With the help of coordinators Raja Rahim and Ryan Thompson, the Spring 2017 interns produced podcasts about Civic Engagement at the University of Florida.
University of Florida Digital Collections Archive
To date, 90+ oral history podcast pieces are available on the University of Florida’s Digital Collections website, including final projects for internship classes, as well as the original SPOHP podcast series Safe Spaces, The Gainesville 8 and Ottoman Greeks of the US. Browse the following highlights for more information, and visit the UFDC to download the many available series and student pieces.
To access information about individual episodes and pieces, scroll through the UFDC collection. Podcast pieces below are from the Spring 2017 internship class. All segment from this collection are 20 minutes or less to facilitate easy access to local history for students, teachers, and the general public.
Inclusion at the University of Florida (created by Ebony Love) 18:56
What kind of students, faculty, and staff members are here? If we are looking at 2016 alone, only 3,245 Black students enrolled at the University of Florida out of a headcount of 54,854 students. That means a little less than 6 percent of students at the University of Florida identify as Black, according to the Office of Institutional Planning and Research. When we expand this exploration to Black faculty members, of the 4,392 full time faculty members, only 191, or 4 percent identify as Black. Why is this a problem? According to the census, the demographics for the state of Florida show that 16.8 percent of the population is Black. In other words, the student and full time faculty demographics of UF are nowhere near being representative of the state of Florida in its numbers. The question now becomes how does the University of Florida uphold its mission of being a “diverse community” if it is not even representative of the state of Florida?
That Great Ol’ American Dream (created by Susan Atkinson) 19:59
Dr. Adejumo’s success stemmed from his proactive decisions in combination with the strong support of Black mentors and networks. But it is important to remember that one man’s experience does not represent the whole. Injustice towards minority groups is still prevalent in our society and at our university. We need to be aware of our history, the good and the bad. We must acknowledge past achievements and struggles and use them as footholds for progressing activism. Despite the current turmoil, Dr. Adejumo has a grand vision for the future of UF.
Race Relations at UF and Beyond (created by Brenda W. Stroud) 18:14
The University of Florida is listed among the top 20 colleges in the Nation. They are ranked #1 in Florida by USA Today. Still, trying to prove themselves demographically as a diverse and welcoming campus for both faculty and students, remains a challenge. I sat down with Tamarra Jenkins, Office Manager at the University’s Samuel Proctor Oral History Program, to discuss these ongoing struggles.
Dodged a Lot of Bullets (created by Sidney St. Cyr) 11:12
Camilo Reina-Munoz has had quite the journey that has led him to Gainesville, the center of the GatorNation. Reina Munoz’s journey started in Bogata, Colombia, due to guerilla warfare. He and his family went to Boston when he was nine months old and traveled along the East coast.
My Former Teaching Assistant Toye (created by Margaret Clarke) 9:33
As a student in one of Toyes classes I just assumed that he lived a life that was far more difficult then my own because he is from Nigeria and I am from America, because he walks down the street and people see a Black man while I walk down the street and no one thinks much. I assumed that he had to deal with prejudice and micro-aggresions that I could never understand and while that all this is true to Toyes experience, I underestimated his attitude and gratefulness to be here at the University of Florida.
A Humanity Thing (created by Peggy Dellinger) 36:52
Latino, gay, first-generation college graduate – how queerness and education influenced his decision to research and work with rural queer youth and why it’s important that academics volunteer or otherwise work with the populations they study outside academia.
“I’m Not A Juvenile Diliquent” (created by Hope Saunders) 13:00
Sidney has a great interest in sports and would like to go on to become a sports commentator if possible. However, he has been discouraged many times by others who claim he is not cut out to do that. Sidney compares himself to Mike Wazowski of Monsters Inc, a character who struggles to fit into career stereotypes.