Cheryl "Chaka" Mango Ph.D.

History and Philosophy
Assistant Professor of History
Phone Number 804-524-5556
Email Address cmango@vsu.edu
Office Phone Number Colson Hall, 101
Education
Ph.D., History, Morgan State University, 2016
M.A., History, Louisiana Tech University, 2012
B.A. History, Grambling State University, 2009
B.A. Political Science, Grambling State University, 2009
Research and Teaching Interest
American Presidents and Black colleges, federal and private funding to HBCUs, African diasporic historical narratives and social media, African diasporic history, African American history, twentieth-century U.S. history, public and archival history.
Founding Framer of the HBCU Studies Academic Discipline.
2021-23, Kettering Foundation Whisenton Public Scholars Fellow
Courses taught
- HIST 492-Historical Pathways and Careers
- HIST 392-Public History
- HIST 381-Black Women’s History in the Americas
- HIST 380-African Diasporic History
- HIST 349-HBCU History
- HIST 348-Islam in the African American Experience
- HIST 347-Black Voices in American History
- HIST 346-History of the Black Religious Experience
- HIST 343-History of Black Education in the U.S.
- HIST 341-African American History from 1865 to Present
- HIST 340-African American History to 1865
- HIST 275-History of Africa Since 1800
- HIST 273-History of the Caribbean
- HIST 243-Hip Hop History
- HIST 123-U.S. History After 1865
- HIST 115-World History Since 1500
Recent Scholarly Activity
- The HBCU Revolution: Desegregation, Disintegration, Collaboration, and Jimmy Carter’s 1980 Decision to Give Black Colleges their Own White House Office.” Journal of Federal History (Accepted and Forthcoming April 2022).
- “Black College Renaissance: My Decision to Create the First HBCU History Course and 2020 Proposal for Interdisciplinary HBCU Studies Curriculums, En Masse.” In The Significant Past, Present, and Future of HBCUs in a Globalizing World, edited by Alem Hailu, Mohamed Camara, and Sabella Abidde. (Accepted and Forthcoming).
- “Double-Edged Comb? Black YouTube, Black Natural Hair, and the Potential Decline of the African-American Beauty Shop” In Untangling the Knots of Identity: Afro Hair and Blackness edited by Benjamina Efua Dadzie and Marta Mezzanzanica (Wilmington, DE: Vernon Press, Accepted and Forthcoming).
- “A Critical Alliance: HBCUs and Reparations for Descendants of Enslaved American Africans.” In The Significant Past, Present, and Future of HBCUs in a Globalizing World, edited by Alem Hailu, Mohamed Camara, and Sabella Abidde (Accepted and Forthcoming 2021).
- “Black Radicalism, Black Consciousness, Black History, Black Liberation, Black YouTube: A New Age Revolution.” In From Slavery to Liberation: The African American Experience, edited by Joshua Farrington and Gwen Graham (Richmond, KY: Eastern Kentucky University Libraries, 2020).
Media Appearances
- “Virginia State University Possibly Honors Martin Luther King Jr. With Socially Distanced Discussion,” Television News Special Segment, ABC 8 News, Richmond, VA (January 18, 2021) https://www.wric.com/news/local-news/chesterfield-county/virginia-state-university- honors-martin-luther-king-jr-with-socially-distanced-discussion/
- “Virginia State University Possibly Offering Nation’s First-Ever History Course on HBCUs,” Television News Special Segment, NBC 29 News, Richmond, VA (September 4, 2020) https://www.nbc12.com/2020/09/04/virginia-state-university-possibly-offering-nations-first-ever- history-course-hbcus/
- “VSU Offering Groundbreaking HBCU History Course,” Television News Special Segment, ABC 8 News, Richmond, VA (August 28, 2020) https://www.wric.com/community/positively- richmond/vsu-offering-groundbreaking-hbcus-history-course/.
- “New Ground Breaking Course in HBCU History,” Television News Special Segment, CBS 6 News, Richmond, VA (August 20, 2020) https://www.wtvr.com/news/local-news/new-course- could-be-next-frontier-for-black-colleges-professor-believes.
- “Historical Fact or Fiction in Black Friday Social Media Memes,” Television News Special Segment, KSLA News 12, Monroe, LA (November 22, 2016) https://www.facebook.com/KNOE8News/videos/1356956514315034.
- Virginia State University. 2021. “Virginia State University to Remove the Name of Four Campus Buildings.” March 25, 2021. https://www.vsu.edu/news/2021/remove-name-buildings.php.
- Dalton, Anne. 2021. “Celebrate Black History Month -Virtually.” Chesterfield Observer, February 03, 2021. https://www.chesterfieldobserver.com/articles/celebrate-black-history-month-virtually/.
- German, Lyndon. 2021. “Keep Moving Forward: VSU Panel Reflects on Dr. King’s Words.” Richmond Free Press, January 21, 2021. http://richmondfreepress.com/news/2021/jan/21/keep-moving-forward-vsu-panel-reflects-dr-kings-wo/.
- Virginia State University. 2021. “Virginia State University Honors Martin Luther King Jr. With Socially Distanced Discussion.” January 18, 2021. https://www.dailyadvent.com/tag/cheryl-mango.
