[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 37 (Monday, February 27, 2023)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E153-E154]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    HONORING THE CAREER AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF DR. RUTH NICOLE BROWN

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. ELISSA SLOTKIN

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                       Monday, February 27, 2023

  Ms. SLOTKIN. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to pay tribute to a visionary 
social justice innovator and academic who is making space for African 
American women and girls to celebrate who they are and what they bring 
to the world, and bringing new and critical opportunities to students 
at Michigan State University.
  Ruth Nicole Brown is the Inaugural Chairperson of and Professor in 
the Department of African American and African Studies at Michigan 
State University. Dr. Brown, an internationally recognized leader in 
Black Girlhood, joined MSU on July 1, 2020, and quickly got to work 
creating and advancing the mission of this new degree-granting 
department of the university. Thanks to her efforts, beginning in the 
2022-23 school year, MSU students were able for the first time to 
declare a major in African American and American Studies, and many have 
jumped at the opportunity.

[[Page E154]]

  In addition to her academic and administrative accomplishments, Dr. 
Brown is the founder of Saving Our Lives Hear Our Truths, a creative 
space that brings young African American girls together to celebrate 
Black girlhood. She also started BlackGirl Genius Week, a city/
university wide social media takeover and awareness campaign focusing 
on rising Black women. She has written several books on the topic, and 
is a highly sought after speaker.
  It's this combination of scholarly work and public engagement that 
makes Dr. Brown such an innovator. One day she is co-editing 
educational research anthologies and articles about racial equality and 
feminism, and the next day she is performing in powerful pieces 
combining music, images, and words.
  Dr. Brown is the master of seeing a void and stepping up to fill it. 
The performance community she has created responds to a need for spaces 
where Black girls and women are seen and valued. And the department she 
chairs allows students for the first time to center their studies on 
Black history, including a critical exploration of the role of feminism 
and gender.
  Today I salute Dr. Brown for the many ways she is changing the game: 
through art, through music, and through education. I am so grateful 
that along with her many distinguished titles we are able to call her a 
Michigan State University Spartan. May her successes and contributions 
continue to enrich the MSU community.

                          ____________________