Clovis E. Semmes

A photo of Clovis Semmes

Professor Emeritus

Africology and African American Studies

 

[email protected]

Education

  • Ph.D., Sociology, Northwestern University, 1978
  • MA, Sociology, University Of Illinois, Chicago, 1972
  • BA, Sociology, Northwestern University, 1971

Biography

Dr. Clovis E. Semmes
[email protected]
[email protected]
October 2023

Education: Ph.D., Sociology, Northwestern University, 1978; M.A., Sociology, University of Illinois,
Chicago, 1972; B.A., Sociology, Northwestern University, 1971.
Areas of Specialization: African American Institutions, Culture, and Social Movements; African
American Popular and Expressive Culture; Health Systems and Health Behavior; Alternative and
Nonmedical Health Practices; Systemic Inequality; Comparative Urban Communities.

Professional Experience

Current Status: Professor Emeritus of African American Studies, Eastern Michigan University and
formerly Director of Black Studies and Professor of Black Studies and Sociology, University of Missouri-
Kansas City; presently an independent scholar, consultant, and lecturer. 
Teaching: Professor of Black Studies and Sociology, University of Missouri-Kansas City, September
2009-August 2017; Visiting Professor of Black Studies and Sociology, University of Missouri-Kansas
City, 2008-2009 (Courses: graduate and undergraduate: Introduction to African American studies;
graduate and undergraduate: Critical Health Issues in Black Communities; graduate and undergraduate:
Conceptual and Theoretical Foundations in African American Studies; graduate and undergraduate:
Writing for African American Studies; undergraduate: Global Systems and the Origins of Black American
Culture and Institutions; graduate and undergraduate: Black Family and Male-Female Relationships;
graduate and undergraduate: African American Business Development; graduate and undergraduate: From
Vaudeville to Rhythm and Blues; graduate and undergraduate: Research Seminar). Professor Emeritus of
African American Studies, Eastern Michigan University; Professor of African American Studies, 1993-
2009, EMU; Associate Professor, EMU, 1988-1993. (Courses: Introduction to African American Studies;
The Social Context of African American Health; The African American Family; African American Social
Movements; Urbanization and the African American Community; Foundations of Knowledge in African
American Studies; The African Diaspora; Research Seminar; Comparative Religions in the African
Diaspora; Writing for African-American Studies; Introduction to Black Business Enterprises; From
Vaudeville to Rhythm and Blues: African American Expressive Culture, 1900-1979; *Pedagogy,
Perspective, and Practice in Servicing African-American Communities; *Researching Black Families;
*Researching Black Communities; *Foundational Issues in African American Studies; *= graduate course).
Assistant Professor of Black Studies, University of Illinois, Chicago, January 1979-August 1986;
Visiting Lecturer, University of Illinois, Chicago, September 1976-January 1979. (Courses: Health Care
Issues in the Black Community; The Black Family in the United States; Black Nationalism; Introduction to
Black Studies I & II; Research Methods in Black Studies I & II; Institutionalized Racism). See additional
teaching below.
Administrative: Director of Black Studies, University of Missouri-Kansas City, September 1, 2009-
August 31, 2012; Acting Director of Black Studies, University of Illinois, Chicago, September 1980-
August 1982. Assistant Director of Admission and Coordinator of Admission and Financial Aid for
Minority Students, Northwestern University, October 1986-September 1988; Operations Director for the
LEAD Program at Northwestern, a national summer business institute for minority high school students,
1987-1988.

Publications

Publications

Books:
 2017 The End of Black Studies: Conceptual, Theoretical, and Empirical Concerns, Routledge
(paperback edition 2019). Recipient of 2017 Anna Julia Cooper and C. L. R. James Award for
Outstanding Scholarly Publication in Africana Studies from the National Council for Black Studies.

Curriculum Vitae, October 2023, Dr. Clovis E. Semmes - Page 2.

 2011 The Regal Theater and Black Culture (revised paperback edition), Palgrave Macmillan.
 2006 The Regal Theater and Black Culture, (hardcover edition), Palgrave Macmillan.
 1998 Roots of Afrocentric Thought: A Reference Guide to Negro Digest/Black World, 1961-1976;
Number 35 in the Greenwood Press Series: Bibliographies and Indexes in Afro-American and African
Studies.
 1996 Racism, Health and Post-Industrialism: A Theory of African-American Health, Praeger.
 1992 Cultural Hegemony and African American Development, Praeger (paperback edition, 1995).
Selected by Choice as an Outstanding Academic Book, 1994.
Work in Progress:
 The Theatrical Workforce in Black Community Life: Value Formation, Entrepreneurship, and
Philanthropy (tentative title): a book project that examines the intersection of creative expression,
business development, and philanthropy in urban community development.
 “The Black Chicago Renaissance, the Big Stage Method, and the Legacy of Dancers Mary and Sadie
Bruce.”
Articles and Chapters in Books:
 2020 “Black Chicago Pioneers in the Training of Dancers,” in Roots of the Black Chicago
Renaissance: New Negro Writers, Artists, and Intellectuals, 1893-1930, University of Illinois Press,
Richard A. Courage and Christopher R. Reed, editors.
 2018 “The Regal Theater,” for Chicago spotlight in Oxford African American Studies Center, Henry
Louis Gates Jr., Editor in Chief.
 2017 “King of Selling: The Rise and Fall of S. B. Fuller,” in Building the Black Metropolis and
Beyond: African American Entrepreneurship in Chicago, University of Illinois Press, Robert Weems
and Jason Chambers, editors.
 2012 “The Problem of Race and Chicago’s Great Tivoli Theater,” in The Black Chicago Renaissance,
University of Illinois Press, Darlene Clark Hine and John McCluskey, editors.
 2011 “Entrepreneur of Health: Dick Gregory, Black Consciousness, and the Human Potential
Movement,” Journal of African American Studies 13 (December):1-13.
 2011 “Charitable Collaborations in Bronzeville, 1928-1944: The Chicago Defender and the Regal
Theater,” Journal of Urban History, vol. 37, no. 6:975-991.
 2009 “Negro Digest,” in the Encyclopedia of African American Education, Sage Publications.
 2008 “The Origins of Chicago’s Bud Billiken Parade: Correcting Historical Misconceptions,” Journal
of Illinois History, 11 (Winter):277-290.
 2007 “The Normative Assault on Black Studies,” International Journal of Africana Studies, vol. 13,
no. 2:83-98.
 2004 “Existential Sociology or the Sociology of Group Survival, Elevation, and Liberation,” Journal
of African American Studies, 7, no. 4:3-18.

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 2001 “Foundations in Africana Studies: Revisiting Negro Digest/Black World, 1961-1976,” The
Western Journal of Black Studies, 25:195-201.
 2001 “E. Franklin Frazier’s Theory of the Black Family: Vindication and Sociological Insight,”
Journal of Sociology and Social Welfare, xxviii:3-21.
 1994 "The Dialectics of Cultural Survival and the Community Artist: Phil Cohran and the Affro-Arts
Theater," Journal of Black Studies, 24:447-461.
 1994 "When Medicine Fails: Making the Decision to Seek Natural Health Care," in Yearbook of
Cross-Cultural Medicine and Psychotherapy 1992, W. Andritzky, ed., International Institute of Cross-
Cultural Therapy Research, Germany (revised, first published in National Journal of Sociology).
 1993 "Religion and the Challenge of Afrocentric Thought," The Western Journal of Black Studies,
17:158-163; reprinted in Multicultural Experiences, Multicultural Theories, McGraw-Hill, 1996.
 1993 "Making Health Promotion a Goal for the 1990s and Beyond," Black Issues in Higher Education
(April 22) 10:25.
 1991 "Developing Trust: Patient/Practitioner Encounters in Natural Health Care," Journal of
Contemporary Ethnography, 19:450-470.
 1990 "When Medicine Fails: Making the Decision to Seek Natural Health Care," National Journal of
Sociology, 4:175-198.
 1990 "Nonmedical Illness Behavior: A Model of Patients Who Seek Alternatives to Allopathic
Medicine," Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics, 13:427-436.
 1990 "The Role of African American Health Beliefs and Practices in Social Movements and Cultural
Revitalization," Minority Voices, 6 (Spring):45-57.
 1986 (with B. Logan) "Culture, Ethnicity and Ethnic Families: Relationship to Community Health
Nursing," in Family Centered Nursing in the Community, B. Logan and C. Dawkins, eds., Addison
Wesley.
 1986 "The Sociological Tradition of E. Franklin Frazier: Implications for Black Studies," Journal of
Negro Education, 55:484-494.
 1985 "Minority Status and the Problem of Legitimacy," Journal of Black Studies, 15:259-275.
 1983 "Toward a Theory of Popular Health Practices in the Black Community," The Western Journal
of Black Studies, 7:206-213; reprinted in Africana Studies: Philosophical Perspectives and Theoretical
Paradigms, Washington State University Press, 2008.
 1982 "Black Studies and the Symbolic Structure of Domination," The Western Journal of Black
Studies, 6:116-122.
 1981 "Foundations of an Afrocentric Social Science and the Implications for Curriculum Building,
Theory and Research in Black Studies," Journal of Black Studies, 12:3-17.
 1981 "African Americans Seeking Natural Health Care: A Study of Belief Change and Maintenance,"
The Western Journal of Black Studies, 5:254-263.

