2016 Diversity Champion Award

Prof. Derrick Brooms (Sociology) received the 2016 Diversity Champion Award given by the College of Arts & Sciences.

Diversity Awards are presented annually for faculty diversity champions, staff diversity champions, and exemplary departments. The purpose of these awards is to recognize and reward individual faculty members, staff members, and departments in the College of Arts & Sciences who have demonstrated an extraordinary commitment to diversity, and the creation of an inclusive campus community; to create an incentive for an on-going commitment to diversity; and to communicate the College’s commitment to diversity.

Prof. Brooms received his Ph.D. from Loyola University Chicago specializing in race relations, identity, representation, and culture and he earned his bachelor’s degree in African and African American Studies from the University of Chicago. He teaches courses on Race in the United States and Social Theory.

His research interests investigate representations of African American identity and culture within the media. Much of this research focuses on museums and explores contemporary exhibits about African American history and culture. In his museum research, he explores issues of racial representation, collective memory, and collective identity; additionally, he investigates the role museum sites and exhibits play in creating and maintaining narratives of people, places, and events—and counter-narratives as well. Dr. Brooms’ research also focuses on African American men and boys by examining their educational experiences in both secondary and post-secondary institutions. At the secondary level, his work examines the impact of school culture on academic aspirations, resilience, motivation, and sense of self. At the collegiate levels, he investigates the impact of campus climate, mentoring, and involvement on the academic performances and educational experiences of African American men.

From Prof. Brooms:

A good portion of the research and creative activities that I do is publicly engaged scholarship. In this realm, my work is motivated by the larger umbrella of sociology along with demographic and sociocultural influences - such as race, ethnicity, gender, and age. These activities directly align with activities for which I am evaluated: instruction, research, and service. Additionally, the services that I engage in - College of Arts & Sciences Diversity Committee, Inclusive Teaching Circles, African American Male Initiative, and the Association of Black Sociologists to name a few - are all interwoven in enhancing my own teaching, research and service.

My research and service are publicly engaging activities that contribute to a number of communities - for which I have been invited to speak with students, staff, faculty, and other constituents. In my work with African American males, I am continuously engaged with this student population here on campus, presenting research at professional conferences, and engaging with colleagues across college and university campuses on programming and organizational efforts along with student engagement and leadership. Furthermore, I intentionally engage in these services as measures to contribute to the classroom and the institution along with the Louisville Community (such as the high school connection program and the Network Center for Community Change) and the broader community as well (Black male collegians, the sociology profession, and various other communities).

My professional responsibilities demand that I engage in and with underrepresented populations and with students who face various risks and are high need. This work is important not only within the communities where I engage but also to the institution as well.