About
History
The Institute on Black Life (IBL) was established in the fall of 1986 with the mission to serve as a "two-way bridge" between the 51在线 and the surrounding community. The main purpose of the Institute has always been to serve as a vehicle to utilize faculty, staff and student expertise with identified university and community needs for research, training, and program development.
IBL鈥檚 founding director was Dr. Juel Shannon Smith, a nationally recognized leader and mentor. Dr. Smith鈥檚 vision of a resilient university-community partnership continues to be an important value of IBL and the 51在线. According to Dr. Smith, from its inception, the Institute鈥檚 mission was to 鈥渟erve as a bridge, conduct research, and provide community service.鈥� Ten years after founding IBL, Dr. Smith initiated an 鈥渋nternational arm鈥�, the Center for Africa and the Diaspora, which led to study and travel abroad for USF students and faculty.
From left: State Representative Les Miller, attorney Arthenia Joyner, Annie Ngana Mundeke, USF President Borkowski, and Dr. Juel Shannon Smith
Today, IBL remains a vibrant research institute for the study of Africa and the African
diaspora committed to student success, faculty excellence, and community service.
Reminiscing about the early days of the IBL and the opportunities she created on a
shoe-string budget, Dr. Smith has quipped, 鈥淭he Institute has come a long way since
the days of working from the trunk of my car.鈥�
Learn more about Dr. Juel Smith by listening to her , collected for the USF 50th Anniversary Oral History Project on February 20, 2004.
Institute on Black Life Directors
Dr. Juel Smith, Founding Director, 1986-2000
Dr. O. Geoffrey Okogbaa, 2000-2007
Dr. Cheryl Rodriguez, 2007-2018
Dr. Fenda Akiwumi, 2018-2024
Dr. David Ponton III, 2024-present