SUBMISSIONS

INSTRUCTIONS: Submit Your 3-D NIA Statement

Click the link above and carefully read the instructions for submission. Take your time and submit your best edited work. Who knows where your statement of purpose will lead you?

CONSIDER THESE QUESTIONS: How have you been empowered? How have you empowered others? What makes your voice unique? What is the rhythm of your creative voice when grounded in academic language? What inspires you? What theories and thinkers have had the biggest impact on your mental development?

Finding inspirational guidance through historical figures in your area of study can be central to understanding your field, so part of the NIA Statement requires you to know more about those in the past who have tackled your academic questions.

Hopefully the answers to these questions will work their way into your Haiku, spoken word, and essay. Hopefully, these themes will follow you throughout all phases of your life and work.

I hope you find your inspiration!

 

• For database of NIA Statement submissions, see RESOURCES

• High School students: Check your school for media availability to film and upload your project

• UF students can check out library Flip Cameras

• You Tube help for uploading and basic specifications are HERE.

 

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Dr. E's Reflection on the Writing Process

My husband Curtis Byrd is a constant source of inspiration. When I was writing my NIA Statement in January 2010, we had just lost grandmother Mrs. Venella Byrd which made for a sobering look at life. In 2009, I got married, turned 40, earned tenure, and cut off my locks to start a new set. In the context of my personal life changes, "writing" and "professing" took on different meanings for me and it shows in my final product.

When I wrote The Conjure Woman's Storybook, I wanted to chronicle my academic development in a way that was theory-driven and grounded in my scholarship as an educational historian, but that also got me back to my artistic roots.

I listened to a lot of music during this time. The main song that inspired me was Sting & Mary J. Blige: Whenever I Say Your Name. This song helped me consider how I want to use my voice: to call the name of those (past, present, and future) who empower and inspire others. Clearly, I am not a professional spoken word poet, but pairing my academic self with my creative self has made my intellectual work infinitely more satisfying.

When writing your NIA Statement, try choosing one song that you feel represents the many intersections of people, places, and experiences you have encountered. The right song might just help you find your voice.

Dr. E's NIA Statement
Document * Source Outline * Video