Curriculum Vitae, October 2023, Dr. Clovis E. Semmes - Page 4.

 1976 "Toward a Sociological Analysis of the Harlem Renaissance: Why Harlem? Black World,
(February):4-13, 93-97; revised and reprinted in the three-volume work, The Harlem Renaissance: A
Gale Critical Companion, published by The Gale Group, 2002.
Research Reports:
 2008 Report to the Commission on Black Studies, University of Missouri-Kansas City.
 1985 Conversion to Natural Health Care Among Afro-Americans, Foundation for Chiropractic
Education and Research, Arlington, Virginia. (275 pages).
Book Reviews:
 2008 Selling the Race: Culture, Community, and Black Chicago, 1940-1955 in Indiana Magazine of
History (September):316-317.
 2002 Black Identity and Black Protest in the Antebellum North in Indiana Magazine of History,
(December):324-325.
 1996 Black Saints in a White Church: Contemporary African American Mormons in Wyoming
History Journal, (Winter):45-46.
 1995 Going Through the Storm in Journal of American Ethnic History, 15:91.
 1991 Philanthropy and Jim Crow in The Western Journal of Black Studies, 14:142-143.
 1977 Am I Not a Man and a Brother in Black Books Bulletin, (Winter) 5:60-61.
 1977 The Black Family from Slavery to Freedom in Black Books Bulletin, (Spring) 5:42-44.
 1975 Marginality and Identity in Journal of Ethnic Studies, 3:121-123.
 1974 Understanding Race Relations in American Journal of Sociology, 79:1543-1545.
Editorial Board: Issues in Race & Society: An Interdisciplinary Global Journal: 2012-present.
Reviewer: Media History, Issues in Race & Society: An Interdisciplinary Global Journal, Jones and
Bartlett, National Journal of Sociology, Western Journal of Black Studies, Social Problems, Journal of
Contemporary Ethnography, Harcourt Brace, Wayne State University Press, Journal of African American
Studies, University Press of Mississippi, Social Science & Medicine.
Additional Teaching: Northeastern Illinois University, Winter 1986; Roosevelt University, Spring 1977
and Spring 1976; Olive-Harvey College, Spring 1976; Kendall College, Summer 1974-Summer 1975;
Malcolm X College, Fall 1974; Northwestern University Evening Division, Spring 1974; Chicago Skills
Center, Neighborhood Youth Corps, Summer 1973 (Courses: Introduction to Sociology; Social Problems;
Social Inequality; African American Literature; Harlem Renaissance; also provided academic support
services).
Consulting: Reviewer, University of Missouri Research Board, 2009: Consultant to Black Studies
Commission, University of Missouri-Kansas City, 2008; Screener, Teen Short Story Contest, Ann Arbor
Book Festival, 2004; African American Life Series Advisory Board: Wayne State University Press; Stress
Management; Regal Theater Foundation, Chicago: Provided research assistance for the opening of the
New Regal Theater, a project of the Softsheen Corporation, 1986; Reviewer for promotion and tenure
cases: American University, Howard University, Roosevelt University, North Carolina State University,
University of Louisville, State University of New York—New Paltz.

Curriculum Vitae, October 2023, Dr. Clovis E. Semmes - Page 5.

Lectures, Papers, and Presentations

 Invited panelist, “Toward a Criteria for Excellence in Black Education: A Problem of Process and
Substance,” Olive-Harvey College, October 13, 1977.
 Invited panelist, “Afrocentrism and the Problem of Mission in Black Studies,” 1st Annual Black
Studies Conference Olive-Harvey College, April 1, 1978.
 Invited panelist, "The Community and Its Health: Inventory and Blueprint," The Abraham Lincoln
School of Medicine, University of Illinois Medical Center, Chicago, September 20, 1978.
 Invited workshop, “The Relationship Between Lifestyle and Health,” The Archdiocese of Chicago,
Curriculum Conference, Westchester, Illinois, October 21, 1978.
 Invited panelist, "The Image of the Black Family in Film" and "The Image of the Black Child in Film,"
Pro and Con Screening Board and Illinois Humanities Council, November 11, 1978 and November 18,
1978.
 Invited speaker, “Health in the Black Community,” Olive-Harvey College, December 20, 1978.
 Invited workshop, "Health Care Issues in the Black Community," Conference on the Urban Child, The
Archdiocese of Chicago, March 10, 1979.
 Invited panelist, Pro and Con Screening Board, “The Image of the Black Family in Film,” The Chicago
Public Library Cultural Center, March 13, 1979.
 Presented paper, "Foundations of an Afrocentric Social Science,” 5th Annual Third World Conference,
The McCormick Inn, Chicago, March 31,1979.
 Invited papers, “The Family, Culture Building, and the Health of the Black Community,” and
"Foundations of an Afrocentric Social Science," 2nd Annual Black Studies Conference, Olive-Harvey
College, April 14, 1979.
 Invited panelist, “The Image of the Black Man in Film,” Pro and Con Screening Board and Illinois
Humanities Council, University of Illinois, Chicago, April 30, 1979.
 Invited speaker, University of Illinois Urban Nursing Program, University of Illinois Medical Center,
College of Nursing, August 29, 1979.
 Lectures and workshops, Senior Citizen’s Daycare Center, Chicago Department of Human Services;
presented six lectures and workshops on lifestyle and health, September through October, 1979.
 Invited guest for Black History Month, “Hot Line,” WVON Radio, February 11, 1980.
 Invited paper, “The Role of Black Studies in Resolving the Black Leadership Crisis,” 3rd Annual
Black Studies Conference, Olive-Harvey College, April 12, 1980.
 Invited panelist, “Black Higher Education,” Black Student Organization for Communication,
University of Illinois, Chicago, April 25, 1980.
 Invited speaker, “The Effects of Culture and Lifestyle on Health Practices,” The University of Illinois
Medical Center, College of Nursing, May 12, 1980.

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 Invited paper, "Trends and Challenges Affecting the Survival of Black People," National Urban
League, Inc., Regional Conference, Central Regional Office, Conrad Hilton, Chicago, November 14,
1980.
 Invited paper, "The Foundations of Knowledge in Black Studies," Round Table for African American
History, Chicago, February 15, 1981.
 Invited panelist, “The Integrationist Ethic: A Force for Development or Retardation in the Black
Community, “Olive-Harvey College, February 16, 1981.
 Invited paper, “Lifestyle Change Among African Americans: Implications and Process,” 7th Annual
Third World Conference, Palmer House, Chicago, March 28, 1981.
 Invited guest, “Hot Line.” WVON Radio, April 6, 1981.
 Invited panelist, “Toward an Appropriate Black Response to the American Decline: Theoretical and
Practical Dimensions,” 4th Annual Black Studies Conference, Olive-Harvey College, April 11, 1981.
 Presented paper, “Lifestyle Change Among African Americans,” Research Forum sponsored by Nurse
Faculty Development in the Midwest-Ethnicity and Health Interest Group, University of Illinois
Medical Center, College of Nursing, May 8, 1981.
 Invited lectures, “The Black Family,” Sociology of the Family class, Professor William Liu, instructor,
University of Illinois, Chicago, November 18 and 19, 1981.
 Invited lecture, “The Survival of the Black Family,” Black Student Organization for Communication,
University of Illinois, Chicago, February 10, 1982.
 Invited panelist, “Emerging Role of the Black Woman in White America,” Olive-Harvey College,
February 10, 1982.
 Presented paper, "Black Studies and the Symbolic Structure of Domination," 6th National Council for
Black Studies Conference, Radisson Hotel, Chicago, March 20, 1982.
 Invited speaker, "The First Forum for the Evolution of Progressive Arts," a conference on Black art,
Northeastern Illinois Center for Inner City Studies, March 25, 1982.
 Presented paper, "Black Studies and the Symbolic Structure of Domination," 8th Annual Third World
Conference, The McCormick Inn, Chicago, March 27, 1982.
 Invited panelist, “Counseling Responsibilities in the Educational Process,” a conference on “Unity for
Health Care: Chicago Nurses at Work,” sponsored by Chicago Chapter, National Black Nurses’
Association, Lambda Pi Alpha Nurses’ Sorority, Beta Mu Chapter; and Chi Eta Phi Nurses’ Sorority,
Alpha Eta Chapter, Bismarck Hotel, Chicago, April 2, 1982.
 Invited panelist, “The Decline of the American Welfare State: Cultural Implications for Blacks,” 5th
Annual Black Studies Conference, Olive-Harvey College, April 16, 1982.
 Invited speaker, “Career Exploration Seminar, John Farren Elementary School, Chicago, April 20,
1982.
 Presented paper, "The Cultural Philosophy of Phil Cohran and the Rise of the Affro-Arts Theater,"
conference on "Aesthetics and Philosophy of Afro-American Arts,” Center for Afro-American Studies,
Ohio University, May 15, 1982.

Curriculum Vitae, October 2023, Dr. Clovis E. Semmes - Page 7.

