Dr. Anthea Aikins honored as a Community Leader

As part of their focus on Black History Month, the Delaware State News is featuring Dr. Anthea Aikens, Associate Professor of Biological Sciences, as one of the African American female community leaders of Kent County.

The below section was written by Delaware State News editor Laura Walter as part of the article highlighting female community leaders, published in the Black History Month special section insert earlier this month.

Dr. Anthea Aikens

As a professor at her alma mater of Delaware State University, Dr. Anthea Aikins loves teaching microbiology and working as a lab scientist. But beyond the classroom, Aikins wants to help students really thrive in all of college, whether building relationships with professors, applying for programs or surviving the many other challenges.

“Going to college is a huge thing, but with proper guidance, mentoring, and us reaching back, we can demystify higher education for students to make it through college and beyond.

“I honestly feel that mentorship is everything. You can’t learn everything from a book [such as] microaggressions, addressing the elephants in the room.”

She thrives on being a mentor to the next generation of students, scientists and people of color, so she does it in as many ways as possible. Aikins hopes that students see her — a young female research scientist who runs a microbiology lab — and say, “It’s tough to do it alone, but to see someone like you who’s made it through,” it seems possible for me too.

Indeed, it was once a beloved professor at DSU who encouraged Aikins to apply for a competitive internship as a freshman. This was a major catalyst to Aikins’ life path.

Now, this Magnolia resident teaches freshman seminars, mentors students one-on-one, runs youth research programs and volunteers at elementary STEM labs.

Looking at the next generation of scholars and leaders, “I think our future is bright,” Aikins said. Science has become even more accessible for young people (robotics camps and DNA extraction, anyone?), and “Young people get it. The information is no longer in the head of the professor. The information is on Google,” and the professor guides the research. “As teachers, we have to teach in such a way that we leave our students curious after they leave our course because it’s curiosity that will get them to learn outside the class.”

Aikens has a unique view of Black History Month, having come from Ghana around age 12. The event often highlight major highlights major historical figure with inspiring stories, but “we fail to look at people that we have encountered in our lives who have impacted us, in addition to history and the wisdom we have in terms of perseverance and being unapologetically great.”

Aiken think of the women who surrounded her; the godmother-figure in New York; a history teacher who showed interest in her West African heritage; an English teacher who would stay late to help with essays; the college professor who inspired her to this career.

“In our everyday lives, when you meeting women who are committed to your success, no strings attached, that is a prize beyond value. She didn’t have to do that. So moving forward, that’s my goal.

“In fact, I’m still surrounded by women who are committed to the idea that when you shine, we all shine.”

“When you don’t honor your past or study the path that got you here, you underestimate how powerful your behavior is to the generation coming after you,” Aikins said.

“We reflect on our heritage, but that means someone will reflect on our legacy too. When you understand the sacrifice that has brought you to this point, or understand the shoulders you are standing on, I think it gives you the responsibility to be mindful so you don’t act in a way that dishonors your past… How is that influencing out behavior or honoring our ancestors who came before us, and am I living in such a way that honors their sacrifice or legacy? And what am I leaving behind for the next generation?”

Dr. Aikens will be honored at a Black History Month Celebration event at 12 noon Saturday, Feb. 12 at the Sankofa Community Center in Dover.

The above article was reprinted for the DESU website with the permission of the Delaware State News.