Tuesday, August 12, 2025

Reading Ta-Nehisi Coates's Black Panther

This semester, as part of our SIUE Reads activities, many of us will read and discuss Ta-Nehisi Coates's Black Panther: A Nation Under Our Feet. 

Coates is widely known as a journalist, book author, and commentator. Less often noted, however, is that his run on Black Panther from 2016 to 2021 marked a defining moment in the history of African American creators in comics. 

I'm looking forward to our weekly gatherings this semester, where we'll cover both the writing and artwork of Black Panther

I suspect some people may be surprised to see a comic book as a featured selection for our reading group. Comics aren't always viewed as "serious" literature, right? But through years of reading, researching, and teaching on the subject, I've found that comics offer both playful and profound engagements with words, images, and ideas. 

Plus, in the hands of a writer like Coates, you can expect a Black Panther storyline that addresses fascinating and complex topics. Paired with the striking artwork of Brian Stelfreeze, Chris Sprouse, and a talented team of additional creators, the series delivers a visually and intellectually compelling reading experience.

Related:

Following in the Footsteps of a Globe-Trotting Black Woman

This semester, as part of our SIUE Reads activities, dozens of us will read and discuss The Catch Me If You Can: One Woman's Journey to Every Country in the World (2022) by Jessica Nabongo. Her book will be the featured selection for one of our weekly gatherings.

Nabongo’s work is a vibrant travel memoir chronicling her quest to become the first Black woman to visit every country in the world. Along the way, she offers powerful reflections on identity, culture, and the transformative potential of global exploration.

Every fall semester since 2008, I’ve taught an African American literary and cultural studies course for first-year Black women at the university. Beyond supporting the students in my class, I’m always looking for ways to create learning and community-building opportunities for Black women navigating the university on their way to graduation.

Too often, when I talk with the sisters on campus, they share that there aren’t many activities designed with them in mind. I ask, “What do you do?” An all too common answer is, “I go to class, then go back to my room and sleep.” I hear it again and again, and each time, it stings.

That’s why I’m especially excited to create regular gatherings this semester as part of SIUE Reads. It feels important, and urgent, to introduce young sisters to Nabongo’s journeys and insights, offering them stories that inspire curiosity, confidence, and boundless movement. 

Related:

SIUE Reads

SIUE Reads is a humanities program that advances a dynamic reading culture by connecting students, faculty, and staff through free books, engaging discussions, and shared resources. We coordinate weekly gatherings where readers come together to discuss books, while also distributing copies so participants can read and share on their own. The project also includes occasional podcast episodes featuring the experiences and lessons learned from readers.

Entries 

SIUE Reads is made possible by a generous gift from Stephen and Julia Hansen.

Monday, August 11, 2025

How Dana Williams, and Judith Jamison, Inspired an Enhanced Environment at SIUE



On November 18, 2024, I had the honor of leading a talk-back conversation with scholar and Howard University graduate school dean Dana Williams at the National Museum of African American History & Culture.  The talk-back session followed Williams's remarks about Toni Morrison's Editorial Legacy. For her presentation, Williams infused images of dancer and choreographer Judith Jamison, who had passed away on November 9. 

These images of Jamison, projected in vivid, larger-than-life scale on the big screen, were stunning.

I was inspired, and I began thinking about ways to give students at SIUE a similar experience.

As soon as I returned to campus, I drafted a short proposal for library officials, highlighting the importance of “enhanced environments” and the role of the Eugene B. Redmond Reading Room. In particular, I requested a larger, higher-quality screen for viewing and improved speakers for audio.

Somehow, it worked. The library dean and associate dean were supportive, and now one of the rooms where I host exhibits and presentations has received significant tech upgrades. Williams, and those unforgettable images of Judith Jamison, had sparked a transformation.

Related:

From the Novel Generator Machine to the Literary Navigator Device


On Friday, August 8, we quietly rolled out a major update to our Black Lit Network project. The first visible change came on July 29, when we replaced "Novel Generator Machine," the portal’s original name, with "Literary Navigator Device."

