The History Department is pleased to offer a scholarship provided by the Center for the Study of Religion and Spirituality in African and the African Diaspora, or RASHAD, which was founded by Dr. Regennia Williams in 2006 and funded generously in part by the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences. Before becoming an assistant professor in the History Department at Cleveland State in 2001, Dr. Williams took a Ph.D. from Case Western Reserve. While at CSU, she organized high-profile celebrations of notable Ohio historical figures such as Langston Hughes, and she organized, along with the Michael Schwartz Library, the Praying Grounds Oral History Project. Dr. Williams retired from CSU in 2015.
The 2022 recipient of the RASHAD award is Savannah Shaver.
Savannah Shaver has received the RASHAD award for 2021-22. She is a Social Studies major with a 3.8 GPA. She has taken a wide variety of History and Education courses over the past two years and has done well in all of them. In Prof Cory’s HIS 389 course (History of Muslim Relations with Christians and Jews), Savannah was noteworthy for her contributions to class discussions and debates. She completed an interesting research paper on the connection between global anti-Semitism and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Using statistics that demonstrate rising rates of anti-Semitism in Europe, the Middle East and the United States, Savannah argues that well publicized Israeli abuses of Palestinians, coupled with an inability to resolve the conflict, have contributed to this disturbing trend.
In regards to her future plans and accomplishments, Savannah states, “I plan to receive my teaching licensure and then pursue teaching social studies in grades 9-12 here in the Cleveland Metropolitan School District! My biggest accomplishment here at CSU is being a first-generation college student and having the opportunity to carry on my grandfather’s legacy. Despite being a true lover of history, he could not attend higher education but continued to pursue his own self-education. It’s an honor to be able to carry on his passion for history, as well as a great reminder of the sacrifices he and the rest of my family have made, that allows me to have the privilege to attend university today! And I hope to inspire and impassion the next generation of learners!”
The CSU History department congratulates Savannah Shaver for her academic accomplishments and her receipt of the 2022 RASHAD award!