 Invited workshop, “Stress Management,” South Side Business Advisory Council Health Clinic,
Chicago State University, October 23, 1982.
 Presented paper, “Popular Health Practices in the Black Community,” 9th Annual Third World
Conference, Chicago, March 25 1983.
 Invited speaker, Career Development Workshop, 1st Immanuel Lutheran Church, Chicago, April 9,
1983.
 Invited panelist, “Black Male/Female Relationship,” 6th Annual Black Studies Conference, Olive-
Harvey College, April 14, 1983.
 Presented paper, “Popular Health Practices in the Black Community,” 6th Annual Black Studies
Conference, Olive-Harvey College, April 16, 1983.
 Presented paper, "Toward a Theory of Popular Health Practices in the Black Community,” Popular
Culture Association, Wichita, Kansas, April 24, 1983.
 Invited paper, "The Politics of Cultural Hegemony in Pan-African Liberation,” Plenary Address,
Conference on African and African-American Linkages, Chicago State University, May 13, 1983.
 Invited lecture, “A Critical Review of E. Franklin Frazier’s The Negro Family in the United States for
the Organization for the Study of African-American History and Culture (a student group), University
of Illinois, Chicago, November 9, 1983.
 Invited speaker, 8th Annual Awards Dinner, Woodson-Delaney Educational Fund, Chicago, November
18, 1983.
 Invited speaker, FMO: A Black Student Alliance, Northwestern University, February 19, 1984.
 Invited speaker, “Black History Alive,” Hyde Park Career Academy, Chicago, February 22, 1984.
 Presented paper, "Race and Culture Contact: A Critical Analysis of E. Franklin Frazier's Contribution
to Sociological Theory," 10th Annual Third World Conference, Chicago, March 29, 1984.
 Interviewed for WGCI radio by Clyde El-Amin on my article, “Black Studies and the Symbolic
Structure of Domination,” aired April 8, 1984.
 Invited paper, “The Mass Electronic Media and the African-American Educational Crisis,” 7th Annual
Black Studies Conference, Olive-Harvey College, April 13, 1984.
 Invited lecture, “The Family, Lifestyle, and Health,” for BRASS Foundation, Chicago, June 27, 1984.
 Invited lecture, “Stress Management,” for BRASS Foundation, Chicago, August 1, 1984.
 Invited lecture, “The Black Family,” Sociology of Marriage and the Family class, Professor William
Liu, instructor, University of Illinois, Chicago, February 25, 1985.
 Presented paper, “Culture Building, Identity and Holistic Health Practices Among Afro-Americans,”
Popular Culture Association, Louisville, Kentucky, April 5, 1985.
 Invited guest, “On Target: A Public Affairs Program,” WVON Radio, April 11, 1985.

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 Invited papers, “The Mass Electronic Media and Participatory Democracy” and “Religious
Fundamentalism and Black Political Aspirations, 8th Annual Black Studies Conference, Olive-Harvey
College, April 20, 1985.
 Invited speaker, plenary session, Conference on African and African American Linkages, Pan-African
Information Bureau, Malcolm X College, Chicago, June 14-15, 1985.
 Lecture, "Stress Management," Woodson Regional Library, Chicago, November 9, 1985.
 Invited lecture, “Stress Management,” Jewish Vocational Service, Chicago, December 20, 1985.
 Invited paper, "African Religious Influences and Cultural Revitalization," DePaul University, Seminar
Series on the United States and the Nations of Africa, February 26, 1986.
 Invited lecture, “Black Studies in Times of Crisis: Challenges and Possibilities,” Olive-Harvey
College, February 26, 1986.
 Presented paper, "The Role of a Social Heritage in Constructing Viable Black Families," 13th Annual
National Conference on the Black Family in America, Louisville, Kentucky, March 14, 1986.
 Invited paper, “The Expropriation of Black Culture, Self-Alienation and Black Youth, 9th Annual
Black Studies Conference, Olive-Harvey College, April 18, 1986.
 Invited speaker, “Historical and Societal Impediments to the Black Family,” Family Focus, Evanston,
Illinois, June 20, 1986.
 Invited speaker, National Society of Black Engineers, McCormick Inn, Chicago, October 18, 1986.
 Invited guest, “1st World Report, WNUR Radio, Evanston, Illinois, October 20, 1986.
 Invited panelist, “The Making of the Black Woman: A Problem of the American Encounter,” Olive-
Harvey College, Chicago, November 4, 1986.
 Invited speaker, “Afrocentrism, FMO: A Black Student Alliance, Northwestern University, November
7, 1986.
 Invited panelist, “Ethnic Health,” College of Nursing, University of Illinois, Chicago, January 17,
1987.
 Invited paper, "Themes in Black Critical Thought: The Works of Harold Cruse," Harold Cruse
discussant, 10th Annual Black Studies Conference, Olive-Harvey College, April 9, 1987.
 Invited panelist, “Two Decades of Black Studies: Antecedents, Impact, and Future,” 10th Annual
Black Studies Conference, Olive-Harvey College, April 11, 1987.
 Invited speaker, Illinois Math and Science Academy, “Career Exploration Week,” December 11, 1987.
 Invited panelist, 9th Annual Martin Luther King Memorial Forum, Northwestern University, January
17, 1988.
 Invited speaker, Department of Aging and Disability (Southeast Center), Chicago, “Black Folk
Medicine,” February 27, 1988.
 Invited speaker, Lindblom Technical High School, Chicago, Alumni Career Day, April 13, 1988.

Curriculum Vitae, October 2023, Dr. Clovis E. Semmes - Page 9.

 Invited panelist, Afro-American Student Affairs, Northwestern University, “School Daze,” April 13,
1988.
 Invited panelist, 11th Annual Black Studies Conference, Olive-Harvey College, “Medical and Ethical
Dimensions in the African-American Community,” April 21, 1988.
 Invited lecture, graduate seminar on Health, Illness, and Healing, “Black Health Care Issues,” Dr.
Bonnie T. Miller-McLemore, instructor, Chicago Theological Seminary, May 18, 1988.
 Invited lecture, “The Social Organization of Health Care,” Social Problems class, Dr. Charles Stevens,
instructor, DePaul University, August 1, 1988.
 Invited speaker, Du Sable High School Summer Program, Chicago, August 4, 1988.
 Invited lectures, “Black Awareness”: a series of lectures in student dormitories to educate minority
and majority students on the African-American experience, Eastern Michigan University, October 11,
19, 1989.
 Invited speaker, Delta Sigma Theta, Inc. Creative Writing Contest, Eastern Michigan University, April
10, 1989.
 Presented paper, "Developing Institutional Sensitivity in the Recruitment and Retention of African
American Students," 14th National Conference on Blacks in Higher Education (NAFEO), Washington,
D.C., April 21, 1989.
 Invited panelist, 12th Annual Black Studies Conference, “The African-American Media: Moving
Beyond Style to Substance,” Olive-Harvey College, April 22, 1989.
 Invited speaker, Minority Orientation Banquet, Eastern Michigan University, September 4, 1989.
 Invited speaker, “Malcolm X,” Multicultural Center, Eastern Michigan University, February 21, 1990.
 Presented paper, "Lifestyle Change and the Health of the African American Family," 17th Annual
National Conference on the Black Family in America, Louisville, Kentucky, March 9, 1990.
 Invited paper, “Foundations of Knowledge in African-American Studies: Contributions to a New
Liberal Arts,” 13th Annual Black Studies Conference, Olive-Harvey College, Chicago, April 28, 1990.
 Invited presentation, "African American Studies as a Model for Teaching Ethnicity," for a symposium:
"Ethnic Issues in the Classroom," sponsored by the Faculty Center for Instructional Excellence,
Eastern Michigan University, November 2, 1990.
 Invited speaker, “The Meeting of the Minds,” Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Eastern Michigan
University, November 28, 1990.
 Invited speaker, "Black History Alive," opening address in honor of Black History Month, Eastern
Michigan University, January 31, 1991.
 Invited respondent, Videoconference on Campus Racism, Eastern Michigan University, February 20,
1991.
 Radio interview, WVON, Chicago, April 12, 1991.

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 Presented paper, "Foundations of Knowledge in African American Studies: Implications for Pan-
African and Diasporic Studies,” 8th Pan-African Conference, Cleveland State University, April 13,
1991.
 Keynote speaker, "African Americans, Euro-American Cultural Hegemony, and the Rising Tide of
Color," 14th Annual Black Studies Conference, Olive-Harvey College, Chicago, April 19, 1991.
 Presented paper, "African American Institutional Development and the Political Economy of Culture,”
21st Annual Meeting, Association of Black Sociologists, Cincinnati, August 21, 1991.
 Invited panelist, “What Killed King,” Eastern Michigan University, Multicultural Center, January 15,
1992.
 Invited respondent, “Beyond the Dream IV Videoconference,” Eastern Michigan University, February
5, 1992.
 Invited lecture, Afro-centricity: Examining New Ideas in Afro-centric Thought.” A student-sponsored
program at Eastern Michigan University, February 17, 1992.
 Invited panelist, "Buzzword-Analysis: Afrocentricity," The Collegium for Advanced Studies, Eastern
Michigan University, March 18, 1992.
 Invited paper, “Afrocentrism, Religion, and Cultural Unity,” 15th Annual Black Studies Conference,
Olive-Harvey College, Chicago, April 25, 1992.
 Invited respondent, “The Challenge of the Afro-Centric and/or Multicultural Debates, 15th Annual
Black Studies Conference, Olive-Harvey College, Chicago, April 25, 1992.
 Invited lecture, “The Importance of Voting,” Association of Black Communicators, Eastern Michigan
University, October 7, 1992.
 Invited lecture, “Health Care Issues in the Black Community,” African American Saturday Academy,
Ann Arbor Public School System, November 14, 1992.
 Invited lecture, “Confronting Our Cultural Identity Crisis,” Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Eastern
Michigan University, November 17, 1992.
 Invited speaker, "King Memorial," Concordia College, Ann Arbor, Michigan, January 18, 1993.
 Invited respondent, “Beyond the Dream V Videoconference,” Eastern Michigan University, February
3, 1993.
 Invited speaker, Ann Arbor Public Library "Booked For Lunch Program," February 9, 1993.
 Invited speaker, Black Business Students Association, Eastern Michigan University School of
Business, February 16, 1993.
 Invited speaker for Black History Month, Chicago Transit Authority Workers, Merchandise Mart,
Chicago, February 26, 1993.
 Invited speaker, First Unitarian Universalist Church of Ann Arbor, April 4, 1993.
 Invited respondent, “Cultural Hegemony and African-American Development”: a critical review of
my book, Cultural Hegemony and African-American Development. 16th Annual Black Studies
Conference, Olive-Harvey College, Chicago, April 22, 1993.

