Tangela Serls is a researcher and professor based in Tampa, Florida who specializes in English/Literary Studies. Her research focuses on topics such as Girlfriends, Sisterhood, and Black Girl Magic.
Dr. Tangela Serls on her Pop-Up Experience and Recent Readings
Tangela Serls talks about the experience she had through the 4pt0 Schools Essentials Fellowship. She also discusses two influential books, Michelle Obama's "Becoming" and Stacey Abram's "Minority Leader."
Girlfriend Epistemology, Part 1
The following is part one of the paraphrased conclusion from Dr. Tangela Serls’ “The Spirit of Friendship: Girlfriends in Contemporary African American Literature.” After exploring the elements of girlfriend relationships and sisterhood in contemporary works like Sula, The Color Purple, and Sugar, Dr. Serls discusses girlfriend epistemology as it relates to fiction and reality, especially among Black women.
Black women create in a world that doesn’t appreciate our labor, genius, and passion. ...
Ntozake Shange — Powerful Women, Part 2
“we need a god who bleeds now
whose wounds are not the end of anything”
Poetry has a way of changing the world. These changes may not be monumental or immediate, but the written word bestows an unspoken power to those who wield it. Ntozake Shange, born Paulette Williams in 1948, was a woman who fearlessly bore that power.
Best known for her choreopoem For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide/When the Rainbow is Enuf, Ntozake made a name for herself when she emerged as a playwright and po...
Barbara Smith — Powerful Women, Part 3
Ground-breaking activist, Barbara Smith, and her twin sister Beverly, were born in 1946 in Cleveland, Ohio. They were children of the Great Migration and have family roots in my home state, Georgia. When I first learned about the concept of “coming to voice” it was in large part because of being exposed to works by Barbara Smith and other Black feminists.
Barbara Smith is one of the founders of the Combahee River Collective and has been an important voice in the development of modern intersec...
Dr. Tangela Serls talks sisterhood, friendship, and spirituality.
Tangela Serls discusses the connection between sisterhood, friendship, and spirituality by referencing some of her personal experiences as well as her academic pursuits.
Dr. Tangela Serls talks about her experience in education
Dr. Tangela Serls discusses her experience in education, beginning with childhood influences and continuing to a recent opportunity with the 4pt0 Schools Essentials Fellowship.
When Sisterhood Begets Friendship, Part 2
The following is a continuation of the paraphrased introduction from Tangela Serls’ “The Spirit of Friendship: Girlfriends in Contemporary African American Literature.” This part discusses the role Delta Sigma Theta had in her friendships and spirituality, as well as an example of why she began studying girlfriend relationships.
From left to right: Anastasia Boone, Tiffany Baskerville-Powell, Jocelyn Hyman, Me, Kimberly Tanner, Melissa West, Shinece Hampton
Not Pictured: Nicole Cleggs-Burn
In...
When Sisterhood Begets Friendship, Part 1
The following is the first of a series of paraphrased excerpts from Tangela Serls’ “The Spirit of Friendship: Girlfriends in Contemporary African American Literature.” This part is from the introduction and discusses the difference between sisterhood and friendship. It also considers the role one’s personal relationship with God plays in the cultivation of such bonds.
Years after moving on from my undergraduate experience, I have realized just how much joining a sorority contributed to my und...
Winnie Mandela — Powerful Women, Part 1
When thinking of South Africa’s apartheid — a caste system that favored white Europeans over black South Africans — one name typically comes to mind: Nelson Mandela. Although Nelson devoted his life to ending the racial hierarchy, he was not alone in his fight. Many South Africans joined in the cause, and none more so than his wife, Winnie Mandela. In honor of Ms. Winnie’s legacy, I wanted to take a moment to highlight a few aspects of her life.