Siri Briggs Brown has strongly advocated for equity-based organizations and students, encouraging them to embrace the rich Black/African culture firsthand through immersive cultural tours to overseas destinations.

1. Siri Briggs Brown
A globally influential educator, researcher, and passionate advocate of Black/African American
culture, Dr. Siri Briggs Brown is a Professor of African American Studies at Merritt College and a
part-time professor at the UC Berkeley Department of Ethnic Studies. She has earned an M.A.
in African-American Studies from The Ohio State University and a Ph.D. in U.S. History with an
emphasis in Early American, African-American, and U.S. women's history, also from The Ohio
State University. Dr. Brown is a two-time Fulbright Award recipient who has completed research

2. projects examining Culture and Resistance in South Africa (2019) and the African cultural
heritage of Salvador Bahia, Brazil (2012). Dr. Brown is also the CEO of Global Academics.
Personal and Career History: Inspired By Her Trailblazing
Grandmother
Brown is the great-great-granddaughter of Lula Glaspie Chatham, a Carthage, TX midwife who
helped white and Black women give birth at home. A trailblazer who resisted racial and gender
discrimination to improve women's lives, Chatham inspired Siri Brown to fight for social justice,
racial equality, and women's empowerment. Dr. Brown has raised two sons who are graduates
of Howard and Hampton Universities.
Dr. Brown's career history includes the following outstanding accomplishments:
● 20+ years of teaching experience at Merritt College as a tenured faculty member in
African American Studies and as a part-time instructor in Ethnic Studies at UC Berkeley.
● Recently held the position of Vice Chancellor of Academic Affairs and Student Support
Services at Peralta Community College for nearly 5 years.
● Chaired the Ethnic Studies and Social Studies Department for 10+ years.
● Established two Africana Studies Centers at Merritt College and McClymonds High
School. These Centers offer an interactive, digital curriculum created exclusively for
teaching African and African American History.
Global Academics
As the CEO and owner of Global Academics for over 15 years, Siri Briggs Brown has
encouraged equity-based organizations and students to absorb the Black/African culture
first-hand by taking cultural immersion tours to overseas locations rich in African culture. Dr.
Brown's passion for the Black/African experience and her command of Black history galvanizes
community leaders, scholars, and visionary artists worldwide into seeking partnerships with her
to develop educational immersion tour itineraries.
Through Global Academics, Dr. Brown is reinventing the role of cultural education by providing
immersion travel experiences. She believes her mission statement--"to create learning that lasts
a lifetime"--is best attained by immersing travelers in the culture while talking about the history,
people, and diverse richness of the Black experience.
Awards and Grants Presented to Dr. Siri Briggs Brown
● Merritt College Outstanding Achievement Award
● Chancellor's Achievement Award
● OUSD State of Black Education
● The City of Oakland, Oakland Promise Management Position Funding ($225,000)
● Fulbright Research Awards: Project Lead and Grant Writer ($180,000)
● Africana Studies Community Research Center: Project Lead and Originator ($500,000)
● Corporate Fundraising: Annual Merritt College Study Abroad Program ($80,000)
● Grant Writer: Science and Technology Grant for Oakland, CA ($25,000)
Upcoming Events Led by Dr. Siri Brown
Brown has secured a grant for a project called "Global Academics Black Girls: Race, Gender,
Power and Global Education Summer Institute 2023". Between June 20 and August 10, Dr.

3. Brown will lead 15 Black Oakland Unified School District (OUSD) young female graduates
participating in the Global Education Summer Institute. The young women will complete
leadership development workshops about Black Girl Power, gender, and race, take an
immersion trip to Salvador Bahia, Brazil, and implement a Black Girl-selected social justice
program in Oakland, CA.
Hobbies/Leisure Activities
Siri Brown still loves playing tennis in her spare time, reading history books, and visiting art
galleries and museums. Traveling to the Caribbean, Africa, and Latin America has always been
her first choice of favorite things to do since studying abroad in college. The riveting experience
of learning about Black and African American culture while being able to merge personally with
all aspects of the culture played a decisive role in the lifepath she ultimately took--to open up the
world for underserved African American students who never had the opportunity to travel
overseas and gain a different perspective on their Black heritage.