Events
Black History Month Lecture 2025: Deconstructing Accusation and Domination in the Africana World: Building a More Inclusive Future
Black History Month Lecture
Deconstructing Accusation and Domination in the Africana World: Building a More Inclusive Future
Dr. Jennifer Heaven Mike
Wednesday, February 12
7:30 pm
Watson Forum, Pulliam Center
All members of the DePauw community, students, faculty, staff, and alumni are welcome to attend this lecture.
This year's lecture entitled "Deconstructing Accusation and Domination in the Africana World: Building a More Inclusive Future" will be delivered by Dr. Jennifer Heaven Mike, Visiting Assistant Professor in the Global Fellows Program at DePauw University, Assistant Professor of Law at the American University of Nigeria (AUN), and the Hampton and Esther Boswell Distinguished University Professor in Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies at DePauw University.
The notion of accusation has been central to the construction and maintenance of racial domination, particularly through its use in criminalising, marginalising, and dehumanising racialized communities. In this context, accusation serves not only as a tool for holding individuals accountable but also as a means of reinforcing power relations that systematically marginalize specific groups—particularly racial and ethnic minorities. In the Africana world, accusations have historically been used to justify enslavement, colonialism, and racial segregation. The act of accusation, whether through legal, social, or cultural means, has been a key mechanism in the construction of racial hierarchies and systems of oppression, both in the Western world and in various parts of the Africana world. However, deconstructing these accusations has been a critical aspect of the resistance against racial oppression. Through intellectual activism, legal reforms, and cultural reclamation, communities have worked to challenge the narratives of inferiority and criminality that have long been imposed upon them. The Africana world continues to engage in this process, striving to build a future where accusations of racial inferiority no longer serve as tools of domination but are replaced by a broader recognition of human dignity and equality. Through exploration of the transformative power of solidarity in fostering unity, resilience, and progress within and across Africana communities this presentation will delve into how collective action, cultural exchange, and mutual support can address common issues and build a stronger, more inclusive future.
Dr. Jennifer Heaven Mike is an academic, legal scholar, and human rights advocate with a career spanning over a decade in law, education, and social justice. Currently, she serves as a Visiting Assistant Professor in the Global Fellows Program at DePauw University, Indiana, and an Assistant Professor of Law at the American University of Nigeria (AUN). At DePauw, she also holds the Hampton and Esther Boswell Distinguished University Professorship in Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, where she develops scholarship on gender equality, women’s rights, and human rights law. A graduate of the University of Jos (2009) and the Lagos Nigerian Law School (2010), Dr. Mike pursued advanced studies on a scholarship, earning a Master’s in Law from London Metropolitan University and a Ph.D. in 2017. A prolific researcher, Dr. Mike has written two books, over 20 journal articles and several chapter contributions in edited collections. At DePauw, she leads courses on Human Rights Law, Gender Law, and Womanism/Africanism, ensuring her students engage deeply with contemporary issues at the intersection of law, gender, and social justice. Beyond academia, Dr. Mike has extensive experience in legal practice and consultancy. She has worked with leading organizations like the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), GIZ/EU, and the Atiku Center for Development. Her advocacy work focuses on empowering women, children, and marginalized communities in conflict-affected regions. Notably, she founded Jennifer Heaven and Associates, a law firm dedicated to protecting indigent populations, particularly women and children. At AUN, she co-directed the Center for Governance, Development, and Human Rights, reinforcing her dedication to fostering inclusive governance and sustainable development.
