Cherry Muhanji
    is a native of Detroit, Michigan. ?An accomplished writer and teacher, Muhanjihas
    won important literary awards for her work, including the Lambda NewFiction award
    for her novelHer, and the Before Columbus Book Award forTight Spaces,an
    anthology of shortstoriesthat portray life in America forBlack women. ?Sheearned
    her Ph.D.in English, anthropology, andAfricanAmerican World Studies from the
    University of Iowa. She recentlyretired as afaculty member of Portland University,
    Portland, Oregon.

    Dr. Muhanji argues jazz as metaphor, where this uniquely American artform
    represents the democratic ideals wherein the collective--in traditionaljazz thehorn,
    drum, bass, and piano--plays together, solos, and thenreturns as acollective. This
    democratic ideal inherent in this art form isthat everyone getsto solo and everyone
    plays together--to form, if youwill, "a more robust union."

    Dr. Muhanji approaches teaching social justice the same as themetaphor ofjazz:
    The diverse "dissonant" notes from children's stories,anthropologicaltexts, novels,
    plays, scientific victories and blunders, thewar in Iraq, all servenot to bring harmony
    to the classroom, but rather tocreate a robust andrigorous sound, in which race,
    class, gender, andsexuality are exploded.

    Dr. Muhanji is a popular and widely sought speaker and presenter. ?An articleabout
    one of her recent presentationscan be foundhere.
    http://media.www.dailyvanguard.
    com/media/storage/paper941/news/2007/04/27/News/Former.Professor.Activist.
    Speaks.At.Psu-2885500.shtml
????????Curriculum vitae for Cherry Muhanji

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