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.
Sierra Boykin is a junior Food Science major from Atlanta, GA. She is involved in several organizations on campus, including Women of Worth, the NAACP, and the Gospel Choir, and she also serves on the executive board for Food Science. Sierra is passionate about service and committed to uplifting and supporting her campus community. Through her leadership and involvement, Sierra strives to make a positive impact on every space she is part of.
Paris Clack is from Snellville, Georgia. Paris is majoring in biology with the goal of becoming a pediatrician. Since her first year of college, Paris has been registering her community to vote, which resulted in her inclusion in the voter registration honor roll published in Forbes Magazine. Paris enjoys ice skating, spending time with her family, and watching anime in her free time.
LaNise Chilton is from Flint, Michigan. She graduated from Grand Blanc High School in 2024. LaNise is a track and field athlete at Alcorn State University, as well as serving as Miss ASU H.E.R.O.S on campus.
Carson LaTrell Posey is 19 years old and studying in hopes of attending med school. His ultimate goal is to be a cardiologist since heart problems are plentiful in his family and even in his peers.
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.
Naysa Sutherlin is a Junior attending Dillard University majoring in Political Science while also on the Pre-Law track, from Chicago, Illinois. In her free time she enjoys volunteering at food banks and around the community as part of the Sisters Keeping It Real Through Service organization, advocating for food equity as a member of Dillard's Slow Foods Club, and a voice for youth advocacy as a New Orleans Youth Advisory fellow. Following graduation, Naysa hopes to go on to attend law school, and have a career as an attorney and work within the local government of Chicago. She enjoys any work that allows her to strengthen her community and get the youth involved in civic engagement and exercising their political voices.
Roderick Morning-Trice is a class of 2027 Political Science Major at Dillard University. He hails from the great city and state of Birmingham, Alabama, and is anxious to solve some of the world’s problems, and excited to connect with you all! In his free time he enjoys socializing with friends, meeting new people, and diving deeper into his passions of music and social justice.
Terrance was born and raised in Chicago, Illinois. He is majoring in Business Management and has been an entrepreneur for the last 6 years. Terrance is pursuing a career in Student Affairs. He enjoy community, people, and the everyday joys of life.
Elise Thompson is the Student Government Association President at Langston University, where she leads with a strong focus on advocacy, civic engagement, and student success. She has represented Langston University at the Oklahoma State Capitol, worked on multiple political campaigns, and currently serves on the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education Student Advisory Board. Elise is passionate about leadership, public service, and creating opportunities that uplift and empower students at HBCUs. She is committed to leading with pride, purpose, and excellence.
Jyanne Guide is a sophomore Honors student at North Carolina A&T State University, majoring in Mass Communications with a minor in Political Science. She is passionate about advancing social justice and seeks to inform and empower communities through multimedia journalism, research, and civic engagement. Jyanne is dedicated to amplifying underrepresented voices by connecting politics, social justice, and everyday life.
Zayveon has been a Boy Scout for 10 years and counting. He is an Eagle Scout, did theater for 8 years, and has been up and down the East Coast doing different leadership and entrepreneurship programs. Zayveon has strong communication, public speaking, and leadership skills. One value that's important to Zayveon is living by a love ethic, which he defines as the will to extend one's self to grow themselves and the people around them.
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.
Jordan Benjamin is a freshman political science major at Spelman College. She is originally from Columbia, South Carolina where she graduated from Spring Valley High School. Jordan is an active traveler, foodie and community servant, who believes deeply that to whom much is given, much is required.
Zoee Andrews is a Sophomore at Spelman College studying English with a minor in Public Health on the Pre-Law track. Throughout Spelman, she is involved in several organizations, such as The Morehouse Spelman Pre-Law Society, The Morehouse Spelman Undergraduate Law Review, Social Justice Program, B.L.I.S.S, ALD (Alpha Lambda Delta) and The Andrew Goodman Foundation. After her matriculation through Spelman College, she aspires to go to law school and become a Healthcare attorney and continue her dedication to justice extending justice to community projects, giving a platform to marginalized voices.
Morgan Dewayne Stanley is the 93rd Student Government Association President at Tougaloo College, where he is pursuing a degree in Biology with a minor in Public Policy Administration. A passionate advocate for healthcare equity, he focuses on addressing disparities in cardiovascular health, rural access to care, and investment in HBCUs. He is also the author of Little Buds in Scrubs, a children’s book that promotes health literacy and representation in medicine.
Lisa is a historian with a Ph.D. in African American Studies, and a professor at Tuskegee University.
Chasity Player is a junior Political Science major at the illustrious Tuskegee University. She is originally from Talladega, Alabama, and is passionate about civic engagement and uplifting Black communities through voter education and advocacy. Chasity is proud to represent The Andrew Goodman Foundation and continue doing what she loves: educating, activating, and empowering others to vote.
Taylor Nobles is from Huntsville, Alabama. She is a Political Science major at Tuskegee University, where she currently serves as the Second Vice President of the Tuskegee NAACP and is a proud member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated. Taylor is passionate about discussing health disparities, giving back to her community, and creating opportunities for underserved populations. Having also lived in Germany, Taylor brings a global perspective to her leadership, service, and academic journey.
Ta’Quan Ford is a senior at the University of the District of Columbia majoring in digital media with a minor in journalism. He is passionate about social impact, civic engagement, and amplifying the voices of young people in his community. Over the years, Ta’Quan has participated in leadership roles and initiatives that encourage active participation in democracy. As an Andrew Goodman Ambassador, he aims to educate and empower fellow students to make informed decisions and take action in shaping their communities.
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