Curriculum Vitae, October 2023, Dr. Clovis E. Semmes - Page 11.

 Invited paper, "The Role of Mass Media in an Age of Managed Perceptions," 16th Annual Black
Studies Conference, Olive-Harvey College, Chicago, April 23, 1993.
 Invited speaker, Upward Bound Summer Program, Personal Growth and Development class, Eastern
Michigan University, June 30, 1993.
 Invited speaker, "Understanding Racism," Association of College Unions-International Region 7
Conference, Eastern Michigan University, October 16, 1993.
 Invited speaker, "African American Folk Healing Practices," for "Transdisciplinary Approach to the
Study of Diversity," College of Health and Human Services, Eastern Michigan University, January 17,
1994.
 Invited speaker, African American History Month, 5th Grade Class, Pattengill Elementary School, Ann
Arbor, Michigan, February 10, 1994.
 Invited speaker, "Defining the Discipline: The Importance of African American Studies," Young
African American Professionals Leadership Conference, Eastern Michigan University, February 26,
1994.
 Invited speaker, "Transcending Religious Intolerance..." First Unitarian Universalist Church, Detroit,
April 10, 1994.
 Invited speaker, "The Role of the African American Family" for Eastern Michigan University’s
Multicultural Center in honor of Black History Month, February 8, 1995.
 Invited speaker, "The Role of Health in African American Liberation," Young African American
Professionals Leadership Conference, Eastern Michigan University, February 24, 1995.
 Invited papers, "A Critical Review of African Americans and the New Policy Consensus" and
"Cultural Wars and the Remaking of American Civilization," 18th Annual Black Studies Conference,
Olive-Harvey College, Chicago, April 20 and 21, 1995.
 Invited speaker, "Managing Health Care: Exploring Options for African Americans," Department of
Children and Family Services, Third Annual Illinois African American Conference, Chicago, May 24,
1995.
 Invited panelist, “African American Studies: Content, Pedagogy and Challenges,” Faculty Center for
Instructional Excellence, Eastern Michigan University, November 27, 1995.
 Invited lecture for the course, Health Care of Vulnerable Populations, Department of Nursing, Eastern
Michigan University, January 16, 1996.
 Invited lecture for the course, Ethnicity and Gender Issues Among the Aged, Department of Social
Work, Eastern Michigan University, February 13, 1996.
 Invited lecture, “Traditions in African-American Health Practices,” Ann Arbor Public Library,
February 22, 1996.
 Invited paper, “ Technology, Cultural Change, and the Social Construction of Reality,” 19th Annual
Black Studies Conference, Olive-Harvey College, Chicago, April 26, 1996.
 Invited paper, “Developing a National African-American Health Ethic,” Sixth National Conference,
Association for Black Culture Centers, University of Arkansas, November 1, 1996.

Curriculum Vitae, October 2023, Dr. Clovis E. Semmes - Page 12.

 Invited paper, “Elites, Assimilationism, and the Closing of Oppositional Discourse,” National
Conference of Black Political Scientists, Chicago, March 14, 1997.
 Invited panelist, “The Status of Health in the African-American Community: A Multidimensional
Crisis,” and “Black Life in the Third Millennium: Speculations on an Alternative Future,” 20th
Annual Black Studies Conference, Olive-Harvey College, Chicago April 18, 19, 1997.
 Invited speaker, “African-American Health Traditions,” Ethnic Week, Wayne State University of
School of Medicine, October 24, 1997.
 Invited speaker, “Barriers to African-American Women’s Health,” Women’s Studies Week, Women’s
Studies Program, Eastern Michigan University, October 27, 1997.
 Invited speaker, “Culture, Awareness, and Health for Academic Excellence,” Academic Mentor
Program, Eastern Michigan University, November 19, 1997.
 Invited panelist, National African-American Parent Involvement Day, Eastern Michigan University,
February 11, 1998.
 Invited paper, “The Knowledge Economy and the Crisis in Black Culture,” 21st Annual Black Studies
Conference, Olive-Harvey College, Chicago, April 18, 1998.
 Invited paper, “Foundations in Africana Studies...” Florida International University, African-New
World Studies Conference, “21st Century Paradigms in Africana Studies,” May 2, 1998.
 Invited speaker, “The Ambivalence of the Black Body,” Ethnic Week, Wayne State University
Medical School, October 23, 1998.
 Invited speaker, “Strategies for Academic Success,” Academic Mentor Program, Eastern Michigan
University, February 17, 1999.
 Invited papers, “The Regal Theater, Music and the Concept of Community,” and “Critical Elements in
the Study of Black Youth and Consumerist Culture,” 23rd Annual Black Studies Conference, Olive-
Harvey College, Chicago, April 13-14, 2000.
 Presented paper, “E. Franklin Frazier’s Theory of the Black Family: Vindication and Sociological
Insight,” Annual Meeting of the Midwest Sociological Society, Chicago, April 21, 2000.
 Invited paper, “E. Franklin Frazier on Race and Culture Contacts, Middle-Class Formations, and the
Assimilation Problem,” Annual Meeting of the American Sociological Association, Washington, D.
C., August 14, 2000.
 Invited speaker, “African American Health and Healing Traditions,” City of Ypsilanti, February 1,
2001.
 Invited speaker, Graduate Course in Social Work: “African-centered Practice,” instructed by Dr.
Sylvia Sims-Gray, Eastern Michigan University, February 10, 2001.
 Invited speaker, “Slave Culture and Resistance to Oppression,” Center for Multicultural Affairs,
Eastern Michigan University, February 12, 2001.
 Invited papers, "African-American Thinkers and the Vision of American Democracy," and "The
American National Identity Crisis; Implications for Racial/Ethnic and Cultural Democracy," 24th
Annual Black Studies Conference, Olive-Harvey College, Chicago, April 19-20, 2001.

Curriculum Vitae, October 2023, Dr. Clovis E. Semmes - Page 13.

 Invited speaker, “Chicago’s Regal Theater,” Ann Arbor Community Center, February 5, 2002.
 Presented paper, “Problems, Principles, and Challenges in the Formulation of a Black Sociology,” 32 nd
Annual Meeting of the Association of Black Sociologists, Chicago, August 15, 2002.
 Invited panelist, “African America and the Struggle for Power,” Pre-Conference Forum, Olive-Harvey
College, Chicago, February 22, 2003.
 Invited panelist, “Media Monopolies and the Future of Independent Thought, 26 th Annual Black
Studies Conference, Olive-Harvey College, Chicago, April 25, 2003.
 Invited speaker, “Color Struck,” a Black Student Union program, EMU, October 23, 2003.
 Invited panelist, "The Power Elite in Contemporary American Society…” 27 th Annual Black Studies
Conference, Olive-Harvey College, Chicago, April 24, 2004.
 Invited panelist, New Student Panel, Center for Multicultural Affairs, EMU, August 31, 2004.
 Presented paper, “The Chicago Defender and the Regal Theater: Synergy and Community in 1930s’
Bronzeville,” 89 th Annual Conference of the Association for the Study of African American Life and
History, Pittsburgh, PA, September 30, 2004.
 Invited panelist, “Pedagogies of Multiculturalism,” King Day Celebration, EMU, January 17, 2005.
 Invited speaker, “Know Where You Come From,” Center for Multicultural Affairs and the Black
Student Union, EMU, February 3, 2005.
 Invited panelist, “Legacy of Harold Cruse,” 28 th Annual Black Studies Conference, Olive-Harvey
College, Chicago, April 22, 2005.
 Invited panelist, “The Black Business Mystique and the Promise of Collective Progress,” 28 th Annual
Black Studies Conference, Olive-Harvey College, Chicago, April 23, 2005.
 Presented paper, “Movie-Stage-Show Venues in Black Community Life,” Annual Meeting of the
Popular Culture Association, Atlanta, GA, April 14, 2006.
 Invited panelist, “Re-examining the Crusian Model for Social Change, 29 th Annual Black Studies
Conference, Olive-Harvey College, Chicago, April 22, 2006.
 Invited speaker, Chicago Book Festival, Woodson Regional Library, October 8, 2006.
 Invited panelist, “The Conspiracy to Destroy Black Minds,” Society of African American Studies,
EMU Student Center, November 16, 2006.
 Invited panelist, “The Potency of African American Intellectual Traditions and the Mission of Black
Scholars: Towards an Intergenerational Dialogue,” 30 th Annual Black Studies Conference, Olive-
Harvey College, Chicago, April 20, 2007.
 Presented paper, “A Study in the Sociology of History: Formalizing Error and Distortion in African
American History,” 92 nd Annual Conference of the Association for the Study of African American Life
and History, Charlotte, NC, October 5, 2007.
 Invited speaker, “Career Day,” Roberto Clemente School, Ann Arbor Public Schools, February 20,
2008.

