Stephanie James Harris , Ph.D.
Director of Africana Studies Program
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Fahy Hall
Stephanie James Harris, Ph.D.
Director of Africana Studies Program
College of Arts and Sciences
Dr. Stephanie James Harris is the recently appointed Director of Africana Studies Program at Seton Hall University.
Dr. Stephanie James Harris is the recently appointed Director of Africana Studies
Program at Seton Hall University. Established in 1970, the Africana Studies program
at Seton Hall University is the oldest in New Jersey. Africana Studies, as an academic
discipline, stands at the center of the study of the African American experience,
Africa, and the African Diaspora—the global dispersion of peoples of African descent.
Using an interdisciplinary approach to coursework and research, the program under
Dr. Harris’s leadership will continue to introduce students to a wide range of expansive
historical and contemporary perspectives, promoting critical engagement with the entirety
of the human experience while challenging any unjust societal laws or perceptions
of race, justice, equity, power, and tradition.
Dr. has worked in various institutions for more than twenty -five years cross pollinating
public education and the infusion of African American historical content and culture
via the modality of schools, museums, historical societies, cultural institutions,
and the government. She is a firm believer in the power of the contextualization of
history for the public, and that visual, artistic, historical and cultural artifacts
as well as film, are all exceptional teaching tools. Coupled with research and scholarship,
whenever she presents or teaches, Dr. Harris always strives to present our intertwined
history as the perfect foundation to deconstruct historical mistruths and usher in
an accurate discussion of American history.
As quoted by Kahlil Gibran ``Work is love made visible.” As the former Executive Director
of the Amistad Commission, there from its inception, Dr. Harris was charged with the
responsibility of framing out the public educational policy agency, formulating the
agency’s program offerings for the public, Educators, students and districts, as well
as strategizing the praxis and oversight of the law’s implementation; ensuring that
African American content, contribution and experiences are historically infused and
adequately taught in ALL of the state’s classrooms. According to the auspices of the
legislation, New Jersey did not design a separate African American Studies course
for New Jersey’s school districts but will make sure that African American content,
and the narratives of all marginalized peoples is infused throughout the curriculum,
and taught in all levels of Social Studies and the Humanities within their proper
place. When asked to enumerate in one sentence what she believed is her life’s purpose;
the response without hesitation, is always to be a voice for our ancestors and the
recounting of our collective history, culture, literature, politics, and economics
to students in order to create global leaders. Dr. Harris firmly attributes an understanding
of the frameworks of cultural competency, cultural awareness and sensitivities of
our varied experiences, as well as culturally relevant practices; as integral components
in educational leadership for diverse student populations in the 21st century. That
has been the mantra and tenet of both her vocational and personal passions for more
than 30 years. It is from this framework, Dr. Haris has approached her educational
policy and teaching methodology, pedagogy and curriculum development in both secondary
and higher education. It is also from that modality that she promulgates the creation
and execution of administrative duties, public education, public policy decision-making,
public history programs, workshops, and exhibitions.
Education
- Temple University - Ph.D. in Africology and African American Studies
- Temple University - MA in Africology and African American Studies
- University of Maryland College Park- BA in English
- University of Maryland College Park - BS in African American Studies
Scholarship
Prior to joining the Seton Hall family as Director of Africana Studies. Dr. Harris
was the primary framer of the New Jersey Amistad Commission model curriculum, as well
as the development and delivery of professional development offerings, community focused
programming, and the dissemination of curriculum materials as a repository for Social
Studies resources to every school in the state. She was responsible for overseeing
the direction, design, and content for the online Amistad Commission resource, “The
Amistad Web-based Curriculum - An Inclusive Journey through American History”. This
curriculum resource correlates with the state curriculum benchmarks for Social Studies,
Civics, and History. Dr. Harris still conducts historical lectures and facilitates
professional development training workshops throughout the state and nation on the
utilization of the curriculum resources in compliance with the statewide mandate;
as well as the importance of infusing African American historical content into any
presentation of American history.
Prior to taking her position at the Amistad Commission, Dr. Harris was the Director
of Education and Public Programs at the African American Museum in Philadelphia. She
began her teaching career with adjudicated youth in Philadelphia.
Dr. Harris served as a member of the New Jersey Department of Education curriculum
standards revision team for Social Studies and the Humanities; she previously sat
on the advisory board for the Social Studies curriculum committee for the School District
of Philadelphia. Stephanie served two terms (2010- 2014) as an elected member of the
Pennsauken Township Board of Education, where she served as its Vice-President; she
was a Trustee for the Lawnside NJ Education Foundation and was a past Advisory Member
for the Underground Railroad Museum of Burlington County. Stephanie was the honored
as one of the 2018 National Coalition of 100 Black Woman Trailblazers Award for Public
Policy/Public Service, the 2016 Women of the Year awards from the National Council
of Colored Women’s Clubs; 2014 Recipient of Excellence in Academic Leadership award
from Omega Psi Phi, Fraternity Inc, was honored as one of the 2013 African American
Women Achievers from Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc., Stephanie was honored as one
of the NAACP 2011 Distinguished Educators award recipients; 2010 recipients of the
NJ – Rahway Chapter NAACP Outstanding Achievement Award. She is a past fellow for
the Smithsonian Institution Class of 2000 - Leadership Development seminar entitled
“Diversity, Leadership, and Museums”. Stephanie is a proud member of Delta Sigma Theta
Sorority, Inc. – New Jersey Garden City Alumnae Chapter, The South Jersey Chapter
of the Links, Inc., The Seaside Chapter of the Drifters, Inc, the African American
Museum Association, and the Association for the Study of African American Life and
History, the New Jersey Council for Social Studies, the NAACP, the University of Maryland-
College Park Black Alumni Association, as well as being an Associate Legacy Mother
of Jack and Jill of America, Inc. – South Jersey Chapter. Stephanie has taught courses
in multiple higher education institutions; currently as Professor of Africana Studies
at Seton Hall University, and previously as an adjunct Professor of African American
Literature at Delaware State University as well as serving previously as an adjunct
African American History Professor at Rowan University@BCC, Willingboro, NJ and Richard
Stockton State University, Galloway, NJ.