The Emory NAACP selected Dr. Crystal R. Sanders as the Faculty Member of the Year at Emory University. She received the award during the organization’s annual Image Awards ceremony. Dr. Maurice Hobson of Georgia State University gave the keynote address.
In April 2026, Crystal R. Sanders, Associate Professor of African American Studies at Emory, and Marla Frederick, Dean of the Harvard Divinity School, hosted the second HBCU Film Festival at Emory University. Award-winning actress, producer, singer, and dance Jasmine Guy headlined the event and reminisced about her iconic role as Whitley Gilbert on the hit sitcom, A Different World. Filmmakers from universities throughout the United States submitted films a about some aspect of HBCU history or culture for the annual competition.
Emory University Associate Professor of African American Studies Crystal R. Sanders and Harvard Divinity School Dean Marla Frederick sponsored the inaugural HBCU Film Festival at Emory University on April 11, 2025. Undergraduate and graduate students from throughout the United States submitted short films about some aspect of HBCU history and culture. Select films were screened during the festival and noted scholars and filmmakers participated in a panel about HBCUs and ways to raise the profiles of HBCUs using various media. Be on the lookout for information about the 2026 HBCU Film Festival!
Email: csande6@emory.edu