Curriculum Vitae, October 2023, Dr. Clovis E. Semmes - Page 14.

 Presented paper, "Revisionist History, Crusian Dialectics, and the Mission of Black Studies," 32 nd
Annual National Council for Black Studies Conference, March 22, 2008, Atlanta, GA.
 Invited Lecture, “Structural Inequality,” Social Work 526, Practice with People of Color, Dr. Sylvia
Sims-Gray, instructor, June 3, 2008.
 Presented paper, “Black Entertainment Culture and Chicago’s Great Tivoli Theater in the Civil Rights
Era,” 93rd Annual Conference of the Association for the Study of African American Life and History,
Birmingham, Alabama, October 4, 2008.
 Invited panelist, “African American and Latino Empowerment Summit for Men of Color,” University
of Missouri-Kansas City, October 10, 2008.
 Invited lecture, “A Theory of African American Health Disparities,” Sociology 440, Sociology of
Medicine, University of Missouri-Kansas City, October 14, 2008.
 Invited lecture, “Alternative Health Practices Among African Americans,” Sociology 440, Sociology
of Medicine, University of Missouri-Kansas City, November 11, 2008.
 Invited speaker, “School Daze,” Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, University of Missouri-Kansas City,
November 17, 2008.
 Invited panelist, “Men’s Appreciation,” Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, University of Missouri-Kansas
City, November 20, 2008.
 Invited guest, “Urban Connections,” a public affairs program, KKFI, 90.1 FM, Kansas City, Missouri,
November 22, 2008.
 Invited guest, “KC Currents,” KCUR, 89.3 FM, Kansas City, Missouri, November 25, 2008.
 Invited guest, “Urban Connections,” a public affairs program, KKFI, 90.1 FM, Kansas City, Missouri,
December 13, 2008.
 Invited speaker, “The Origins of Soul Food,” Multicultural Student Affairs, University of Missouri-
Kansas City, February 6, 2009.
 Invited speaker, “The African Contributions to ‘Western’ Religions,” Community of Reason, Kansas
City, Missouri, February 8, 2009.
 Invited panelist, “Diversity in Today’s American Dream,” Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Symposium,
University of Missouri-Kansas City, March 9, 2009.
 Invited speaker, addressed pre-college, minority students on how to be successful in college, sponsored
by Office of Multicultural Student Affairs and Office of Admission, University of Missouri-Kansas
City, March 16, 2009.
 Invited speaker, "The Legacy of Movie-Stage-Show Venues in Black Community Life,” All Souls
Unitarian Universalist Church, Kansas City, Missouri, April 5, 2009.
 Invited speaker, Student National Medical Association, Medical School, University of Missouri-
Kansas City, April 19, 2009.
 Invited guest, “Urban Connections,” a public affairs program, KKFI, 90.1 FM, Kansas City, Missouri,
June 20, 2009.

Curriculum Vitae, October 2023, Dr. Clovis E. Semmes - Page 15.

 Invited lecture, “The Regal Theater and Black Chicago,” Du Sable Museum of African American
History, Chicago, July 25, 2009.
 Invited lecture, “Ebonics,” Class for Applied Language Institute, UMKC, Heather Sheese-Rubio,
Instructor, September 8, 2009.
 Invited speaker, “Affirmative Action,” Social Justice Lecture, Oak Place Apartments, UMKC,
September 22, 2009.
 Invited panelist, “From New Orleans to Kansas City: Race, Class, and the Politics of Disaster,”
Division of Diversity, Access and Equity - Diversity Initiatives 2009-2010, UMKC, October 14, 2009.
 Invited speaker, “The Role of Movie-Stage-Show Venues in Black Entertainment Culture,” Shepherd
Center “Adventure in Learning Series,” South Broadland Presbyterian Church, November 11, 2009.
 Keynote speaker, “Freedom Breakfast,” UMKC, January 20, 2010.
 Invited lecture, “Remembering the Past, Cultivating the Future,” U.S. Attorney’s Office for the
Western District of Missouri, February 4, 2010.
 Invited guest, “Urban Connections,” a public affairs program, KKFI, 90.1 FM, Kansas City, Missouri,
February 20, 2010.
 Keynote speaker, “History of Black Economic Empowerment,” NAACP Black History Month
Program, Kansas City Branch, Bruce R. Watkins Cultural Heritage Center, Kansas City, MO, February
28, 2010.
 Invited panelist, “Forum on Dress Codes and Civil Rights,” Kansas City Human Rights Commission,
Bruce R. Watkins Center, Kansas City, MO, April 27, 2010.
 Invited speaker, “Roots, Remembrance and Revolution: the African Presence in Mexico,” American
Jazz Museum, Kansas City, MO, August 12, 2010.
 Presented paper, “Entrepreneur of Health: Dick Gregory, Black Consciousness, and the Human
Potential Movement.” 95th Annual Conference of the Association for the Study of African American
Life and History, October 2, 2010, Raleigh, North Carolina.
 Invited lecture, “Slavery,” Class for Applied Language Institute, UMKC, Heather Sheese-Rubio,
Instructor, October 26, 2010.
 Invited speaker, “African American Youth Day,” UMKC, November 19, 2010.
 Invited guest, “Urban Connections,” a public affairs program, KKFI, 90.1 FM, Kansas City, Missouri,
February 5, 2011.
 Invited speaker, “African American Youth Day,” UMKC, February 11, 2011.
 Invited lecture, “The Civil War and the Evolution of Black Entertainment Culture,” U.S. Attorney’s
Office for the Western District of Missouri, February 18, 2011.
 Participant, “African American Read-In 2011,” UMKC, February 23, 2011.
 Presented paper, “A Theory of African-American Health: Revisiting Racism, Health, and Post-
Industrialism, 35 th Annual National Council for Black Studies Conference, March 17, 2011, Cincinnati,
Ohio.

Curriculum Vitae, October 2023, Dr. Clovis E. Semmes - Page 16.

 Invited speaker, “Eating Clean: Holistic and Critical Health Issues,” Association for Women of
Color,” UMKC, April 26, 2011.
 Invited speaker, “Improving Life with Tai Chi and the Health Arts,” Women of Color Leadership
Conference, UMKC, April 28, 2011 and May12, 2011.
 Invited speaker, “Constructive Lessons From 9/11,” Institute of Interfaith Dialog, Kauffman
Foundation Conference Center, Kansas City, Missouri, September 22, 2011.
 Presented paper, “Black Cultural Entrepreneurs and White Ownership of Black Culture,” 96 th Annual
Conference of the Association for the Study of African American Life and History, Richmond,
Virginia, October 7, 2011.
 Invited lecture, “Slavery,” Class for Applied Language Institute, UMKC, Heather Sheese-Rubio,
Instructor, October 24, 2011.
 Invited lecture, “What Is Black Studies?” cluster course: “Critical Issues in Women’s and Gender
Studies,” UMKC, Theresa Torres and Henrietta Wood, instructors, November 29, 2011.
 Invited lecture, “Regal (Theatre) Women in African American Business, Civic, and Entertainment
Culture,” Lorenzo Green Chapter, Association for the Study of African American Life and History,
Kansas City, Missouri, February 20, 2012.
 Participant, “African American Read-In 2012,” UMKC, February 21, 2012.
 Invited lecture, “Slavery,” Class for Applied Language Institute, UMKC, Heather Sheese-Rubio,
Instructor, March 20, 2012.
 Invited guest, “Urban Connections,” a public affairs program, KKFI, 90.1 FM, Kansas City, Missouri,
April 14, 2012.
 Invited lecture, Eliminating Health Disparities: A Theory of African American Health,” UMKC
Medical School, May 10, 2012.
 Presented paper, “The National Role of Chicago’s Regal Women in the Training of Dancers,” 97 th
Annual Conference of the Association for the Study of African American Life and History, Pittsburgh,
Pennsylvania, September 28, 2012.
 Participant, “African American Read-In 2013,” Diastole Scholars’ Center, UMKC, February 28, 2013.
 Invited guest, KPRT radio, 1590 AM, 1:00-1:30 p.m., “Health Issues in the Black Community,”
Kansas City, Missouri, May 28, 2013.
 Invited guest, KMJK radio, Magic 107.3 FM, 1:00-1:30 p.m., “Health Issues in the Black
Community,” Kansas City, Missouri, May 30, 2013.
 Invited guest, KPRT radio, 1590 AM, 10:00-11:00 a.m., Health Issues in the Black Community,
Kansas City, Missouri, June 1, 2013.
 Health Ambassador training for Black Health Care Coalition of Kansas City, Ebenezer A.M.E. Church,
Kansas City, Missouri, June 8, 2013.
 Health Ambassador training for Black Health Care Coalition of Kansas City, Swope Health Services,
Kansas City, Missouri, June 29, 2013.

Curriculum Vitae, October 2023, Dr. Clovis E. Semmes - Page 17.

