman Student Government Association and a Fellow of the Spelman College Social Justice Program. She also serves as Secretary of the Honors Program Student Association and Co-President of the National Council of Negro Women, Spelman Section. She was recently named a 2021 HBCU Competitiveness Scholar by the White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities. After graduation, she intends to pursue a Juris Doctor degree.
Lauren Nicks (She/her) is a junior International Studies major Sociology minor from Long Island, New York. During the Fall 2021 semester, she is interning with the American Civil Liberties of Georgia on their Voting Access Project, focusing her efforts on recruiting poll workers, increasing the voter participation rate among HBCU students, and helping oversee redistricting efforts. During the summer after her freshman year, Lauren interned at Columbia University's Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, researching the Black maternal mortality disparity and how false assumptions about Black pain tolerance have caused the Black maternal mortality rate to continue to climb.
Dr. Delores Butler has a non-profit organization that focuses on empowering and cultivating spiritual connectedness among children, youth and families, through a holistic approach to promote physical health, mental awareness, social relationships and spiritual unity to advance knowledge of self.
Anissia Sherelle Fleming is a student majoring in Political Science. On campus, Anissia serves as the Executive Chief of Staff and the Executive Assistant to the President of the Groundbreaking 81st Student Government Association. She too is a member of her school’s Honors College and Pre-Alumni Council. As an Andrew Goodman Ambassador, she hopes to educate the students on TSU’s campus to the best of her ability about everything voting related because it’s imperative that they know more than just what’s needed for a presidential election. Outside of school, Anissia enjoys spending time with her family and listening to music!
Mrs. Arna Shines is excited about being the new Andrew Goodman Campus Champion for Tougaloo College. She looks forward to supporting and contributing to the efforts to ensure that the spirit and tradition of civic engagement continues at Tougaloo College.
Kevana Funches is a student at the illustrious Tougaloo College studying Political Science with a minor in Pre-Law. She is a Servant Leader Scholar at TC with hopes to continue to serve and bring about change in her campus community and other communities. She is also a member of the NAACP, AAUW (American Association of University Women), and other organizations surrounded around her main goal of creating equity within all communities. After graduating from TC, Kevana plans to further her education in public policy and gain admissions to a reputable law school. She is ecstatic to be the Tougaloo College Andrew Goodman Ambassador and ignite change in her campus community.
As Assistant Director in the Rosenberg Center for Student Engagement and Inclusion, Elizabeth oversees orientation, commencement, student events board, traditions programming, office operations, and democratic engagement. Liz works with the Andrew Goodman campus ambassadors on UBalt Votes to increase voter engagement at The University of Baltimore. Civic and democratic engagement are central to the mission of higher education and the values of The University of Baltimore. While these types of engagement embody a wide variety of activities, participation in local, state, and federal elections is a real and tangible way for our students, staff and faculty to affect our community. The Rosenberg Center for Student Engagement and Inclusion is committed to ensuring that the UBalt community always has access to resources and information to be fully prepared to take part in the democratic process.
Kyren Clemons is a Marketing major at Virginia State University. He has an extreme passion for voting and has seen the importance of expressing the right to vote well before he was able to himself. To Kyren, everything that deals with voting and getting the message out has a correlation to marketing. Therefore, he is glad to be able to combine two of his passions for a common goal. He is extremely honored to part of The Andrew Goodman Foundation's HBCU Cohort.
Dr. Russell M. Frazier is an Orlando, Florida native, and he currently serves as Department Head of Political Science at Xavier University of Louisiana. Dr. Frazier was recently honored in the Cambridge Who’s Who Among Executives, Professionals and Entrepreneurs, a nationally distributed publication recognizing exceptional members of our national community. He is also a former Southern Regional Education Board and Benjamin Lever Doctoral Fellow. Dr. Frazier is an active member of the American Political Science Association and an active member of the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA). In addition to Dr. Frazier's professional and scholarly endeavors, he serves his community through many Xavier University community initiatives, the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity incorporated, and recently served as a Board member for the New Orleans Court Appointed Special Advocates organization.
Prior to Dr. Frazier’s Xavier University faculty appointment, he served as a Western Kentucky University Post-Doctoral Fellow; Special Assistant to the Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs and Director of Student Programs at Southern University and A & M College; and as the Director of Residence Life at Kentucky State University. He has a progressive and diverse career in higher education that spans almost 20 years. As a result, Dr. Frazier has published multiple articles concerning effective policy implementation, effectively taught complex course material, successfully directed complex administrative agencies, and managed successful academic programs.
Dr. Frazier began his B.A. studies at Kentucky State University where he completed his undergraduate degree in criminal justice. After working for the Kentucky Administrative Office of the Courts, he earned his second degree from Kentucky State University: A Master of Public Administration. After serving several years as a public agency administrator, he earned a Ph.D. in Public Policy with a concentration in community development at the University of Arkansas. Dr. Frazier’s desire to understand the intricate mechanisms associated with community development is what led him to pursue this area of study.
Aside from Dr. Frazier’s community service and busy career demands, he also manages the responsibility of being a father to his son, Brandon Frazier. In his free time, he enjoys reading literature relative to his research interests: community development, policy implementation, policy evaluation, and organizational theory.
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