Graduates: Judi Moore Latta, Ph. D.

Professor and Chair, Department of Radio, T.V. & Film
Howard University, Washington, D.C.

Dr. Latta on SisterMentors:

As a result of my [SisterMentors'] colleagues' focused attention, I was able to apply for and got a Ford Foundation Dissertation Fellowship which provided me with research and writing time. Consequently, one year from the date of my prospectus defense, I had completed the writing of my dissertation and had submitted it to my committee for review.
The Dissertation Support Group had helped at every stage; individual members had proofed and edited my entire dissertation, provided suggestions and short-cuts, and assisted in the preparation of dissertation graphics.
At my dissertation defense, in an unprecedented action, my committee required me to make no changes in the document. At graduation, the dissertation was selected to receive the Bode prize for the Best Dissertation in American Studies at the University.

I have no doubt that all these honors --- as well as the completion of the degree itself --- are linked to the undeniable generosity of my sister scholars and to the existence of this group. . . more

Bio

Dr. Judi Moore Latta -- a native of Tallahassee, Florida -- is Professor and Chair of the Department of Radio, TV, and Film at Howard University in Washington, D.C. She received a B.S. (summa cum laude) in English from Hampton Institute, the M.A. in English from Boston University, and the Ph.D. in American Studies from the University of Maryland. As a Woodrow Wilson Fellow and a Ford Foundation Dissertation Fellow, her research interests have embraced cultural narratives and the politics of production. Her dissertation was entitled: "Wade In the Water. The Public Radio Series: The Effects of the Politics of Production on Sacred Music Representations."

As the producer of more than seventy radio and television documentaries, she has received numerous awards including: The George Foster Peabody Award for her work as senior producer of the 26-part National Public Radio/Smithsonian series "Wade in the Water: African American Sacred Music Traditions." Her media productions have also received awards from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, the American Women in Radio and Television, the National Association of Black Journalists, the National Education Association, the Unity Awards in Media, and the National Federation of Community Broadcasters.