Part-Time Faculty October Spotlight

By Liz Feldman On Behalf of the Part-Time Faculty Institute

Part-time faculty member Jamya Robinson is a life-long learner. She joined the College two years ago. Robinson teaches Sociology courses in the Education and Social Sciences Department on the Takoma Park-Silver Spring campus.

Robinson always has had a love for museums and libraries. "As a child, I would ask to go to a museum for my birthday," Robinson said. "There is something about seeing history and art on display that really scratches the part of my brain that craves a hands-on educational experience," she added.

Robinson was born and raised in Chicago. She earned her Bachelor's of Science degree in Urban Studies and Public Policy at Dillard University, a liberal HBCU (Historically Black Colleges and Universities) in New Orleans, Louisiana.

She earned her Master's in Sociology at the University of Notre Dame in Indiana. She also is pursuing her PhD in Sociology from the same school.

Robinson moved to the D.C. region to conduct fieldwork for her dissertation.

"My research focuses on identity, memory, and racial meaning at the National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC)."

She became interested in this topic years earlier after she had visited the Apartheid Museum in Johannesburg, South Africa.

"I saw so many parallels between the experience of Black Americans and that of Black South Africans as they battled against anti-black racism in their respective countries," Robinson said.

There are parts of the Apartheid Museum that she still vividly remembers almost 7 years later. One of those exhibits is called political execution.

"There were nooses hanging from the ceiling to represent each prisoner whose death was labeled a suicide during the apartheid regime. However, later it was revealed they were killed by law enforcement and the information was hidden," Robinson explained.

Her trip to the Apartheid Museum made her reflect on her childhood experiences when she visited the The DuSable Black History Museum and Education Center in Chicago. One exhibit focused on Fred Hampton who was a member of the Black Panther Party.

"In 1969, Hampton was murdered in his sleep by members of the FBI because of his involvement in the Black Panther Party and his support of socialism. Similar to the Apartheid Museum, the DuSable Museum acknowledged the death of a prominent social activist. However, it did not recognize it as the brutal assassination of a Black Power activist at the hands of the United States government," Robinson said.

She explained these examples are illustrative of how democratic countries acknowledge race and racism within political and social institutions. This led her to examine the National Museum of African American History and Culture.

Earlier this year, Montgomery College awarded Robinson a Shoenberg Fellowship. She is one of three winners in 2026. Robinson said she plans on using the fellowship to continue her exploration of NMAAHC. She specifically wants to document how the museum with its racial equality mission is perceived and presents itself as it "navigates the increasing tension between the expectation of nonpartisanship and the call to remain true to its social justice commitment."

Robinson said she hopes to complete her dissertation by next year. When her research is done, she plans to share her findings with her colleagues in her department. She also may present some of her findings to the Office of Visitors Service at the NMAAHC.

Robinson said she loves teaching at MC and she feels honored to be a part-time professor here. She always had an interest in teaching.

"Growing up, I wanted to be a teacher, and I frequently tutored high school students," Robinson said.

While she initially pursued other opportunities after she graduated from Dillard, she circled back to teaching.

"I remained fascinated and inspired by educators, and through the mentorship of a professor at Dillard, I enrolled in a PhD program where I could explore the topics that interest me and teach others. So when I moved to the DMV to do my fieldwork, I thought this would be a great opportunity to apply the knowledge and skills I learned in my program to my own class. It has been an amazing experience teaching at MC," Robinson said.

She wants her students to walk away from her class knowing they are capable of great things. She also wants them to be critical thinkers.

When Robinson is not teaching or researching, she enjoys reading and singing karaoke.