Newswise — From the election of the first African-American president and his inauguration to his Cabinet appointments and the transfer of power, Spelman College history and political science experts offer keen insight on the new White House occupants. William Jelani Cobb, Ph.D., and Desiree Pedescleaux, Ph.D., provide political and historical commentary on demand about the administration of change.
Dr. Cobb, associate professor of history at Spelman specializes in post-Civil War African-American history, 20th century American politics, and the history of the Cold War. A cultural critic and avid blogger, he is a frequent contributor to local and national media including CNN, the Washington Post, and Essence magazine. Dr. Cobb is author of "To The Break of Dawn: A Freestyle on the Hip Hop Aesthetic" and "The Devil & Dave Chappelle and Other Essays." He also has two forthcoming books: "In Our Lifetimes: Barack Obama and the New Black America," and a scholarly monograph titled "Antidote to Revolution: African American Anticommunism and the Struggle for Civil Rights, 1931-1957."
Associate dean of undergraduate studies, associate professor and former chair of the political science department at Spelman, Dr. Pedescleaux is an expert on national government, constitutional law, civil liberties, and urban politics. Active in the profession, she is president of the National Conference of Black Political Scientists Inc., a member of the American Political Science Association, the Urban Affairs Association, and the Southern Political Science Association.
Designated as an American Political Science Association Minority Graduate Fellow, the leading professional organization for the study of political science, Dr. Pedescleaux is the co-author of "The Color of School Reform." She is currently completing a collaborative book on the politics of urban education reform.
About Spelman CollegeFounded in 1881, Spelman College is a prestigious, highly selective, liberal arts college that prepares women to change the world. Located in Atlanta, Ga., this historically Black college boasts a 79 percent graduation rate, and outstanding alumnae such as Children's Defense Fund Founder Marian Wright Edelman; former U.S. Foreign Service Director General Ruth Davis, authors Tina McElroy Ansa and Pearl Cleage; and actress LaTanya Richardson. More than 83 percent of the full-time faculty members have Ph.D.s or other terminal degrees, and the average faculty to student ratio is 11:1. More than 2,100 students attend Spelman. For more information, visit http://www.spelman.edu.
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