DAYTONA BEACH – Bethune-Cookman University (B-CU) Associate Professor and Department Chair of Criminal Justice Dr. Kideste Yusef recently received the President’s Volunteer Gold Service Award for her work on the “I Fear for My Life” federal initiative with the 400 Years of African American History Commission. The initiative was designed to build trust and reduce fear between police and communities of color.
“I am so thankful and honored to have been recognized by The White House with a Gold Presidential Service Award for my work with the 400 Years of African American History Commission, documenting African American college students’ experiences with police,” said Dr. Yusef. “My passion for social justice has led to expertise in several areas including community-police relations, police use of force, student leadership and development, juvenile justice and delinquency prevention, and performance management.”
The “I Fear for My Life” initiative established a database of resources intended to enable communities to begin the labor of working toward transparency and accountability in policing while also tackling the fear experienced on both sides of the issue. To learn more, visit IFearforMyLife.org.
The President’s Volunteer Service Award was founded by the President’s Council on Service and Civic Participation in 2003 to recognize the important role of volunteers in America’s strength and national identity. The project is currently led by AmeriCorps and Points of Light, and certifying organizations must verify that eligible volunteers donated more than 500 hours of their time during a 12-month period to receive the Gold Award.
Dr. Yusef has been a B-CU faculty member for more than seven years. In addition to her role as an associate professor and department chair, she also serves as the director for the Center of Law and Social Justice at B-CU.
