Alpha Mu Chi, NTCC’s chapter of Phi Theta Kappa, received a grant for the second year from the Mellon Foundation to help fund their Honors in Action project.
“The Alpha Mu Chi chapter has been selected, based on its strong application, to receive an Honors in Action grant in the amount of $1,000 to enhance your 2021 Honors in Action project. We so appreciate your willingness to go above and beyond with your Phi Theta Kappa engagement to apply for the grant and are proud of the work you do at your college and in your community with your participation in a robust Honors in Action project. We can’t wait to hear and read about your Honors in Action adventures as you move forward”, wrote Susan Edwards, Associate Vice President of Honors Programming and Undergraduate Research at Phi Theta Kappa.
"The grant we’ve received is so wonderful! The students have chosen a really interesting, really important project this year, gathering and telling the stories of Black families in the Mount Pleasant area. The grant from the Mellon Foundation means that the students will have the resources to accomplish that project. This money will allow them to make a documentary film, which will allow them to share the history they learn with a much wider audience. I’m very excited for them, and very grateful to the Foundation," said Dr. Matthew Lampert, chapter advisor and Professor of Philosophy.
After learning of the lack of scholarly accounts in the community, the chapter, in collaboration with historians Dr. Melissa Fulgham and James McGregor, will interview and film individuals locally allowing them to share their stories and to help fill in the local history gaps, especially for minorities. The group is already beginning to train on how to properly conduct an oral history interview.
Dr. Fulgham is teaching NTCC’s African American history class, which will feature guest speakers from the community who will share their expertise and stories. Chef and author Kami Redd will offer a food tasting experience exploring the journey from African medicine to comforting African-American Soul Food on Monday September 20 at 12:30 in Humanities 101. The chapter will help to organize and video record the events; these, along with individual interviews, will be used in the production of a documentary as part of the HIA project. Another of the team’s goals is to root the beginning of a living repository of stories, photos, and documents for future generations to have access and build on to.
“I am so glad that our hard work and efforts are being rewarded with this grant. It makes me happy knowing my team’s work is getting recognized,” said Brian Ramirez, President of the Alpha Mu Chi Chapter.
“I’m very grateful that our chapter was given the opportunity to receive funds for our Honors in Action project, and I hope that we will be able to meet everyone’s expectations and do a great job,” said chapter vice-president Brooke Clifton.
To learn more about Alpha Mu Chi, Northeast Texas Community College’s Five Star, award-winning chapter of Phi Theta Kappa, check out their Facebook page at ‘Phi Theta Kappa Alpha Mu Chi.’ For anyone interested in learning more or attending a meeting, email ptk@ntcc.edu or any of the chapter advisors, including Dr. Matthew Lampert at mlampert@ntcc.edu.
