Dé Bryant, Ph.D., was honored with The History Museum’s 2024 African American Legacy Award at their Juneteenth Luncheon on Tuesday, June 11. A professor of psychology at IU South Bend, Dé Bryant, Ph.D., is a community psychologist and leader of social justice initiatives, with over 30 years of bringing together individuals with diverse mindsets to facilitate equity and empowerment. She is the founder and director of the Social Action Project (SOCACT), which is dedicated to understanding the deep roots of how justice is betrayed by society and using the healing power of the arts to restore the balance. Dr. Bryant is a healer, an activist, and an academic affectionately known as “Rasheeda” (wise woman) by members of her healing circle.
At IU South Bend, Dr. Bryant has taught courses in social justice, trauma-informed psychology, and interfaith activism. She has built platforms to increase public discourse such as the Public Intellectuals forums on the life of Rev. Dr. Pauli Murray. She has also pioneered ways to extend teaching beyond textbooks and into communities, earning Indiana University’s highest teaching award (The FACET) and the highest award for linking teaching-research-community building (The Lundquist Award).
Dr. Bryant’s experience building community and fostering difficult conversations has taken her to Nigeria, South Africa, Rwanda, Kenya, Uganda, and Haiti. In 2023 she was invited to the Cumbre por la Paz (Peace Summit) in Mexico City, along with other members, as a co-founder of Black Lives Matter-South Bend.
Her current work includes the Ubuntu Spirit project using storytelling to overcome trauma, an initiative of the Social Action Project. She is part of the nascent Grupo de Trabajo Afrodescendients, a working group on mental health awareness and alternative medicines among Afro-Latin peoples.
Dr. Bryant’s experience building community and fostering difficult conversations has taken her to Nigeria, South Africa, Rwanda, Kenya, Uganda, and Haiti. In 2023 she was invited to the Cumbre por la Paz (Peace Summit) in Mexico City, as a co-founder of Black Lives Matter-South Bend.
A specially appointed committee composed of community leaders and chaired by History Museum board member Marvin Curtis, Ed.D., selected Dr. Bryant as the award recipient from several nominations from the community. The African American Legacy Award is presented annually by The History Museum to celebrate the immeasurable contributions of members of the African American community in the St. Joseph River Valley, to honor the legacies and achievements of past generations, to shine a light on those in the present, and to influence efforts that will impact the future.
To be eligible for the African American Legacy Award, an individual:
Must be, or have been, a resident of the St. Joseph River Valley for at least 10 years. The St. Joseph River Valley is considered by the museum to be nine counties in Indiana (LaPorte, St. Joseph, Elkhart, Lagrange, Stark, Marshall, Kosciusko, Pulaski, and Fulton) and three in Michigan (Berrien, Cass, and St. Joseph).
Must not have previously received the award.
Has demonstrated leadership and creativity in promoting African American history.
Has increased understanding of and appreciation for the heritage of the African American community.
Has had significant impact on the local community promoting African American history.
Has recognized efforts that are exceptional or have gone above and beyond their job.
Nominees are welcome year-round, however nominations must be submitted by March 15th of each year for consideration.
1991
Helen Pope
John Charles Bryant
1992
Theresa Ashe
Virginia Calvin
Kathryn Jeffries
1993
Elizabeth Fletcher Allen
Eugenia Braboy
1994
Dale O. Grayson
Jesse L. Dickinson
1995
Dr. John W. Skinner
Dr. B.W. Streets
Dr. S. Bernard Vagner
Dr. Milton A. Butts
1996
Etta Boswell Bowen
Dr. Roland Chamblee
Ida Mitchum
1997
Louvenia Cain
Rev. L. James Perry
1998
Wilma Gary
1999
Carl Ellison
Ladies of Distinction
Michael Warren
2000
Josephine H. Curtis
Hollis Hughes, Jr.
Ben Johnson
Our Day Together Club
St. Pierre Ruffin Club
2001
Farrow Powell Family
Sondra Mose Ursery
2002
Lester C. Lamon
Unsung Heroes and Heroines
of the Local Civil Rights Movement
2003
American Negro Girls
Softball League and “Uncle Bill’s”
All Colored Girls Softball Team
Coquese Washington
2004
Mary Frances Grayson-Jackson
Rev. Gerald L. Hayden
Elmer S. Joseph
Charles E. Thompson
2005
Chester Allen
Zilford Carter
Jesse Dickinson
Valjean Dickinson
Bernard Luther White, Jr.
Cleo Washington
2017
Marvin V. Curtis Ed.D.
2018
Civil Rights Heritage Center
2019
Jacquelyn Rucker
2023
Verge “Brother Sage” Gillam