About

History

The Institute on Black Life (IBL) was established in the fall of 1986 with the mission to serve as a "two-way bridge" between the University of South Florida and the surrounding community. The main purpose of the Institute has always been to serve as a vehicle to utilize faculty, staff and student expertise with identified university and community needs for research, training, and program development.

IBL’s founding director was Dr. Juel Shannon Smith, a nationally recognized leader and mentor. Dr. Smith’s vision of a resilient university-community partnership continues to be an important value of IBL and the University of South Florida. According to Dr. Smith, from its inception, the Institute’s mission was to “serve as a bridge, conduct research, and provide community service.” Ten years after founding IBL, Dr. Smith initiated an “international arm”, the Center for Africa and the Diaspora, which led to study and travel abroad for USF students and faculty. 

From left: State Representative Les Miller, attorney Arthenia Joyner, Annie Ngana Mundeke, USF President Borkowski, and Dr. Juel Shannon Smith

Today, IBL remains a vibrant research institute for the study of Africa and the African diaspora committed to student success, faculty excellence, and community service.

Reminiscing about the early days of the IBL and the opportunities she created on a shoe-string budget, Dr. Smith has quipped, “The Institute has come a long way since the days of working from the trunk of my car.”

Learn more about Dr. Juel Smith by listening to her interview, collected for the USF 50th Anniversary Oral History Project on February 20, 2004.

Institute on Black Life Directors

Dr. Juel Smith, Founding Director, 1986-2000

Dr. O. Geoffrey Okogbaa, 2000-2007

Dr. Cheryl Rodriguez, 2007-2018

Dr. Fenda Akiwumi, 2018-2024

Dr. David Ponton III, 2024-present