We must continue to educate ourselves and our communities by writing, reporting, blogging, and communicating by any means necessary. What do we need to tell? The real story always seems to become confused with the wannabe reality. Perhaps we need to read more about our lives in order to understand the situations, the circumstances, and the problems as we look inwardly for the solutions. "Telling" not only shows the truth and necessity of our lives and experiences, but this "telling" also reminds us that we are important and special.

"The real trouble with Black English is not the verbal aspect system [grammar] which distinguishes it from other varieties of US English, or the rhetorical strategies which draw such a vivid contrast, it is simply this: AAVE [African American Vernacular English, Ebonics, Black English] is tangible and irrefutable evidence that there is a distinct, healthy, functioning African American culture which is not white [Euro American], and which does not want to be white [Euro American]" (178).

Lippi-Green, Rosina. (1997). English with an Accent: Language, Ideology, and Discrimination in the United States. London: Routledge.

Reading about us may give us a perspective on reality, as well as telling our stories in our words, while reflecting on our possibilities. Our words reveal another point of view, one that so often is elided. Our words reveal alternatives that seek solutions to problems. Our words reveal the choice to survive and support and not conquer and control. Our words reveal us, tell about us, share us, and emphatically *represent* us.

Publications

(2008). The pedagogy of practice: Technical communicators interrogating the raced audience. Saarbrucken, Germany: VDM Aktiengesellschaft & Co.

(2007). Hanging on to my Commodore 64 as I stream across the technological border: Reaching and teaching others. In A. Everett and A. J. Wallace, (Eds.), AfroGEEKS: Beyond the digital divide (pp. 69-80). Santa Barbara, CA: The Center for Black Studies, UCSB.

(2007). Ed., Professional writing. Custom edition for Saginaw Valley State University. New York: Pearson Custom Publishing.

(2006). Can academic theorizing guide technical communication or is industry experience  necessary?: A rubric toward situating students' perspectives. (Doctoral dissertation, Michigan Technological University, 2006). Dissertation Abstracts International 67(09A), 3387.

(2006). Reviewer, The Bedford anthology of American literature, volumes I and II. Eds. S. Belasco and L. Johnson.

Works in Progress

pending

Presentations

I list here some of the presentations that I have given at conferences or workshops. Many of these talks are patches of interest that I will eventually sew together in my quilt of life. The links may take you to a webtext that I have created, an abstract, a small QuickTime movie, or a PDF file. The presentations and conferences not only provide a place for me to reflect on and share my research and special interests, but also allow me a means to revisit my teaching and service endeavors.

(2008). From the melting pot to the diversity diversion: Multiculturalism as anathema. Paper to be presented at the Association for the Study of African American Life and History Conference, Birmingham, Alabama.

(2007). Assaying the vote: Silencing civic discourse. Paper presentation at the Feminism(s)/Rhetoric(s) Conference, Little Rock, Arkansas.

(2007). Prevention or intervention?: A diversified mediation approach. Panel presentation to the Michigan Department Of Transportation  (Family Group Conference Training) Workshop, Saginaw Valley State University.

(2007). Cesar Chavez Day. Visual compilation of contestant artwork for Sigma Lambda Gamma Sorority Chavez Celebration, Saginaw Valley State University.

(2007). “New to the College Classroom?” Presentation at the 7th A.L.S.A.M.E. (Advocates for Latino Student Advancement in Michigan Education) Conference, Saginaw Valley State University.

(2006). Tuning in students in the twenty-first century: Portfolios and pedagogy. Paper presented at the National Council of Teachers of English Conference, Nashville, Tennessee..

(2006). Using VSpace in the Classroom. Teaching Table facilitator at Monthly Teaching table, Saginaw Valley State University.

(2006). African Ancestry of African Americans and Other Diasporic Members. Presentation to The Elderquest in Today's Movies and Novels seminar, sponsored by the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute of the Office of Continuing Education, Saginaw Valley State University.

(2006). Pretending to be a PTW Faculty Member. Presentation to the English 260, Introduction to Professional and Technical Writing class, Saginaw Valley State University.

(2006). Raced Language and Identity in Technical and Online Communication. Videoconference with Technical Communication/Technology Studies graduate seminar class at Michigan Technological University, presented from Saginaw Valley State University.

(2006). Vision 2006: Healthy People/Healthy Communities--MLK Celebration. Visual presentation on King's premise of community building viewed at M.L. King, Jr., banquet, Saginaw Valley State University.

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research interests