From October 11, 2021, until July 28, 2025, we ran the Novel Generator Machine as a resource offering users recommendations of novels by Black writers based on their preferences and interests. On July 28, I met with Meg Smith, interim director of the IRIS Center, and Dan Schreiber, IRIS web developer, to discuss broader updates to the main site.

A key expansion involves broadening our focus beyond novels to also feature short stories, poems, comic books, autobiographies/memoirs, and essays. When the news concerning the Mellon grant was released on July 29, we figured we'd get an increase in traffic, so we decided to make the change from Generator Machine to Navigator, even though the results still only showed novels. 

Over the last week, we worked to create a preliminary version of the updated database for the Navigator. Kenton Rambsy and Jade Harrison collaborated on a dataset of approximately 140 short stories by Black writers. I created datasets of 86 poems,  30 autobiographies/memoirs,  25 comic books, and 12 essays. 

Related: 

A Timeline of Technical Components and Production Milestones for Black Lit Network

2021 
• October 7: First version of the Black Lit Network homepage launches.
• October 7: The prototype for the Literary Data Gallery launches.
• October 7: Mellon Foundation funds Black Lit Network digital resource
• October 11: First version of the Multithreaded Literary Briefs launches.
• October 11: First version of the Novel Generator Machine launches.

2022
• March 18: First compositions for Literary Data Gallery posted. 
• March 18: First whiteboard animation (Black Lit Network trailer) is released on YouTube.
• June 28: Remarkable Receptions podcast releases batch of first 15 episodes. 
• December 16: Remarkable Receptions podcast releases 50th episode. 

2023
• January 24: First batch of Multithreaded Literary Briefs released. 
• August 1: First Audio-visual gallery (Neo-Slave Narratives: Briefs) is released.
• October 17: First Random Generator (Black Novel Dedications) is released. 
• December 26: Remarkable Receptions podcast releases 100th episode. 

2024
• September 20: First video essay (Remarkable Receptions trailer) associated with the project is released.
• October 10: Video essay, "The Remarkable Reception of The Underground Railroad" is released. 
• October 21: Remarkable Receptions podcast releases 150th episode. 
• December 16: Remarkable Receptions podcast releases 200th episode. 

2025
• July 29: $1.6M Mellon grant to support expansion of Black Lit Network announced.
• July 29: Label change of "Novel Generator Machine" to "Literary Navigator Device."
• August 8: First Navigator update with short stories, poems, autobiographies/memoirs, comic books, essays.  

Related:

Developing the Black Lit Network

 

2025
• August 11: From the Novel Generator Machine to the Literary Navigator Device

An IRIS Timeline



Here's an abbreviated timeline of SIUE's DH Center, known as IRIS. See fuller history here.

Fall 2008: Jessica DeSpain and Kristine Hildebrandt join SIUE faculty. 

2009–10: CAS Roundtable, led by DeSpain and Hildebrandt, explores digital humanities center feasibility. 

Spring 2010: IRIS co-founded by DeSpain and Hildebrandt; among first master’s institutions with such a center. 

2015: Hires first staff member, Kayla Hays. 

Spring 2016: The interdisciplinary minor in Digital Humanities and Social Sciences is approved. 

Spring 2017: Katherine Knowles becomes IRIS Center Project Manager.

Fall 2017: Ben Ostermeier joins as IRIS Center Technician. 

Fall 2018: IRIS moves to larger space on Peck Hall’s second floor. 

Fall 2019: Zachary Riebeling appointed Assistant Research Professor. 

Spring 2021: Margaret Smith becomes Research Assistant Professor. 

Fall 2021: Mellon Foundation funds Black Lit Network digital resource, with Rambsy as Co-Pi. 

Fall 2022Community‑Oriented Digital Engagement Scholars (CODES) program, led by DeSpain, launches.

Fall 2024: Mellon funds $1M grant to support development of CODES program led by DeSpain.

December 2024: Dan Schreiber becomes IRIS Center web developer. 

Spring 2025: Margaret Smith appointed Interim Director, IRIS Center.

Fall 2025: Mellon funds $1.6 grant to support extension of the Black Lit Network, led by Rambsy.

Related: