| Kofi
Lomotey on his selection to edit historic book on African
American education
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Please
join us at Entertainment & Sports Plus in congratulating
our good friend, fellow Oberlin College graduate and
client, Kofi Lomotey on his selection to edit historic
book on African American education. From illegal teaching
lessons during slavery to Brown v. Board of Education
to modern classrooms, |
Southern
University Chancellor Kofi Lomotey’s new “encyclopedia”
is intended to touch everything about African-American education.
Lomotey’s
new two-volume, 1,152-page “Encyclopedia of African
American Education” will appear on some bookshelves
beginning Oct. 20. “A lot of success and challenges
and failures in African-American education parallel our history
and overall experiences,”Lomotey
said.
“I always stress my belief that life is all
about choices,” he said. “The further you go in
school, the more choices you have.”
Lomotey’s
new encyclopedia publication is the result of his partnership
with California-based SAGE Publications, for which he is also
the longtime editor of the scholarly journal, “Urban
Education.” Now a Southern Jaguar, Lomotey emphasized
that entries on the role and evolution of historically black
colleges do specifically discuss Southern University.
While
the publication is intended, partially, as a library reference
work and the $295 price tag may be cost prohibitive, Lomotey
said he is hopeful the encyclopedia can help inform the masses.
“I don’t think it’s a New York Times Best
Seller, but I do think it’s something families can enjoy.
It’s a historical reference,” Lomotey said. “One
of the things I’ve focused on for the last 15 years
is writing in a way not only academics but practitioners can
enjoy,” he said. “It’s more understandable
by the layperson, if you will. I’m hopeful that would
make it more attractive.”
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Rolf
Janke, a SAGE vice president and publisher, said the topic
of African-American education in a reference book is important
because there is nothing so “authoritative”
and comprehensive on the topic that college students and
others can readily draw from for research.
Lomotey
was chosen to put it together, Janke said, because the chancellor
is someone who has both the personal connections and knowledge
in the subject areas. “He (Lomotey) was our win-win
guy,” Janke said.
The
Barnes & Noble pre-order synopsis describes Lomotey’s
latest work as an “invaluable resource not only for
educators and students, but for all readers who seek an
understanding of African American education, both historically
and in the 21st century.”
While
the new encyclopedia contains 247 entries from 212 contributors,
Lomotey is the primary editor and the only person whose
name appears on the cover. He led the selection process,
organization and proofing of the two volumes. “It
was a long tedious process,” Lomotey said of the three
years involved. “But it’s one I think will ultimately
make the final product a valuable one.” Lomotey has
co-authored or edited several previous books such as “The
Racial Crisis in American Higher Education” and “Readings
on Equal Education: Forty Years After the Brown Decision.”
In the new encyclopedia, entries range from court cases
to historical events. Topics cover desegregation, alternative
education models, biographies, policy discussions, gender
issues and much more. Lomotey also said he is proud of a
unique appendix in the publication that includes the tables
of contents and all article listings from the “Journal
of Negro Education” from 1932 through 2008.
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