 "Photo: Chi Brown/Echo staff photographer")
Entering the office of Jonathan Livingston, an assistant professor in psychology at N.C. Central University for almost six years, you will not only see what you expect to see in a professor's office -- pens, papers, and books -- you'll also be greeted by the sounds of rhythm and blues and old school hip-hop.
Livingston's office is a visual representation of his personality and his passion for life and teaching.
You'll see on his wall a medley that includes photos, posters, quotes, images of historical figures, and words of wisdom from individuals who have changed the world. And there's photos of his family.
He and his wife, Cinawendela, have four children, Antonio, Olivia, Cairo and Shango.
Livingston says he wants his students to learn information that they can use for the rest of their lives, not just empty concepts.
"I want y'all to learn everything. Literally, everything that I know," said Livingston, a self-proclaimed lifelong learner. "I try to give y'all everything I think you'll need to be a successful scholar, activist … and just a better human being. We have no room for average people. No room," said Livingston, who explained that our communities and our country need exceptional people.
"We need people who are bright, sharp, hungry, engaged, knowledegeable."
According to psychology junior Marquita Davis, Livingston is "down to earth with his students. He tries to relate to you and put it in ways that we can digest it better. He enjoys what he"s doing. He's not just here to be here. He has a positive attitude about everything that he does."
Livingston said he has had a profound thirst for knowledge ever since he was a child growing up in Charlotte.
"I was always giving my brothers and sisters tests," laughed Livingston. "I liked reading.
"I liked books. I liked knowing stuff at a very young age. My family valued being intelligent."
Livingston earned his bachelor's degree in psychology in 1996 at UNC-Asheville, his master's in community psychology in 1999 at Florida A&M University, and his doctorate, also in community psychology in 2004 at Michigan State University.
His dissertation assessed the relationship between African-American racial identity, psychological empowerment, activism and psychological well- being.
Livingston said he thought initially that he would go into business when he entered college, but the college experience changed all that and he soon decided to study psychology and become a professor.
"When I got to college, I had professors telling me, ‘You look like a professor; you think like a professor; you should do this. It's for you'," said Livingston. "So I followed it up, took their advice and that led me to this field. Now I try to teach as enthusiastically as I possibly can. It's more than just teaching. We can really make some real change in the minds of students."
Livingston said one experience affected him profoundly when he was 19 years old and working at a community center. "I was listening to a young black man during a math competition," said Livingston. "He said ‘I'm black, I'm dirty and I'll never be anything.'" It was this event, according to Livingston that orientated him to dedicate his studies to the psychology of the black experience and black well-being.
Recently Livingston has been examining the social and psychological factors that lead to positive mental health outcomes for African Americans, a topic that extends his long term interest in the cumulative psychological effects of racism on black Americans.
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