Annual Sudarkasa Memorial Lecture

Broward County’s African American Research Library and Cultural Center (AARLCC) is proud to announce the institution of an annual lecture in honor of the life and legacy of cultural anthropologist, Africanist, university president, and Fort Lauderdale native, Dr. Niara Sudarkasa (1938-2019).

This program is presented in partnership with The Friends of AARLCC.

Niara Sudarkasa, née Gloria Albertha Marshall, was born on August 14, 1938, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. She graduated from Dillard High School at the age of 14. Dr. Sudarkasa, a gifted student, was accepted to Fisk University on a Ford Foundation scholarship at the age of 15. She transferred to Oberlin College and earned her bachelor’s degree in 1957.

The first African American woman to teach at Columbia University, she earned her master's degree in anthropology, and completed her Ph.D. while teaching at the university. Shortly after Dr. Sudarkasa earned her doctorate in anthropology in 1964, she became the first African American woman to be appointed as assistant professor of anthropology at New York University. She maintained that distinction at the University of Michigan when she became the first African American to be appointed to the Department of Anthropology in 1969. In 1986, she was appointed as the first African American female president of Lincoln University, a historically Black University located in Pennsylvania. Dr. Sudarkasa is the author of Where Women Work: A Study of Yoruba Women in the Marketplace and in the Home (1988), The Strength of Our Mothers: African & African American Women & Families: Essays and Speeches (1997), and Education is Still the Key: Selected Speeches & Essays (1998).

In 2002, Dr. Sudarkasa served as Distinguished Scholar-in-Residence at AARLCC. In 2006, she donated her collection to the African American Research Library and Cultural Center. Her collection includes her library and is the second largest manuscript collection in AARLCC’s archive.

Dr. Sudarkasa married John L. Clark and had a son, Michael Sudarkasa. She was a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. She died on May 31, 2019, at the age of 80, in Fort Lauderdale.

Dr. Artis was unanimously appointed by the Board of Trustees as the 14th and first woman President of Benedict College on June 30, 2017. Previously, Dr. Artis served as the 13th and first woman President of Florida Memorial University in Miami Gardens, Florida.

Intentional, professional, and thoroughly committed to the proliferation and transformation of colleges and universities that serve underrepresented men and women of color, Dr. Artis’ leadership has been recognized locally and nationally. In 2018, she was named “Female HBCU President of the Year” by HBCU Digest. In 2019, Dr. Artis was named to Diverse Issues in Higher Education’s “Top 35 Leading Women in Higher Education.” That same year, Benedict College was awarded the American Council on Education (ACE) Fidelity Investments Award for Institutional Transformation and recognized as the HBCU of the Year by HBCU Digest. In 2020, Dr. Artis was named “President of the Year” by Higher Ed Dive for her leadership in navigating the unprecedented challenges of 2020. In 2021, President Artis was appointed to the National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and Integrity (NACIQI). NACIQI advises the U.S. Secretary of Education on matters concerning accreditation, the Secretary’s recognition process for accrediting agencies, and institutional eligibility for federal student aid, through the Committee’s public meetings. Most recently, in 2022, President Artis was named one of Columbia Business Monthly’s 50 Most Influential people in South Carolina.

Dr. Artis is the Chair of the Presidents’ Advisory Board for Title III Administrators, is a member of the Educational Testing Service (ETS) Presidents’ Advisory Council and is a Member of the Board of Directors for the American Council on Education (ACE). She also serves as a Board Member of CIEE – Council on International Educational Exchange and previously served on the Board for the Forum on Education Abroad. She is the Vice-Chair for the “Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) HBCU/MSI Collaboration” and has been named an “Equity in Energy Ambassador” for the United States Department of Energy. She previously served on the Education Advisory Committee to the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, Jeh Johnson, during the Obama Administration.

Artis has been a trailblazer for much of her life. A prolific speaker, critical thinker, and fierce advocate for educational access. Dr. Artis is frequently engaged as a mentor, lecturer, and catalyst for strategic transformation. She is a widely respected innovator and thought leader on issues of higher education, specifically as it relates to underserved and vulnerable populations, having published countless articles and editorials on topics related to higher education equity and inclusion as well as the complexities associated with leading minority serving institutions. Artis is the founding Co-Chair for the Historically Black College and University Annual Sustainability Summit, which is in its 6th year. She has received more than 300 awards and recognitions locally and nationally for her work.

Dr. Artis is a graduate of Vanderbilt University, where she earned a Doctorate in Higher Education Leadership and Policy. She also holds a Juris Doctorate from West Virginia University College of Law, and her Bachelor of Arts degree in Political science from sister HBCU, West Virginia State University. The consummate professional, Dr. Artis also holds a Certificate of fundraising Management from Indiana University and a Certificate of Mastery in Prior Learning Assessment from DePaul University.

The Niara Sudarkasa papers contain correspondence, scholarly writings, publications, audio- visual material, plaques, business files, newspapers and books from Fort Lauderdale native, Dr. Niara Sudarkasa. The collection highlights Sudarkasa’s research as an anthropologist and her professional achievements including becoming the first African American woman president of Lincoln University in Pennsylvania. Her papers are a unique resource on Yoruba language and culture, ethnic groups in higher education and the Black Power Movement in the United States.Digital Archives Link: https://digitalarchives.broward.org/digital/collection/nsb

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