(Posted February 8, 2010)

HUNTINGDON, Pa. -- Across the world, Islamic women often are required by law or custom to wear a veil. In the United States, African-American Muslim women often choose to wear a veil. Tiffenia Archie, director of faculty recruitment and retention at Temple University, will explain that choice at Juniata College in a lecture at 7 p.m., Wednesday, Feb. 17 in Sill Boardroom in the von Liebig Center for Science.

The talk is free and open to the public.

The talk, "Women of Cover: The Veil and the African-American Experience," will explain that African-American Muslim women are nearly unique in choosing to veil themselves because they are not required to cover themselves or forced to do so by governmental policy or law.

Archie's recent research attempts to uncover the reasons behind why many African-American Muslim women opt to wear a veil, even though they are not required to do so.

Archie has worked at Temple since 2007. Previously, she worked as assistant dean of academic affairs at Albright College in Reading, Pa. from 2001 to 2007. She was director of academic support at Albright from 1999 to 2007. She worked at Temple as academic workshops coordinator for the Ronald McNair Faculty-in-Training Program from 1994 to 1998. She also served as an education specialist for the Police Athletic League in Reading, Pa. from 1990 to 1993.

She earned a bachelor's degree in psychology and sociology in 1992 from Albright College. She went on to earn a master's degree in sociology in 1994 and a doctoral degree in sociology in 2003, both from Temple University.

Contact April Feagley at feaglea@juniata.edu or (814) 641-3131 for more information.