Andrea Y. Adomako
E-mail: adomako.andrea@gmail.com
EDUCATION
Doctor of Philosophy in African American Studies (Present)
Northwestern University, Evanston, IL
Master of Arts in African American Studies (2019)
Northwestern University, Evanston, IL
Graduate Certificate in Gender and Sexuality Studies (2019)
Northwestern University, Evanston, IL
Master of Arts in American Studies (2017)
Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN
Bachelor of Arts in Africana Studies and Human Rights (2015)
Barnard College, Columbia University, New York, NY
Relevant Courses: Theorizing Black Genders and Sexualities, Postcolonial and Globalization Studies, Young Adult Literature, Black Social and Political Thought, Global Civil Rights, Genealogy of Racism, 19th Century Black Women Auteurs, An Intellectual History of Black Women: 1970s-1990s, Historical Methods in Gender and Sexuality Studies
RESEARCH & TEACHING INTERESTS
• Black Feminism and Girlhood Studies
• Black Childhood and Black Children’s Literature
• Africana Diasporic Political Thought
• Literatures of the Black world
AWARDS, FELLOWSHIPS, AND GRANTS
• Mellon Cluster Fellowship in Gender and Sexuality, Northwestern University (Present)
• Fellowship for Graduate Study, Barnard College Alumnae Association (2019-2020)
• Excellence in Mentoring Award, Department of African American Studies, Northwestern University (Spring 2019)
• Social Science Research Council Graduate Student Enhancement Grant (Spring 2019)
• Library Research Award, Barnard College (Summer 2017)
• Paul and Eslanda Robeson International Studies, Purdue University (Spring 2017)
• American Studies Research Grant, Purdue University (Fall 2015)
PUBLICATIONS
• Adomako, A. 2020. Review of Fictions of Integration: American Children’s Literature and the Legacies of Brown v. Board of Education by Naomi Lesley. The Journal of the History of Childhood and Youth, vol. 13 no.1 2020, p125-126. Project MUSE, doi:10.1353/hcy.2020.0014.
•Adomako, A. 2019. “Efua Sutherland and African Children’s Literature: Representations of Postcolonial Childhood.” In Rethinking African Childhoods: An Anthology, eds Charles Quist-Adade, De-Valera Botchway, & Awo Abena Amoa Sarpong. Vernon Press.” ISBN (print) 978-1-62273-534-1
• Adomako, A. 2018. “Reimagining Black Girlhood: Literary and Digital Self-Representation.” National Political Science Review. Special Issue: “Black Girl Magic: Race, Gender, Sex/Sexuality and Self Definition in the 21st Century” 19.2.
• Adomako, A. 2017. “Black Stories Matter: On the Whiteness of Children.” Aeon, Aeon, 26 Jul. 2017. aeon.co/ideas/black-stories-matter-on-the-whiteness-of-childrens-books.
CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS
• Adomako, A. (2018). “How She Arrived and Where She Will Go: Black Girlhood in Eve Ewing’s Electric Arches.” American Studies Association (ASA) Annual Conference, Atlanta, GA
• Adomako, A. (2017). “#Blackgirlsread: Constructing the Literary and the Digital.” National Women’s Studies Association (NWSA) Annual Conference, Baltimore, MD
• Adomako, A. (2017). “Constructing the Graduate Student Teacher-Activist: Pedagogies, Research, and Institutional Climate.” American Studies Association (ASA) Annual Conference, Chicago, IL
• Adomako, A. (2017). “Black Children’s Activism.” Society for the History of Children and Youth Ninth Biennial Conference (SHCY) Annual Conference, Camden, NJ
• Adomako, A. (2016). “Childhood Traumas: The Legacy of Slavery in Girlhood Constructions.” National Women’s Studies Association (NWSA) Annual Conference, Montreal, Quebec, CA
• Adomako, A. (2016). “Post-Colonial Ghanaian Children’s Literature: Narratives and the Nation, A Pedagogical Approach” College Language Association Annual Conference, Houston, TX
INVITED TALKS
“Black Feminism and the Civil Rights Movement.” New Community Covenant Church of Bronzeville ‘Faith and Race Workshop Through the Life of Ida B. Wells’, Chicago, IL (Spring 2019)
TEACHING EXPERIENCE
Teaching Assistant, Undergraduate Courses
• African American Studies: Literatures of the Black World, Black Classicism, Northwestern University (Winter 2020)
• African American Studies: Policing the Black Body, Northwestern University (Spring 2019)
• African American Studies: Black Diasporas in Popular Music, Northwestern University (Fall 2018)
• American Studies: Interpreting America, Purdue University (Spring 2017)
• American Studies: America and the World, Purdue University (Fall 2016)
Instructor, K-12 Education
Assistant Facilitator, Civic Week: Politics and Urban Development (Spring 2018)
The Civic Education Project, Washington, D.C.
• Supervised a group of 9 high school students from around the country on a one week service learning immersion program
• Facilitated a curriculum around 5 central social justice themes: inequalities, root causes, approaches to change, leadership, and taking action
• Assisted in team building activities and student evaluations
Teaching Fellow, Practice Makes Perfect (Summer 2016)
The Young Women’s Leadership School, Bronx, New York
• Instructed 40 students for over 200 hours over the course of six weeks in collaboration with a New York State certified teacher
• Developed daily lesson plans for 6th and 7th grade scholars in reading and writing
• Assessed progress through quizzes aimed at eliminating summer learning loss and enriching the areas of reading and writing
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Interim Development Director, Chicago Freedom School (Present)
Chicago, IL
• Writes, submits, and manages grant proposals
• Assists with the execution of Chicago Freedom School’s development Strategy
• Collaborates with the Executive Director to secure prospective funding
Freelancer, Lee and Low Books (Present)
New York, NY
• Authors and produced teacher’s guides for Lee and Low books, an independent children’s book publisher focused on diversity and multicultural literature for youth
Research Support Specialist, Northwestern University Library (2017-2020)
Northwestern University, Evanston, IL
• Utilized library resources to assist students in finding relevant information for research
• Collected data to improve student experience in the library
• Provided specialized administrative support to research faculty and staff
Mentor, Barnard Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship (2016-2020)
New York, New York
• Helped set academic research goals and provided guidance throughout the project of one Barnard mentee
• Encouraged students with a demonstrated commitment to racial diversity to pursue academic careers.
• Participated in discussions concerning the graduate school application process, advising, program choice, and other areas concerning graduate school
PROGRAM AND UNIVERSITY SERVICE
• Co-president, African American Studies Graduate Student Association (2019-2020)
• Co-organizer, American Studies Symposium Committee (Spring 2017)
Purdue University
• Student Representative, Program Curriculum Committee (Fall 2016- Spring 2017)
Purdue University
PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS
• American Studies Association
• National Women’s Studies Association
SKILLS
• Language: Twi (Basic Proficiency)
Andrea Y. Adomako 