Dr. Sheila Marie Aird, Board Member
Dr. Sheila Marie Aird is an Assistant Professor and Academic Area Coordinator of Global Studies at SUNY’s Empire State College. Dr. Aird is actively engaged with mentoring, teaching, and the creation and development of global studies courses inclusive of the African Diaspora.
She received her Ph.D. in Latin and Caribbean History and MA in History from Howard University and during her final year of research was awarded the prestigious Sasakawa Fellowship from the Nipon Foundation in Japan. The title of her work, “The Forgotten Ones: Enslaved children in Caribbean Societies, 1673-1838” focuses on the experiences of enslaved children in the British Caribbean. The work is a broad examination of the lives of the youngest victims of the trade in human cargoe. Although the work focuses on children in the Caribbean, it is the story of all enslaved children regardless of geographical location whose voices have been minimized in historical discourse. The investigation for this topic mandated that she access materials housed in repositories located in the United States, Barbados, Jamaica, London, Bristol, Wales, and Scotland. The next phase of Dr. Aird’s work will connect enslaved children of North America with the enslaved children of the Caribbean. Concurrently, she is a curatorial consultant at the Community Folk Art Center in Syracuse, NY. At present, she is researching material for a documentary and working on a photographic exhibit that will focus on children in enslavement.
Prior to joining Empire State College, Dr. Aird was an adjunct Professor in the African American Studies Department at Syracuse University. In an attempt to enlighten students and create active learning, Dr. Aird’s final class in African American History since 1865, culminated with a class web page developed by the students in which they took on the role of the historian utilizing primary source documents. In addition, while educating at the university, Dr. Aird was honored with the Sojourner Truth Award by the National Association of Negro Business Professional Women's Clubs, Syracuse chapter.
Dr. Aird holds a BA in Anthropology and a MA in Anthropology with a focus on Historical Archeology from the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University. She has been involved in several historical archaeological projects in St. John Virgin Islands as well and is currently involved with a project that centers on the Harriet Tubman House in Auburn NY. Additionally, she worked on an awareness program in Syracuse NY titled “Save the Faces.” The citywide conservation and preservation effort centered on clay faces sculpted on dirt walls in the basement of the Wesleyan Methodist Church, an Underground Railroad site. Her participation resulted in a collaborative project with Dr. Douglas Armstrong of the Maxwell School to educate not only the public, but also school-age children.
Dr. Aird’s continuous goal is to present history and culture from a panoramic lens that will question preconceived notions and “what we think we know.” Most importantly, Dr. Aird’s passion lies in promoting the history of the African Diaspora and educating the public through the medium of documentary and film and museum exhibits.
