It has recently come to my attention that the University of Houston has decided not to renew the faculty contract for Dr. Alicia Odewale in African American Studies. Over the past year, Dr. Odewale has dedicated her efforts to enriching the academic community here at UH by crafting courses that have captured the attention of the entire country and by conducting research that has earned her one of only 10 global Meridian grants provided by the National Geographic Society. Students, faculty, and staff have united in support of Dr. Odewale to preserve the course she introduced at UH, "Before Cowboy Carter: Black Towns, Black Freedom", and ensure its continued presence in the university’s curriculum. This course has gone viral on social media (shared over 1.5 million times across facebook, instagram and tik tok and even captured the attention of Ms Tina Knowles (Beyoncé's mom)), as well as local, national, and international news, tv, magazine, podcasts, newspapers, and even inspired a new online docuseries on Channel 2. This course opens students up to unique stories of Black freedom that reach far beyond the mainstream narrative of Juneteenth in Galveston in 1865, but also encourages students to consider the contributions of Black people to the American West and how this legacy of Black township, Black cowboys, trailrides, and line dancing, still reverberates generations later--leading to the resurgence in popularity we see today due in large part to the impact of Beyoncé's Cowboy Carter album.

Despite being one of only 3 archaeologists working at the University of Houston and the fact that she has stepped into UH as one of only 4 Black archaeologists working in the entire tri-state area of Texas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas—she has offered new and innovative research and teaching that has never been seen before on this campus. Her commitment to the University of Houston and its vibrant student body remains unwavering and we don't want to miss this opportunity to make UH an internationally recognized hub for scholarship on Black Towns, Black Cowboys and Black heritage across the American West.

Even though she is an Oklahoma native from the famed Black Wall Street community, she holds a special place in the hearts of her colleagues and students who have become deeply inspired by her work after only 1 year of her teaching here at UH. There is a strong support mobilization on campus driven by colleagues and students who recognize the value of her work. Receiving massive amounts of student inquiries asking when the "Before Cowboy Carter: Black Towns, Black Freedom" course will be offered again underscores the impact and demand for her work.

Your support is invaluable in this quest to retain Dr. Odewale's faculty position. By signing this petition, you will help demonstrate to the University of Houston the significance of her work and the community’s desire to keep her on board. Please join us in advocating for her continued presence at this esteemed institution.