Cheryl Johnson-Odim

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Cheryl Johnson-Odim is an American historian. She worked at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Northwestern University and Loyola University Chicago. She became dean at Columbia College Chicago and in 2007 was made provost of Dominican University in River Forest, Illinois.

Early life[edit]

Cheryl Johnson-Odim was born 30 April 1948, in Youngstown, Ohio, USA.[1] Her parents were Robert Dawson and Elayne Jeffries. After the family moved to New York City, she went to Andrew Jackson High School then studied at CCNY and Youngstown State University, before taking her PhD at Northwestern University. She graduated in 1978 after spending time in Nigeria in 1975 on a Fulbright scholarship, which inspired her interest in African history.[1][2] She had first heard about apartheid in South Africa in 1963, when she sang on the radio with Harry Belafonte and met South African dancers that Belafonte had brought to the USA.[2]

Career[edit]

Johnson-Odim lectured at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and then Northwestern University; at the latter she was assistant director of the African Studies program between 1980 and 1986.[1] She moved to Loyola University Chicago the following year and chaired the department of history from 1995 until 2000. She was the first woman and the first African-American person to do so.[1] She then held the post of dean at Columbia College Chicago and in 2007, she was made provost of Dominican University in River Forest, Illinois.[2][3] Her research focus was African American and West African history.[4]

In 1995, she edited the volume Expanding the Boundaries of Women's History: Essays on Women in the Third World together with Margaret Strobel. This book examined various histories of women in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.[5] Two years later, she published For Women and the Nation: Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti of Nigeria with Nina Emma Mba. The book gives a full account of Ransome-Kuti's life.[6][7][8]

As a community activist in the Chicago area, Johnson-Odim campaigned against apartheid and her materials are now held as a special collection at Columbia College;[2] she addressed the United Nations Special Committee against Apartheid.[9] She participated in the Free South Africa Movement, TransAfrica and the Coalition for Illinois Divestment from South Africa.[1] She was on the Chicago organizing committee for the 2017 Women's March.[1]

Personal life[edit]

Johnson-Odim is twice married and had three children. Her younger son is artist Rashid Johnson.[10][11]

Selected works[edit]

  • Johnson-Odim, Cheryl (1997). For women and the nation: Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti of Nigeria. Urbana: University of Illinois Press. ISBN 978-0252066139.
  • Johnson-Odim, Cheryl (1992). Expanding the boundaries of women's history : essays on women in the Third World. Bloomington: Indiana University Press. ISBN 9780253330970.

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d e f "Cheryl Johnson-Odim's Biography". The HistoryMakers. Retrieved 17 April 2023.
  2. ^ a b c d "Cheryl Johnson-Odim archival collection at Columbia College Chicago". digitalcommons.colum.edu. Retrieved 17 April 2023.
  3. ^ West, Stan (16 January 2007). "Meet Dr. Johnson-Odim, Dominican's new provost". Wednesday Journal. Retrieved 17 April 2023.
  4. ^ "Library holds first Vivian G. Harsh Memorial Day". Chicago Defender. 7 December 1999. ProQuest 246982623.
  5. ^ Mead, Karen (1995). "Review of Expanding the Boundaries of Women's History: Essays on Women in the Third World". The Hispanic American Historical Review. 75 (1): 84–85. doi:10.2307/2516787. ISSN 0018-2168. JSTOR 2516787. Archived from the original on 24 March 2022. Retrieved 13 April 2023.
  6. ^ Nwankwo, Chimalum (2000). "Review of For Women and the Nation: Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti of Nigeria; Africa Wo/man Palava: The Nigerian Novel by Women". Signs. 26 (1): 277–279. doi:10.1086/495579. ISSN 0097-9740. JSTOR 3175392.
  7. ^ Chaudhuri, Nupur (2001). "Review of The Invention of Women: Making an African Sense of Western Gender Discourse; For Women and the Nation: Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti of Nigeria; Dislocating Cultures: Third World Feminism and the Politics of Knowledge". NWSA Journal. 13 (1): 172–176. ISSN 1040-0656. JSTOR 4316793.
  8. ^ Geiger, Susan (1999). "Review of For Women and the Nation: Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti of Nigeria". The American Historical Review. 104 (1): 294–295. doi:10.2307/2650358. ISSN 0002-8762. JSTOR 2650358.
  9. ^ "Columbia College Chicago Announces 2019 Honorary". Targeted News Service. 11 April 2019. ProQuest 2208013512. Retrieved 17 April 2023.
  10. ^ Goldstein, Andrew M. (31 December 2013). "Rashid Johnson on Making Art "About the Bigger Issues in Life"". Artspace. Retrieved 17 April 2023.
  11. ^ Rice, Chris Maul (17 March 2022). "Overblown ego: Parents don't do kids any favors when they praise too much". Chicago Tribune. ProQuest 418486600. Retrieved 17 April 2023.
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