October 2018

Reading Black Through Red

China has become Africa’s largest trade partner and is expanding its economic and political ties to the continent. The country’s rapid economic growth and developing middle class have fueled an unparalleled need for resources, and it has turned to its longstanding relationship with African states to meet that need. Yet, its growing activities there have raised questions about Sino-African policies, and the history and development of these relations are being studied by Vera Fennell.

Sparking a Dialogue

Lehigh’s Humanities Center sits modestly on a slope off West Packer Avenue. Notwithstanding its porch, tea selection and inspiration from the busts of Aristotle, Plato, Hippocrates and Homer, the center is more than a charming space—it is where creative sparks can fly from the intersection of disciplines.

Black Publics/Lived Experiences

In December 2015, the National Endowment for the Humanities, an independent federal agency that funds high-quality research, education and public programs at colleges and universities, museums and other institutions across the United States, awarded the Africana Studies program a prestigious $500,000 challenge grant. The grant recognized Lehigh University’s commitment to developing partnerships with the surrounding community.

Ethics Take Center Stage

The question is deceptively simple—and seemingly straightforward. It applies to every dimension of life, from the personal to the professional to the political and beyond.

Yet, all too often, it goes unasked.

On those occasions when the question is asked, it can cause intense internal conflict, sometimes leading to a very different answer than originally thought.

People Ordered into Mental Health Care Less Likely to Perceive it as Helpful

While some people may choose to seek help for their mental illnesses, others can be substantially influenced by family and friends or coerced into care by court order. Understanding the variations through which people enter mental health care—by choice or coercion—will enable health care providers to remove barriers to care and ensure that people who need treatment receive it, according to Sirry Alang, an assistant professor of sociology and anthropology at Lehigh.