APSU has hired Marcelius Braxton as the new director of the Wilbur N. Daniel African-American Cultural Center (WNDAACC).
Braxton previously worked at Missouri University as the student service coordinator for the Student Diversity, Outreach and Women’s Programs. He has also been a part of the Black Man’s Think Tank, the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers and the National Society of Black Engineers at Missouri University of Science and Technology. Braxton has a bachelor’s degree in political science, philosophy and economics from the University of Pittsburgh, as well as a juris doctor from the University of North Carolina School of Law.
Braxton said he acknowledges the past success of the WNDAACC, but hopes to use his experience and education to improve it while also making the program more inclusive.
“This center has been around for 25 years, so obviously something is working,” Braxton said. “Within ‘African-American Cultural Center’ it says ‘American Culture’ … and that is something we definitely want to emphasize.”
Braxton said he seeks to make all students feel welcome at the cultural center, regardless of race.
Inside Braxton’s office are two whiteboards with upcoming events sponsored by the WNDAACC. The first event of the new semester is the Peay Soup in the Plaza at 6 p.m., Aug. 23, in the UC plaza. The event will have food for up to 300 students in the UC plaza. There will also be a DJ, free T-shirts and an open mic.
The center is also sponsoring a Know Your Rights event Oct. 19 inside the cultural center. “A lot of people don’t know what to do when they encounter police,” Braxton said.
Braxton said the event is meant to help students understand what to do and not to do in order to protect themselves when interacting with police officers. “I’m going to reach out to a law enforcement officer to hopefully have them in attendance,” Braxton said.
Alongside many events, the WNDAACC offers free resources that are to support students, including, soft drinks, TI-83 Calculators, computers and more.
Regarding his new position, Braxton said “It takes a few months before you can say you’re truly adjusted… I’m excited to get started. I’m excited to see what’s happening.”
For more information visit apsu.edu/aacc.
