Kishauna Soljour recently completed her doctoral dissertation in France. She researches and writes about notions of identity, immigration, and law at the international level. Kishauna is a Play for Peace volunteer on the communications team. Kishauna has immersed herself in academia and research for most of her life. She completed her undergraduate degrees in Television, Radio and Film, and African American studies, then went on to earn two Masters degrees in History. While studying in Paris, she focused her attention on the African Diaspora, looking at intergenerational immigration from North Africa to France between 1945 and 1985. Through an oral history of 35 immigrants from Cote d’Ivoire, Mali, Senegal, the French Congo, and Gabon, Kishauna closely examined not only how several generations talk to each other but also what happens to their dreams and aspirations over time.
"In the current global environment of unprecedented migration, it is interesting to learn that the older generation dreams of returning to Africa once their children and grandchildren are grown. Perhaps not surprisingly, the younger generation looks toward more opportunity in the United States or the U.K.," she shares. Kishauna has returned to the U.S. and is currently teaching U.S. and European history at Syracuse University. She also works with RISE (Refugee and Immigrant Self Empowerment) in upstate New York. There she helps Somali Bantu refugees settle in their new homes and become U.S. citizens. She ultimately hopes to use her impressive resources to work where she can have the most impact, making a difference at the policy level. Play for Peace is fortunate to have this very talented woman on its volunteer team!
