It is with great sadness we share that Dr. Naurice Frank Woods, Jr., professor emeritus of African American and African Diaspora Studies, passed away on March 8, 2026.
Woods grew up in Greensboro, N.C., raised by educator parents who were dedicated to truth, justice, and the sharing of knowledge.
When Joanne Smart Drane ‘60, the surviving alumna from the trailblazing duo, read a UNCG News story on the mural and the students who created it, she immediately reached out to the University with a request to meet them. This request led to a reception in her honor, which ended with a poignant conversation where artists Aminah Coppage ‘25, Jalani Maxwell ‘24, and Myles Wilder ‘25 were able to ask their famous predecessor the questions they pondered while creating the mural.
“Brighten the Corner Where You Are” is a novel written by the late UNC Greensboro English professor and esteemed writer, Fred Chappell. It’s also a fitting quote that’s featured in the new mural located in the Foust Building, where it brightens the entry to the College of Arts & Sciences Dean’s Office suite.
The mural’s artists are Aminah Coppage, Jalani Maxwell, and Myles Wilder, all UNCG students or recent alumni. Their journey as collaborative artists began in August 2024, when they first crossed paths in an African American Art History class taught by Dr. Noelle Morrissette.
In October of 2023, UNC Greensboro was awarded a Mellon Grant to fund student interns for community outreach projects. The grant description outlined efforts to develop curriculum for educators and community leaders that would address gaps in Black history education and fill needs that UNCG can provide to “Grow the World We Want.” This semester, the student intern projects are underway. Together, they illustrate the significance of UNCG’s African American and African Diaspora Studies (AADS) to its students and their future careers.
June 6, 2024 – The Freedom Festival is a celebration and an exploration of the relationship between freedom and independence. It lasts from Juneteenth (June 19, marking the end of slavery in the U.S.) through Independence Day (July 4, marking the independence of the U.S. from the British Empire). It consists of live, virtual and hybrid events from all over the U.S. and beyond. This year, AADS, in partnership with Lloyd International Honors College’s Let’s Learn! The World as Classroom, is contributing three online classes/conversations to the Freedom Festival. Everyone is invited to attend!
Saturday, June 8, 20248:45am to 4:00pm “The African Diaspora in the Indian Ocean: The Ninth century to the present” A Professional Development Workshop for Educators featuring Omar H. Ali (Dean of Lloyd International Honors College and Professor of Comparative African Diaspora History at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro) Jazmin Graves… Continue reading…
April 19, 2024 – This summer, six undergraduate and two graduate students will travel to Tanzania on a three-week study abroad adventure offered by the UNC Greensboro African American & African Diaspora Studies (AADS) program and the Lloyd International Honors College, in collaboration with the Ethiopian, East African & Indian Ocean Research Network.
April 5, 2024 – The grant will fund eight internships, which will be offered to undergraduate students with AADS majors. The internships fall into three categories: community engagement, multimedia documentation, and AADS alumni engagement.
August 30, 2023 – The City of High Point published the One High Point Commission on Reparations and Reconciliation report, featuring “Dusk to Dawn: Black Labor, the Law, and the Struggle for Justice in North Carolina,” authored by Dr. Omar Ali, AADS alumna Ally Beatty, and UNCG alumna Kaila Dollard. Their section of the report offers a history of African Americans in North Carolina, along with a Bibliography and Timeline of the City of High Point.
August 20, 2023 – AADS minor Maya Darby and fellow film-maker and UNCG alumn Duncan Lauer recently received a laurel for their documentary “Naming Space: The AADS Story” at the African Film Festival in Atlanta. They also created an AADS campaign video promoting the Black Studies program.