 Presented paper, “Dance Pioneer of the Black Chicago Renaissance,” 98 th Annual Conference of the
Association for the Study of African American Life and History, Jacksonville, Florida, October 4,
2013.
 Invited discussion leader for documentary, The Abolitionists, NEH series, Created Equal: America’s
Civil Rights Struggle, Miller Nichols Library, UMKC, January 26, 2014.
 Invited discussion leader for screening of documentary, The Trials of Muhammad Ali, Tivoli Cinemas,
Kansas City, Missouri, February 8, 2014.
 Participant, “African American Read-In 2014,” Miller Nichols Library, UMKC, February 19, 2014.
 Invited panelist, “Cultural Institutions in Pre-Renaissance Black Chicago,” The Black Chicago History
Forum, Chicago Bee Library, 3647 South State Street, Chicago, March 22, 2014.
 Invited presentation, “Tai Chi for Health,” Black Health Care Coalition, Lincoln University Extension,
1028 Paseo, Kansas City, Missouri, March 27, 2014.
 Presented paper, “King of Selling: The Rise and Fall of S. B. Fuller,” 100 th Annual Conference of the
Association for the Study of African American Life and History, Atlanta, Georgia, September 26,
2015.
 Presented paper, “The Black Chicago Renaissance, the Big Stage Method, and the Legacy of Dancers
Mary and Sadie Bruce,” 101 st Annual Conference of the Association for the Study of African American
Life and History, Richmond, Virginia, October 7, 2016.
 Invited participant, Roundtable: “Black Chicago Business Leaders,” 102 nd Annual Conference of the
Association for the Study of African American Life and History, Cincinnati, Ohio, September 30,
2017.
 Invited lecture, “The Role of Black Chicago in the Training of a Theatrical Workforce, 1916-1968,
National and Global Dimensions, Black Chicago History Forum, Du Sable Museum, May 26, 2018.
 Invited lecture, “The Foundations of Music in Early Black Chicago, 1904-1928,” Black Chicago
History Forum, Du Sable Museum, November 17, 2018.
 Invited guest to discuss E. Franklin Frazier and the African American Family, KUCR 88.3 FM,
University of California, Riverside, aired February 14, 2019.
 Invited guest to discuss my book, The End of Black Studies…, “Urban Connections,” a public affairs
program, KKFI, 90.1 FM, Kansas City, Missouri, February 16, 2019.
 Invited panelist, “A Return to Inquiry as to the Era of Black Banker, Jesse Binga (and business
compatriots Anthony Overton and Robert S. Abbott), Black Chicago History Forum, Du Sable
Museum, February 1, 2020.
 Invited panelist, “Lunch with the Elders, DePaul University, October 6, 2023.
Grants, Fellowships, Awards, and Recognitions

 2017 Anna Julia Cooper and C. L. R. James Award for Outstanding Scholarly Publication in Africana
Studies from the National Council for Black Studies for The End of Black Studies: Conceptual,
Theoretical, and Empirical Concerns.
 Research Leave, UMKC, Fall 2014.

Curriculum Vitae, October 2023, Dr. Clovis E. Semmes - Page 18.

 Grant, Bernardin Haskell Fund, UMKC, to bring Sonia Sanchez to campus, February 2012.
 Grant, Friends of the Library, to expand Black studies collection, Miller Nichols Library, University of
Missouri-Kansas City, 2010.
 2008 Teaching Excellence Award, Eastern Michigan University.
 2007 Scholarship Award, Eastern Michigan University for The Regal Theater and Black Culture.
 Spring-Summer Research Award, Eastern Michigan University, 2005.
 Travel Grant, Office of the Dean, EMU, Fall 2004.
 National Endowment for the Humanities Fellowship, 2003.
 Listed in Contemporary Authors, Thomson Gale Publishers.
 Faculty Research and Creative Activity Fellowship, EMU, 2002-2003.
 Honorary member, Golden Key National Honor Society, EMU, March 20, 2000.
 Spring-Summer Research Award, Eastern Michigan University, 1999.
 Award from African-American studies majors and minors for “His Outstanding Contribution to
Mentoring and Scholarship,” African American Studies Honors and Special Appreciation
Convocation, EMU, April 4, 1997.
 Cultural Hegemony and African American Development selected by Choice as an Outstanding
Academic Book, 1994.
 Grant from EMU’s Task Force on Interdisciplinary Studies to develop a graduate course, “Pedagogy,
Perspective, and Practice in Servicing African-American Communities,” with faculty from social
work, communications, and teacher education, 1995-96.
 Spring-Summer Research Award, Eastern Michigan University, 1995.
 Sabbatical Leave Award, Eastern Michigan University, fall 1994.
 Faculty Recognition Award, Eastern Michigan University, 1994.
 Faculty Recognition Award, Eastern Michigan University, 1993.
 Award for "Enhancing the Quality of Life and Academic Experience of University Students," from
Eastern Michigan University’s Black Faculty and Staff Association, November 11, 1992.
 Faculty Research and Creative Projects Fellowship, Eastern Michigan University, 1991-1992.
 Administrator/Faculty of the Year Award, 1990-91, from campus NAACP and Minority Peer
Advisers, Eastern Michigan University, April 14, 1991.
 Travel Grant, Office of the Provost, Eastern Michigan University, February 1990.
 Faculty Recognition Award, Eastern Michigan University, 1990.

Curriculum Vitae, October 2023, Dr. Clovis E. Semmes - Page 19.

 Faculty Recognition Award, Eastern Michigan University, 1989.
 Award for "Outstanding Contributions to Seven Black Studies Conferences," The Conference
Committee, 7th Annual Black Studies Conference, Olive-Harvey College, Chicago, April 12, 1984.
 Grant, "Conversion to Natural Health Care Among Afro-Americans," Foundation for Chiropractic
Education and Research, 1983-84.
 Grant, "Conversion to Natural Health Care Among Afro-Americans," Research Board, University of
Illinois, Chicago, 1981-82.
 Grant, "The Transformation of Medical Problems," S & H Foundation, 1981-1982.
 Grant, "Emerging Issues in Disease Prevention and Health Promotion,” Biomedical Research Advisory
Committee, University of Illinois, Chicago, 1980-81.
 Dissertation Research Grant, Northwestern University Graduate School, 1977.
 National Institute of Mental Health Fellowship, Center for Urban Affairs, Northwestern University,
1976.
 University and Departmental Fellowships, Northwestern University, 1972-1975.
 Teaching Assistantship, University of Illinois, Chicago, Sociology Department, 1972.
Past or Present Memberships in Professional Organizations

 American Association of University Professors
 Association of Black Sociologists
 National Council for Black Studies
 Association of Social and Behavioral Scientists
 American Sociological Association
 Society for the Study of Social Problems
 Association for the Study of African American Life and History
 Popular Culture Association
 National Association of College Admission Counselors

Service to University of Missouri-Kansas City
 Elected, University Committee on Research Integrity, spring 2015.
 Doctoral committee (S. Williams), nursing, spring 2015 to spring 2017.
 Promotion and tenure committee, Black Studies Program.
 Doctoral committee (Mickelson), IPh.D. Program, art history, spring 2013 to spring 2017.
 Doctoral committee (Taylor), IPh.D. Program, sociology and history, fall 2012 to fall 2016.
 Doctoral committee (Poos), IPh.D. Program, educational leadership and policy studies, fall 2012 to
spring 2014.
 Doctoral committee (Ervin), IPh.D. Program, business and education, spring 2012 to spring 2014.
 Doctoral committee (Perkins), nursing, spring 2012 to fall 2013.
 Master’s committee (Lopez), sociology, spring 2012.
 Master’s committee (Douglas), sociology, spring 2012 to spring 2014.
 Director of Black Studies Program, September 2009 through August 2012.
 Developed Black Studies Scholars’ Forum.
 Developed and implemented core curriculum for Black Studies Program.
 Revised the minor in Black studies.

Curriculum Vitae, October 2023, Dr. Clovis E. Semmes - Page 20.

 Developed proposals for the BA in Black studies.
 Developed emphasis area in Black studies under the Bachelor of Liberal Arts (BLA) degree.
 Developed informal emphasis area in Black studies under the Master of Arts in Liberal Studies
(MALS) degree.
 Developed proposal for a department of Black studies.
 Developed graduate certificate in Black studies.
 Chair, search committee, Black Studies Program, 2009-2010 and 2010-2011.
 Search committees, Black Studies Program, 2012 (director), 2014 (NTT position).
 Advised graduate and undergraduate students for Black Studies Program, 2009-2013.
 Advised graduate students for Black Studies Program, 2014.
 Curriculum committee, Department of Sociology, 2009-2010.
 Promotion and tenure committee, Department of Sociology, fall 2009-spring 2017.
 Doctoral faculty, Social Science Research Consortium.
 Graduate faculty.
 Search committee, Division of Diversity, Access and Equity for Director of Affirmative Action, 2010.
 Search committee (Equal Opportunity Advocate), Department of Sociology, 2010-2011, 2011-2012
(two searches).
 Doctoral committee service (Beene, comprehensive exam), 2010, Higher Education Administration.
 Masters committee service (Kubryakova, comprehensive exam), 2011, Department of Sociology.
 Chair, promotion and tenure committee, Department of Sociology, 2011-2012.
 Chair, promotion and tenure committee, School of Social Work, 2011-2012.
 Participant, Kansas City Black Healthcare Coalition, 2011-2015.
 Search committee, Department of History, spring 2012.
 Developed Anchor course to meet new General Education requirement, spring 2014.

