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Students of Dr. Daniela Jauk-Ajamie’s class “Sociology of Gender, Sex, and Sexualities” planned and facilitated a student-led Rethinking Race conversation on March 9, 2023, as a class project featuring award-winning community organizer and artist LuSter P. Singleton.

"The Department of Sociology intentionally offers experiential learning opportunities across the curriculum, and this class event is an example of how these opportunities can be fun and impactful, not only for students," remarked Jauk-Ajamie. “In this process, they co-created a learning experience for themselves and the entire campus while gaining important job-ready skills. Students do not only add another grade to their record but enrich their resumes with concrete competencies and new professional contacts for networking.” 

The event was a big success with a bursting room of almost 80 people in the audience who came from all over the campus and the community. Students welcomed Steve Arrington, the co-founder of the Akron AIDS Collaborative, and his team from the Bayard Rustin LGBTQ Resource Center as special community guests.

LuSter’s wealth of knowledge, openness, and generosity fostered a very inspiring conversation, as he spoke on his experience growing up in Zanesville, Ohio, his identification with a continual coming out and “emerging” as transmasculine, and his advice for young activists.

"Students and audience members were deeply inspired by the conversation which made clear that, despite concerning violence and discrimination of trans identities, there is a wealth of joy and liberation to be found in living your unique self," Jauk-Ajamie observed. "Students said that it was important for them to see a role model as an inspiration to become change-makers in their own communities and work towards more gender equality for all genders."

The students wish to thank to Jamie Newhall for recording LuSter’s discussion, and appreciate the EXL Center for Community Engaged Learning for their support.

Other thanks go to:

• Vibe Committee (event set up, decorations, collaborations): Morgan Lockett, Noah Spaetti, Maiya Lenoir, Alexa Lalos, Bethany Vance, Mi’-Chael Fitch, Evelyn Moneypenny, Mandy Carey, Kristalynn Proctor, Katherine Lawrence, Kristyana Harris
• Emcee Committee (facilitation, speaker support, audience engagement): Jamie Pipik, Andrew Magons, Miranda Bates
• Post-production Committee (documentation, photography, post-production video): Joe Headly, Clint Jones
• Promotion Committee (poster, flyer, zines, online and offline promotion): Brooklynn Campbell, Rin Mitchell, Oliver Thompson, Courtnie Urban, Abigail Rambler, Janei Wright, Liz Sibbio, Phoenix Alreyami, Yalina Rai

More info about LuSter:

LuSter P. Singleton (Columbus, OH) is an award-winning educator, activist, community organizer, and one of the recipients of the 2022 National Trans Visibility March TORCH Award for Leadership in Community. He was the program manager for MOZAIC, Ohio's first standalone transgender and gender non-conforming testing site and community center, and has now embarked on a new career as community outreach coordinator at Circle of Hope Church. LuSter is a co-founder and  producer of The International Drag King Extravaganza!  the first multiple day conference and showcase of drag king community performance, culture, intellect and discourse centering female invoking male creativity, feminine masculinity as an identity, trans - masculinity and gender non-conformity of its kind.  He is featured in several documentaries, most notable Drag Kings on Tour and Kings, Queens & In-Betweens. He is co-founder & consultant for Black Trans Men of Ohio and one of five hosts on the biweekly virtual drop in group Melanated Connections for QTBIPOC folx.

Related Content:

• Visit the Department of Sociology
• Learn more about the EX[L] Center for Community Engaged Learning
• Rethinking Race Series at С»ÆƬÊÓƵ

Story by: Lisa Craig, lmc91@uakron.edu