NEW YORK—
Dr. Brandi Waters, senior program manager of AP African American Studies at the College Board, and Dr. Ericka Armstrong Dunbar, professor of history at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, NJ.
Her behind the scenes contributions on Fellowes’ series became so valued that Dunbar is now co-executive producer of the show, soon to be shooting its third season.
Even though working on a show like The Gilded Age was never something she saw for herself, Dunbar said it aligns with the purpose of her work. She is always looking to center the story of Black women in history, particularly to find ways to make those stories resonate with the students of today.
“We really want to pull these K-12 and higher education folks in and help them understand the importance of history, so they can combat what they confront right now, and they will continue to confront,” said Dunbar. “They have to see it as relevant and have connections to it. These stories help us understand women and race in this nation. We have to make the connective tissue attractive for these very global, social media children and young people. We must engage—otherwise, we’ll lose them.”
Dunbar shared her stories with the gathered crowd on the final day of the College Board’s "A Dream Deferred: a Historically Black College and University (HBCU) Conference." She and other scholars underlined the critical importance of HBCUs and an inclusive, expansive history curriculum being taught to students K-12 and beyond.
“This is a really pivotal time for AP African American Studies,” said Dr. Brandi Waters, senior program manager of AP African American Studies at the College Board.