Service to Eastern Michigan University
 Master’s degree committees, sociology, 2005-2007; history, 2007-2008.
 Senior thesis sponsor, 2006-2007; 2007-2008.
 Provost’s Student Retention Task Force, 2005.
 Developed three courses (AAS 101, 301W, and 351) for the new General Education requirements,
2006-2007.
 Developed proposal for graduate certificate in African-American Studies, 2002.
 Wrote portions of program review, Department of African American Studies, 1994-1995, 2004-2005.
 African American Studies Executive Committee, 1988 to 2009.
 Chairperson, African American Studies Executive Committee, 1992-1993, 2006-2007; Secretary of
AAS Executive Committee, 1994.
 McAndless Distinguished Professor Selection Committee, 1988.
 Undergraduate Symposium Committee, 1988-1991.
 Academic mentor, 1988-1997, 2004 (includes Summer Incentive Program).
 Martin Luther King Birthday Celebration Committee, 1989-1990.
 Convener: African American Scholars’ Forum, 1989-1993, 1999.
 College Advisory Council 1989-1992.
 Secretary of Arts Committee, College Advisory Council, 1989-1990.
 College Committee on Research and Sabbatical Leaves, 1989-2008.
 King, Chavez, Parks Visiting Professor Lecture Series Committee, 1989-1990.
 Extensive curriculum development; contributed to constructing the major and to revising the minor in
African American studies; assisted in developing the proposal for departmental status.
 Search committees, Department of African American Studies, 1990-1994.
 Faculty sponsor, Undergraduate Symposium, 1990-1996, 1999, 2000, 2004, 2005, 2008 (twenty-one
students).
 Search committee for head of sociology, 1990-1991.
 Student organization advisor, 1989-1995.

Curriculum Vitae, October 2023, Dr. Clovis E. Semmes - Page 21.

 Graduate faculty.
 Provost's Mentor Program (faculty mentor), 1992-93.
 Union steward, AAUP, 1992-94.
 Bargaining Council, AAUP, 1992-93.
 Faculty Council, 1993-95, fall 2007.
 Library building committee, 1993-95.
 Library liaison committee, 1997-2008.
 Search committee for coordinator of Multicultural Center, 1995.
 Chairperson, Departmental Promotion and Tenure Committee, 1995-96.
Service to the University of Illinois at Chicago

 Acting Director, Black Studies Program, 1980-82 (guided Program through successful internal and
external review; directed revision of major and minor, 1981-82).
 Premedical/Pre-dental Committee, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.
 Academic Articulation Committee, Educational Assistance Program, College of Liberal Arts and
Sciences, 1980-81.
 Black History Month Committee, Black Studies Program, 1978-82.
 Committee on Academic Advising, Black Studies Program, 1978-79.
 Colloquium Committee, Black Studies Program, 1980-82 (chairperson, 1981-82).
 Curriculum Development Committee, Black Studies Program, 1981-83 (chairperson, 1981-82).
 Committee on African Component in the Program, Black Studies Program, 1978-79.
 Advisory Committee, Black Studies Program, 1980-82 (chairperson).
 Ethnicity and Health Committee, College of Nursing, 1980-84.
 Research Consortium: Members from Anthropology, Economics, Political Science, and Sponsored
Research, 1980-81.
 Grievance Committee, College of Business Administration, 1979.
 Grievance Committee, Graduate College, 1981-82.
 LAS Quorum Committee, Black Studies Program, 1978-79, 1982-84.
 Doctoral Committee, College of Nursing, 1981-82.
 Associate Member of the Graduate College, 1983-86.
 Search Committee, Black Studies Program, 1981-82 (chairperson).
 Honors College Fellow, 1983-84.

Miscellaneous

 1970-1979, Played percussion (conga drums and rhythm instruments) with various jazz groups in
Chicago, (played with Adegoke Steve Colson, Soji Adebayo, Tony Boynes, Chico Freeman, Vandy
Harris, Light Henry Huff, Aye Aton, Malachi Favors, and others).
 1980, Wrote liner notes for Triumph! by Steve Colson and Unity Group (Adegoke Steve Colson, Iqua
Colson, Wallace MacMillan, Douglas Ewert, Dushun Mosely, Joseph Jarman, and Reggie Willis).
 Founding member of Black Chicago History Forum.

Courses

  • AFC 351 The Social Context of African American Health
  • AFC 361 The African American Family
  • AFC 221 African American Social Movements
  • Urbanization and the African American community
  • AFC 311 The African Diaspora
  • AFC 201 Foundations of Knowledge in African American Studies
  • Pedagogy, perspective and practice in serving African American communities
  • Comparative religions in the African American Diaspora
  • Introduction to Black business enterprises
  • From Vaudeville to rhythm and blues: African American expressive culture, 1990-1979
  • AFC 302W Writing for African American Studies
  • Researching Black families

Professional

Interests and Expertise

  • African American Institutions, Culture, and Social Movements
  • African American Popular and Expressive Culture
  • Health Systems and Health Behavior
  • Alternative and Nonmedical Health Practices
  • Systemic Inequality
  • Comparative Urban Communities

Current Status: Professor Emeritus of African American Studies, Eastern Michigan University and formerly Director of Black Studies and Professor of Black Studies and Sociology, University of Missouri-Kansas City; presently an independent scholar, consultant, and lecturer.

Teaching: Professor of Black Studies and Sociology, University of Missouri-Kansas City, September 2009-August 2017; Visiting Professor of Black Studies and Sociology, University of Missouri-Kansas City, 2008-2009 (Courses: graduate and undergraduate: Introduction to African American studies; graduate and undergraduate: Critical Health Issues in Black Communities; graduate and undergraduate: Conceptual and Theoretical Foundations in African American Studies; graduate and undergraduate: Writing for African American Studies; undergraduate: Global Systems and the Origins of Black American Culture and Institutions; graduate and undergraduate: Black Family and Male-Female Relationships; graduate and undergraduate: African American Business Development; graduate and undergraduate: From Vaudeville to Rhythm and Blues; graduate and undergraduate: Research Seminar). Professor Emeritus of African American Studies, Eastern Michigan University; Professor of African American Studies, 1993-2009, EMU; Associate Professor, EMU, 1988-1993. (Courses: Introduction to African American Studies; The Social Context of African American Health; The African American Family; African American Social Movements; Urbanization and the African American Community; Foundations of Knowledge in African American Studies; The African Diaspora; Research Seminar; Comparative Religions in the African Diaspora; Writing for African-American Studies; Introduction to Black Business Enterprises; From Vaudeville to Rhythm and Blues: African American Expressive Culture, 1900-1979; *Pedagogy, Perspective, and Practice in Servicing African-American Communities; *Researching Black Families; *Researching Black Communities; *Foundational Issues in African American Studies; *= graduate course). Assistant Professor of Black Studies, University of Illinois, Chicago, January 1979-August 1986; Visiting Lecturer, University of Illinois, Chicago, September 1976-January 1979. (Courses: Health Care Issues in the Black Community; The Black Family in the United States; Black Nationalism; Introduction to Black Studies I & II; Research Methods in Black Studies I & II; Institutionalized Racism). See additional teaching below.

Administrative: Director of Black Studies, University of Missouri-Kansas City, September 1, 2009-August 31, 2012; Acting Director of Black Studies, University of Illinois, Chicago, September 1980-August 1982. Assistant Director of Admission and Coordinator of Admission and Financial Aid for Minority Students, Northwestern University, October 1986-September 1988; Operations Director for the LEAD Program at Northwestern, a national summer business institute for minority high school students, 1987-1988.

