Affiliated Members
Ph.D., University of Ile-Ife, Nigeria, 1987
Associate Professor of African and African American Studies, Director of the Langston Hughes Center
Professor of American Studies, Joint appointment in African and African American Studies
Jelks is a graduate of South Shore High School (Chicago), the University of Michigan (BA in History), McCormick Theological Seminary (Masters of Divinity) and Michigan State University (Ph.D. in History); he is also an ordained clergy person in the Presbyterian Church (USA). Before joining the faculty of the University of Kansas, Professor Jelks taught at Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Associate Professor of African and African-American Studies, Associate Professor of Communication Studies
Ph.D. University of Southern California, Los Angeles
African-America drama, performance, and culture, acting, hip-hop, women's and gender studies, solo performance and transnationalism.

Ph.D., University of Ile-Ife, Nigeria, 1987


Jelks is a graduate of South Shore High School (Chicago), the University of Michigan (BA in History), McCormick Theological Seminary (Masters of Divinity) and Michigan State University (Ph.D. in History); he is also an ordained clergy person in the Presbyterian Church (USA). Before joining the faculty of the University of Kansas, Professor Jelks taught at Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan.


Ph.D. University of Southern California, Los Angeles
African-America drama, performance, and culture, acting, hip-hop, women's and gender studies, solo performance and transnationalism.
