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.
This year’s recipient of the RASHAD award is Olivia Morgan. Olivia Morgan is a Black Studies major who is minoring in History. She previously majored in Music focusing on voice and bass, and even now music remains one of her biggest interests and hobbies. She is very concerned about the fight for social justice for minorities; especially voting rights after the 2020 presidential election. In addition to the RASHAD award, Olivia was also named an Outstanding Class Scholar, was invited to apply for CLASS Valedictorian, and will be graduating Summa Cum Laude this semester! During her time at CSU, Olivia has been actively involved in a number of on-campus clubs and she participated in numerous campus events, including serving as a student panelist on the Student Perspectives: Social Justice and Diversity & Inclusion panel.
In the fall, Olivia plans to attend Fordham University in New York City. At Fordham, she will be working on obtaining a Master of Arts in Society and Ethics. She has already received a Graduate Assistantship, including half-tuition coverage and a yearly stipend, to attend!
Olivia has taken a number of African History classes from Professor Owino, who speaks very highly of her work as a student. He complements her active engagement in his courses, her clear understanding of course materials, and well written assignments, which are always submitted in a timely manner. He writes that “Olivia always participates in class activities, regularly turning in assignments, and regularly engaging the rest of the class in discussion from the beginning of a course to the end. She is a student that is quite committed to her studies. . . Olivia has been a joy to have in class.”