Grants, Fellowships, Awards, and Recognitions

  • 2017 Anna Julia Cooper and C. L. R. James Award for Outstanding Scholarly Publication in Africana Studies from the National Council for Black Studies for The End of Black Studies: Conceptual, Theoretical, and Empirical Concerns.
  • Research Leave, UMKC, Fall 2014.
  • Grant, Bernardin Haskell Fund, UMKC, to bring Sonia Sanchez to campus, February 2012.
  • Grant, Friends of the Library, to expand Black studies collection, Miller Nichols Library, University of Missouri-Kansas City, 2010.
  • 2008 Teaching Excellence Award, Eastern Michigan University.
  • 2007 Scholarship Award, Eastern Michigan University for The Regal Theater and Black Culture.
  • Spring-Summer Research Award, Eastern Michigan University, 2005.
  • Travel Grant, Office of the Dean, EMU, Fall 2004.
  • National Endowment for the Humanities Fellowship, 2003.
  • Listed in Contemporary Authors, Thomson Gale Publishers.
  • Faculty Research and Creative Activity Fellowship, EMU, 2002-2003.
  • Honorary member, Golden Key National Honor Society, EMU, March 20, 2000.
  • Spring-Summer Research Award, Eastern Michigan University, 1999.
  • Award from African-American studies majors and minors for "His Outstanding Contribution to Mentoring and Scholarship," African American Studies Honors and Special Appreciation Convocation, EMU, April 4, 1997.
  • Cultural Hegemony and African American Development selected by Choice as an Outstanding Academic Book, 1994.
  • Grant from EMU's Task Force on Interdisciplinary Studies to develop a graduate course, "Pedagogy, Perspective, and Practice in Servicing African-American Communities," with faculty from social work, communications, and teacher education, 1995-96.
  • Spring-Summer Research Award, Eastern Michigan University, 1995.
  • Sabbatical Leave Award, Eastern Michigan University, fall 1994.
  • Faculty Recognition Award, Eastern Michigan University, 1994.
  • Faculty Recognition Award, Eastern Michigan University, 1993.
  • Award for "Enhancing the Quality of Life and Academic Experience of University Students," from Eastern Michigan University's Black Faculty and Staff Association, November 11, 1992.
  • Faculty Research and Creative Projects Fellowship, Eastern Michigan University, 1991-1992.
  • Administrator/Faculty of the Year Award, 1990-91, from campus NAACP and Minority Peer Advisers, Eastern Michigan University, April 14, 1991.
  • Travel Grant, Office of the Provost, Eastern Michigan University, February 1990.
  • Faculty Recognition Award, Eastern Michigan University, 1990.
  • Faculty Recognition Award, Eastern Michigan University, 1989.
  • Award for "Outstanding Contributions to Seven Black Studies Conferences," The Conference Committee, 7th Annual Black Studies Conference, Olive-Harvey College, Chicago, April 12, 1984.
  • Grant, "Conversion to Natural Health Care Among Afro-Americans," Foundation for Chiropractic Education and Research, 1983-84.
  • Grant, "Conversion to Natural Health Care Among Afro-Americans," Research Board, University of Illinois, Chicago, 1981-82.
  • Grant, "The Transformation of Medical Problems," S & H Founda¬tion, 1981-1982.
  • Grant, "Emerging Issues in Disease Prevention and Health Promotion," Biomedical Research Advisory Committee, Univer¬sity of Illinois, Chicago, 1980-81.
  • Dissertation Research Grant, Northwestern University Gradu¬ate School, 1977.
  • National Institute of Mental Health Fellowship, Center for Urban Affairs, Northwestern University, 1976.
  • University and Departmental Fellowships, Northwestern Uni¬versity, 1972-1975.
  • Teaching Assistantship, University of Illinois, Chicago, Sociology Department, 1972.

Past or Present Memberships in Professional Organizations

  • American Association of University Professors
  • Association of Black Sociologists
  • National Council for Black Studies
  • Association of Social and Behavioral Scientists
  • American Sociological Association
  • Society for the Study of Social Problems
  • Association for the Study of African American Life and History
  • Popular Culture Association
  • National Association of College Admission Counselors

Service to University of Missouri-Kansas City

  • Elected, University Committee on Research Integrity, spring 2015.
  • Doctoral committee (S. Williams), nursing, spring 2015 to spring 2017.
  • Promotion and tenure committee, Black Studies Program.
  • Doctoral committee (Mickelson), IPh.D. Program, art history, spring 2013 to spring 2017.
  • Doctoral committee (Taylor), IPh.D. Program, sociology and history, fall 2012 to fall 2016.
  • Doctoral committee (Poos), IPh.D. Program, educational leadership and policy studies, fall 2012 to spring 2014.
  • Doctoral committee (Ervin), IPh.D. Program, business and education, spring 2012 to spring 2014.
  • Doctoral committee (Perkins), nursing, spring 2012 to fall 2013.
  • Master's committee (Lopez), sociology, spring 2012.
  • Master's committee (Douglas), sociology, spring 2012 to spring 2014.
  • Director of Black Studies Program, September 2009 through August 2012.
  • Developed Black Studies Scholars' Forum.
  • Developed and implemented core curriculum for Black Studies Program.
  • Revised the minor in Black studies.
  • Developed proposals for the BA in Black studies.
  • Developed emphasis area in Black studies under the Bachelor of Liberal Arts (BLA) degree.
  • Developed informal emphasis area in Black studies under the Master of Arts in Liberal Studies (MALS) degree.
  • Developed proposal for a department of Black studies.
  • Developed graduate certificate in Black studies.
  • Chair, search committee, Black Studies Program, 2009-2010 and 2010-2011.
  • Search committees, Black Studies Program, 2012 (director), 2014 (NTT position).
  • Advised graduate and undergraduate students for Black Studies Program, 2009-2013.
  • Advised graduate students for Black Studies Program, 2014.
  • Curriculum committee, Department of Sociology, 2009-2010.
  • Promotion and tenure committee, Department of Sociology, fall 2009-spring 2017.
  • Doctoral faculty, Social Science Research Consortium.
  • Graduate faculty.
  • Search committee, Division of Diversity, Access and Equity for Director of Affirmative Action, 2010.
  • Search committee (Equal Opportunity Advocate), Department of Sociology, 2010-2011, 2011-2012 (two searches).
  • Doctoral committee service (Beene, comprehensive exam), 2010, Higher Education Administration.
  • Masters committee service (Kubryakova, comprehensive exam), 2011, Department of Sociology.
  • Chair, promotion and tenure committee, Department of Sociology, 2011-2012.
  • Chair, promotion and tenure committee, School of Social Work, 2011-2012.
  • Participant, Kansas City Black Healthcare Coalition, 2011-2015.
  • Search committee, Department of History, spring 2012.
  • Developed Anchor course to meet new General Education requirement, spring 2014.

Service to Eastern Michigan University

  • Master's degree committees, sociology, 2005-2007; history, 2007-2008.
  • Senior thesis sponsor, 2006-2007; 2007-2008.
  • Provost's Student Retention Task Force, 2005.
  • Developed three courses (AAS 101, 301W, and 351) for the new General Education requirements, 2006-2007.
  • Developed proposal for graduate certificate in African-American Studies, 2002.
  • Wrote portions of program review, Department of African American Studies, 1994-1995, 2004-2005.
  • African American Studies Executive Committee, 1988 to 2009.
  • Chairperson, African American Studies Executive Committee, 1992-1993, 2006-2007; Secretary of AAS Executive Committee, 1994.
  • McAndless Distinguished Professor Selection Committee, 1988.
  • Undergraduate Symposium Committee, 1988-1991.
  • Academic mentor, 1988-1997, 2004 (includes Summer Incentive Program).
  • Martin Luther King Birthday Celebration Committee, 1989-1990.
  • Convener: African American Scholars' Forum, 1989-1993, 1999.
  • College Advisory Council 1989-1992.
  • Secretary of Arts Committee, College Advisory Council, 1989-1990.
  • College Committee on Research and Sabbatical Leaves, 1989-2008.
  • King, Chavez, Parks Visiting Professor Lecture Series Committee, 1989-1990.
  • Extensive curriculum development; contributed to constructing the major and to revising the minor in African American studies; assisted in developing the proposal for departmental status.
  • Search committees, Department of African American Studies, 1990-1994.
  • Faculty sponsor, Undergraduate Symposium, 1990-1996, 1999, 2000, 2004, 2005, 2008 (twenty-one students).
  • Search committee for head of sociology, 1990-1991.
  • Student organization advisor, 1989-1995.
  • Graduate faculty.
  • Provost's Mentor Program (faculty mentor), 1992-93.
  • Union steward, AAUP, 1992-94.
  • Bargaining Council, AAUP, 1992-93.
  • Faculty Council, 1993-95, fall 2007.
  • Library building committee, 1993-95.
  • Library liaison committee, 1997-2008.
  • Search committee for coordinator of Multicultural Center, 1995.
  • Chairperson, Departmental Promotion and Tenure Committee, 1995-96.

Service to the University of Illinois at Chicago

  • Acting Director, Black Studies Program, 1980-82 (guided Program through successful internal and external review; directed revision of major and minor, 1981-82).
  • Premedical/Pre-dental Committee, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.
  • Academic Articulation Committee, Educational Assistance Program, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, 1980-81.
  • Black History Month Committee, Black Studies Program, 1978-82.
  • Committee on Academic Advising, Black Studies Program, 1978-79.
  • Colloquium Committee, Black Studies Program, 1980-82 (chairperson, 1981-82).
  • Curriculum Development Committee, Black Studies Program, 1981-83 (chairperson, 1981-82).
  • Committee on African Component in the Program, Black Studies Program, 1978-79.
  • Advisory Committee, Black Studies Program, 1980-82 (chairperson).
  • Ethnicity and Health Committee, College of Nursing, 1980-84.
  • Research Consortium: Members from Anthropology, Economics, Political Science, and Sponsored Research, 1980-81.
  • Grievance Committee, College of Business Administration, 1979.
  • Grievance Committee, Graduate College, 1981-82.
  • LAS Quorum Committee, Black Studies Program, 1978-79, 1982-84.
  • Doctoral Committee, College of Nursing, 1981-82.
  • Associate Member of the Graduate College, 1983-86.
  • Search Committee, Black Studies Program, 1981-82 (chairperson).
  • Honors College Fellow, 1983-84.

Miscellaneous

  • 1970-1979, Played percussion (conga drums and rhythm instruments) with various jazz groups in Chicago, (played with Adegoke Steve Colson, Soji Adebayo, Tony Boynes, Chico Freeman, Vandy Harris, Light Henry Huff, Aye Aton, Malachi Favors, and others).
  • 1980, Wrote liner notes for Triumph! by Steve Colson and Unity Group (Adegoke Steve Colson, Iqua Colson, Wallace MacMillan, Douglas Ewert, Dushun Mosely, Joseph Jarman, and Reggie Willis).
  • Founding member of Black Chicago History Forum