NSU Press Release

NSU History Professor to be Honored by American Legacy Magazine

Norfolk, Va.—Cassandra Newby-Alexander, professor of history at Norfolk State University, has been named by American Legacy Magazine as one of the five most outstanding teachers of African American history and culture. She is currently featured in the Spring 2005 edition and will be honored at a ceremony in New York City.

“Dr. Cassandra Newby-Alexander is an outstanding teacher who has built her career around getting students as enthused as she is about African American histories and cultures, “ said Charles Ford, associate professor and chair of the NSU history department. “Cassandra’s inspiration of students begins with her own solid record of scholarship.”

Born in Illinois and raised in Norfolk, Newby-Alexander has served at Norfolk State University since 1992. She received a bachelor’s degree in American Government and African American studies from the University of Virginia in 1980. In 1992, she became the second African American to receive a doctorate degree in history from the College of William and Mary.

In 1998, she launched a website called “Race, Time, and Place in Tidewater Virginia,” a collection and digitization of regional African American history presenting both audio and visual images of the Hampton Roads community between 1860 and 1970. The Race, Time and Place in Tidewater, Virginia project was recently enhanced to include “Mirrored Communities” and the “Tale of Two Churches” websites. She is also recently published Portsmouth, Virginia co-written with librarian Mae Breckinridge-Haywood.
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American Legacy is a celebration of African-American history and culture. Its fascinating articles and unique historic perspective provides a clear and genuine look into the heart of the American black heritage.