African American Employee Council continues growth as members prepare for third year

(Posted on Thursday, Feb. 17, 2022)

In the summer of 2020, following the deaths of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor and George Floyd, several African American leaders on campus met over Zoom on a Sunday night. They initially came together to share their pain and frustrations, but the catharsis this online gathering produced led them to a decision – it was time to re-establish the African American Employee Council (AAEC).

“George Floyd was the spearhead for this,” David Davenport, director of the APSU Foy Fitness and Recreation Center, said last year. “We were all struggling, and this allowed us to have a voice, and we need to have a voice. Why are we talking in a vacuum? People are feeling our pain but nobody wants to talk about it.”

The AAEC is in its second year since being re-established and is continuing to expand its work. You can read more about the council at www.apsu.edu/aaec, but here are some recent highlights, written by AAEC chair Dr. Eva Gibson.

The mission of the African American Employee Council (AAEC) is to promote unity, provide support and build community among Black faculty, staff, and students at APSU.

In addition, through advocacy and collaborative efforts, AAEC exists to enhance communication and champion equity, access, inclusion, opportunity and social justice — while challenging racism — within the University, with our African-American alumni, and broader African-American community.

The AAEC on News Channel 2.

AAEC supports each other through a variety of programming:

Academic Programming
- Beloved Community Writing Retreat (Co-sponsored by the College of Arts & Letters and College of Behavioral & Health Sciences)
- Creating a Voice conference presentation
- Faculty Brown Bag session

The AAEC family kickball game.

Social Events
- Kickball game
- Paint with a twist
- Black History Trivia

Holistic Programming
- Stress & Coping Strategies webinar
- She is Empowered: Women in the Workplace panel
- Vote Talk After Dark webinar

Other accomplishments
- Supported African American Diversity Book Drive (led by APSU student Conchetta Willis)
- Created “Leading Through Black History” acknowledgment series
- Distributed a scholarship in Fall 2021
- Held two virtual town halls

The AAEC is preparing to open nominations for 22-23 officers and planning for another successful year.

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