Broward County&rsquo\;s African American R esearch Library and Cultural Center (AARLCC) is proud to announce the inst itution of an annual lecture in honor of the life and legacy of cultural a nthropologist\, Africanist\, university president\, and Fort Lauderdale na tive\, Dr. Niara Sudarkasa (1938-2019).
\nThis program is presented in partnership with The Friends of AARLCC. \;
\nNiara Sudarkasa\, né\;e Glo ria Albertha Marshall\, was born on August 14\, 1938\, in Fort Lauderdale\ , Florida. She graduated from Dillard High School at the age of 14. Dr. Su darkasa\, a gifted student\, was accepted to Fisk University on a Ford Fou ndation scholarship at the age of 15. She transferred to Oberlin College a nd earned her bachelor&rsquo\;s degree in 1957. \; \;
\nThe first African American woman to teach at Columbia University\, she earned her master's degree in anthropology\, and completed her Ph.D. while teachi ng at the university. Shortly after Dr. Sudarkasa earned her doctorate in anthropology in 1964\, she became the first African American woman to be a ppointed as assistant professor of anthropology at New York University. Sh e maintained that distinction at the University of Michigan when she becam e the first African American to be appointed to the Department of Anthropo logy in 1969. In 1986\, she was appointed as the first African American fe male president of Lincoln University\, a historically Black University loc ated in Pennsylvania. Dr. Sudarkasa is the author of \;Where Women Wor k: A Study of Yoruba Women in the Marketplace and in the Home \;(1988) \, \;The Strength of Our Mothers: African &\; African American Wome n &\; Families: Essays and Speeches \;(1997)\, and \;Education is Still the Key: Selected Speeches &\; Essays \;(1998). \;
\nIn 2002\, Dr. Sudarkasa served as Distinguished Scholar-in-Residence at AARLCC. In 2006\, she donated her collection to the African American Re search Library and Cultural Center. Her collection includes her library an d is the second largest manuscript collection in AARLCC&rsquo\;s archive.< /p>\n
Dr. Sudarkasa married John L. Clark and had a son\, Michael Sudark asa. She was a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority\, Inc. She died on May 31\, 2019\, at the age of 80\, in Fort Lauderdale. \;
\n\n< h2 style="text-align: center\;">Keynote Speaker:\nDr. Artis was unanimously appointed by the Board of Trustees as the 14th \;and first woman President of Benedict College on June 30\, 20 17. Previously\, Dr. Artis served as the 13th \;and first woman Presid ent of Florida Memorial University in Miami Gardens\, Florida.
\nInt entional\, professional\, and thoroughly committed to the proliferation an d transformation of colleges and universities that serve underrepresented men and women of color\, Dr. Artis&rsquo\; leadership has been recognized locally and nationally. \; In 2018\, she was named &ldquo\;Female HBCU President of the Year&rdquo\; \;by HBCU Digest. \; In 2019\, Dr. Artis was named to \;Diverse Issues in Higher Education&rsquo\;s &ldqu o\;Top 35 Leading Women in Higher Education.&rdquo\; \;That same year\ , Benedict College was awarded the \;American Council on Education (AC E) Fidelity Investments Award for Institutional Transformation \;and r ecognized as the \;HBCU of the Year \;by \;HBCU Digest. \; In 2020\, Dr. Artis was named &ldquo\;President of the Year&rdquo\; \; by Higher Ed Dive for her leadership in navigating the unprecedented chall enges of 2020. In 2021\, President Artis was appointed to the National Adv isory Committee on Institutional Quality and Integrity (NACIQI). NACIQI ad vises the U.S. Secretary of Education on matters concerning accreditation\ , the \;Secretary&rsquo\;s recognition process for accrediting agencie s\, and institutional eligibility for federal student aid\, through the Co mmittee&rsquo\;s public meetings. Most recently\, in 2022\, President Arti s was named one of Columbia Business Monthly&rsquo\;s 50 Most Influential people in South Carolina.
\nDr. Artis is the Chair of the Presidents &rsquo\; Advisory Board for Title III Administrators\, is a member of the Educational Testing Service (ETS) Presidents&rsquo\; Advisory Council and is a Member of the Board of Directors for the American Council on Educatio n (ACE). She also serves as a Board Member of CIEE &ndash\; Council on Int ernational Educational Exchange and previously served on the Board for the Forum on Education Abroad. \; She is the Vice-Chair for the &ldquo\;S outhern Regional Education Board (SREB) HBCU/MSI Collaboration&rdquo\; and has been named an &ldquo\;Equity in Energy Ambassador&rdquo\; for the Uni ted States Department of Energy. She previously served on the Education Ad visory Committee to the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security\, Jeh Johnson\, during the Obama Administration.
\nArtis has been a t railblazer for much of her life. A prolific speaker\, critical thinker\, a nd fierce advocate for educational access. Dr. Artis is frequently engaged as a mentor\, lecturer\, and catalyst for strategic transformation. She i s a widely respected innovator and thought leader on issues of higher educ ation\, specifically as it relates to underserved and vulnerable populatio ns\, having published countless articles and editorials on topics related to higher education equity and inclusion as well as the complexities assoc iated with leading minority serving institutions. \; Artis is the foun ding Co-Chair for the Historically Black College and University Annual Sus tainability Summit\, which is in its 6th \;year. \; She has receiv ed more than 300 awards and recognitions locally and nationally for her wo rk.
\nDr. Artis is a graduate of Vanderbilt University\, where she e arned a Doctorate in Higher Education Leadership and Policy. She also hold s a Juris Doctorate from West Virginia University College of Law\, and her Bachelor of Arts degree in Political science from sister HBCU\, West Virg inia State University. The consummate professional\, Dr. Artis also holds a Certificate of fundraising Management from Indiana University and a Cert ificate of Mastery in Prior Learning Assessment from DePaul University.
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The Niara Sudarkasa papers contain correspondence\, sc
holarly writings\, publications\, audio- visual material\, plaques\, busin
ess files\, newspapers and books from Fort Lauderdale native\, Dr. Niara S
udarkasa. The collection highlights Sudarkasa&rsquo\;s research as an anth
ropologist and her professional achievements including becoming the first
African American woman president of Lincoln University in Pennsylvania. He
r papers are a unique resource on Yoruba language and culture\, ethnic gro
ups in higher education and the Black Power Movement in the United States.
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Digital Archives Link: \;https://digitalarch
ives.broward.org/digital/collection/nsb \; \;