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From Rhythm to Resistance

A Celebration of Caribbean-American Heritage

Join us for an afternoon of conversation, music, and celebration—a tribute to history, culture, and community you won’t want to miss!

The celebration begins with the soulful sounds of a live steelpan performance from Mike's Music Machine, immersing you in the rhythms that define Caribbean culture and resilience.

Next, engage in an insightful panel discussion featuring distinguished voices who will explore the historical and cultural influence of Caribbean communities on the fight for justice and equality. Discover how these contributions shaped the narrative of resistance and freedom throughout American history.

Finally, the afternoon bursts into color and energy with an exhilarating Carnival jump-up led by Image Band, bringing the excitement of Trinidad and Tobago’s “Carnival Saturday” right to our community. Dance, celebrate, and experience the spirit of Carnival like never before!

About the Panelists

Dr. Ayo Sekai is a leading scholar, publisher, and advocate whose work amplifies Black intellectual traditions. With senior leadership experience across multiple federal agencies and more than two decades in publishing, she is the Founder, CEO, and Publisher of Universal Write Publications, a platform for transformative, peer‑reviewed work by Black scholars. A Political Linguist with a PhD from Howard University, her research on Linguistic Imperialism exposes how language reinforces systemic racism and shapes public policy. Author of A2: A Scholarly Poetical Science Discourse, Dr. Sekai is a dynamic voice in contemporary scholarship—an influential thinker, speaker, and movement in her own right.

Dr. Naette Yoko Lee is a scholar and storyteller whose work examines how history, race, and power are shaped and communicated in public life. Originally from Trinidad and Tobago, she brings a global perspective to conversations about American history and its contemporary significance. Dr. Lee holds degrees from the University of the West Indies, Villanova University, and the University of Maryland, where she was named a 2017 Flagship Fellow and a 2021 Wiley Fellow. At the University of Maryland, she taught The Rhetoric of Black America and focused her research on how narratives of race and inequality are constructed, challenged, and reinterpreted in public discourse and media.

Dr. Clover Baker-Brown is a nationally recognized scholar, speaker, and higher-education leader whose work focuses on leadership, organizational communication, and institutional transformation. She holds a Ph.D. in Organizational Leadership and an Ed.D. in Higher Education Administration, bringing systems-level expertise to academic leadership, equity-centered reform, and institutional effectiveness. A tenured full Professor of Communication Studies, Dr. Baker-Brown has served in senior leadership roles, including Faculty Senate President, Academic Program Leader, Academic Council Co-Chair, Director of the International Student Center, and Chair of the Student Equity Reform. In these roles, she led data-informed initiatives to improve retention, completion, and faculty engagement, and to strengthen shared governance during periods of institutional change. Known for translating complex organizational challenges into practical, human-centered strategies, Dr. Baker-Brown bridges scholarship and practice with clarity and purpose. A sought-after presenter and facilitator, she speaks on leadership, faculty engagement and student success, and interpersonal and intercultural communication, offering audiences both intellectual depth and actionable insight grounded in real institutional and organizational experiences.

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