- Arrman, Kyaw. 2020. “VSU Possibly Offering Nation’s First-Ever History Course on HBCUs.” Diverse Issues in Higher Education, September 9, 2020. https://diverseeducation.com/article/189728/.
- Bill Atkinson. 2020. “VSU-Drive Task Force Draws Cops Across Central VA To lose Gap With Communities of Color.” The Progress-Index, September 9, 2020. https://www.progress-index.com/story/news/2020/09/09/vsu-forms-task-force-address-police-issues-communities-color/5759303002/.
- Arrman, Kyaw. 2020. “VSU Possibly Offering Nation’s First-Ever History Course on HBCUs.” Optimal Insights For Higher Ed, September 9, 2020. https://blog.optimal-partners.com/feed-items/vsu-possibly-offering-nations-first-ever-history-course-on-hbcus/.
- Latest News Post Team. 2020. “VSU Possibly Offering Nation’s First-Ever History Course on HBCUs.” Latest News, September 9, 2020. https://latestnewspost.com/news/education/vsu-possibly-offering-nations-first-ever-history-course-on-hbcus/.
- WI Web Staff. 2020. “Virginia State to Offer Course on HBCUs This Fall.” The Washington Informer, September 8, 2020. https://www.washingtoninformer.com/virginia-state-university-to-offer-course-on-hbcus-this-fall/.
- NB. 2020. ““One-Of-A-Kind VSU Course Offers Insight Into HBCU History.” News Break, September 4, 2020. https://www.newsbreak.com/news/2049650820369/one-of-a-kind-vsu-course-offers-insight-into-hbcu-history.
- JBHE. 2020. “Virginia State Offering A New Course on HBCU History.” The Journal of Blacks in Higher Education, September 4, 2020. https://www.jbhe.com/2020/09/virginia-state-university-offering-a-new-course-on-hbcu-history/.
- Dixon, Terrance. 2020. “Virginia State University Possibly Offering Nation’s First-Ever History Course on HBCUs.” MSN, September 4, 2020. https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/finance-saving-investing/virginia-state-university-possibly-offering-nations-first-ever-history-course-on-hbcus/ar-BB18II2V?ocid=News.
- Fitzgerald, Madyson. 2020. “Virginia State Offers New Course on HBCU History.” Urban Views RVA, August 30, 2020. https://urbanviewsrva.com/2020/08/30/virginia-state-university-offers-new-course-on-hbcu-history/.
- Magee, Leilia. 2020. “One-Of-A-Kind VSU Course Offers Insight Into HBCU History.” Progress Index, August 28, 2020. https://www.progress-index.com/story/news/education/campus/2020/08/28/groundbreaking-vsu-course-details-hbcu-history/5607916002/.
- Carter, Jarret. 2020. “Virginia State Offers HBCU History Course.” HBCU Digest, August 20, 2020. https://www.hbcudigest.com/p/virginia-state-offers-hbcu-history.
- HF. 2020. “A History of Historically Black Colleges and Universities.” HBCU First (Official HBCU Timeline). 2020. https://hbcufirst.com/hbcu-history-timeline.
- Muhammad, Donna. 2020. “20th Separation Town Hall Meeting Comes to Detroit.” The Final Call, February 27, 2020. https://www.finalcall.com/artman/publish/National_News_2/20th-Separation-Town-Hall-meeting-comes-to-Detroit.shtml.
- Pickering, Michah. 2018. “Mango To Speak At NAACP Program.” Beauregard Daily News, February 23, 2018. https://www.beauregarddailynews.net/news/20180222/mango-to-speak-at-naacp-program.
- Schmidt, Theresa. 2017. “Historic MLK Hearse Part of DeRidder Commemoration.” Beauregard Daily News, January 16, 2017. https://www.kplctv.com/story/34271862/historic-mlk-hearse-part-of-deridder-commemoration/,
- Sleezer, Pamela. 2017. “Dr. Cheryl Mango of Grambling State Gives MLK Keynote Speech.” American Press. January 16, 2017. https://zh-cn.facebook.com/americanpress/photos/dr-cheryl-mango-of-grambling-state-university-delivered-the-keynote-speech-momen/10154839333094827/.
- Barreras, Davis. 2017. “Louisiana Advisory Committee to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights: Civil Rights and Barriers to Voting.” U.S. Commission on Civil Rights. November 9, 2017. https://www.usccr.gov/press/2017/11-09-PR.pdf.
- Villacorta, Maria. 2015. “Alumna Encourages Students to Support Grambling State.” The Gramblinite, January 22, 2015. http://www.thegramblinite.com/news/view.php/859659/Alumna-encourages-students-to-support-Gr.
- General News, Liberal Arts. 2012. “Black History Month Event Focuses on Religious Resistance During Slavery.” Louisiana Tech University News. February 3, 2012. https://www.latech.edu/2012/02/03/black-history-month-event-focuses-on-religious-resistance-during-slavery/.
Service Activity
- History Club, Advisor
- Campus Curlz, Inc. at VSU, Co-Advisor