During this Spring semester of 2023, another historic moment in the Metaverse will take place at Morehouse College, the First Metaversity. The history of people of African descent will be taught on the Metaverse platform. This immersive program for history has revolutionized higher education and is a driving force for the utilization of technology in the classroom.

Beforehand, World History was the first course taught in the Metaverse at Morehouse College in Spring of 2021. The course was successful and was the pilot for instructors to initiate other courses in biology, English, chemistry, journalism, sociology, and religion. The classroom is now boundless with innovative learning techniques. For example, my History of the African Diaspora class will take a tour of the Underground Railroad Museum to view the roles that abolitionists played in terminating the system of American Slavery. Also, we will go to the slave ship, La Amistad, and analyze the horrors of the Middle Passage. Several other classroom settings will be showcasing African and African American participation in World War I, World War II, and the Civil Rights Movement.

These are exciting times to be a student in history, engaging in a phenomenal experience!

Dr. Ovell Hamilton currently serves as an Assistant Professor of History at his alma mater, Morehouse College.  Born in Poplar Grove, Arkansas to a lineage of Baptist deacons, he has experienced histories with both Black Baptist, Black Methodists,  and Black Pentecostal Churches. The state of Arkansas has been the cradle for the legacies of African American Baptists and African American Holiness-Pentecostal groups.  In March 2021, Dr. Hamilton authored his first work, Sanctified Revolution: A history of African American Holiness.  His background in military leadership and historical research has greatly enhanced the educational arm of Christian fellowship and ministry.  He currently serves at Greater Community COGIC, Marietta, Georgia as the lecturer and scholar for Kingdom Advantage Training Academy (KATA) under the leadership of Bishop Matthew Brown and South Central Georgia Jurisdictional Bishop, Norman O. Harper. 

In December 2017, He completed his doctoral degree at Georgia State University with a concentration in African American Church history, generally, and the Black Pentecostal Movement, specifically.  His doctoral dissertation was entitled, “Pentecostalism, Populism, and the Historic Development of the Church of God in Christ (COGIC).”  Before this great venture, Dr. Hamilton completed his bachelor’s degree in history from Morehouse College in 1992 and, in 1999, attained a Masters’ degree in history from Georgia State University.  His thesis for the Masters’ degree was entitled, Splitting in the Name of Jesus: A History of Georgia’s COGIC Church.

Also, Dr. Hamilton became the first instructor to teach world history on a Virtual Reality platform at Morehouse College, also this feat makes him the first professor around the world to utilize a pure Virtual Reality Classroom specified for history.  He instructed several students in World History, US History, and African American History.  In 2014, he lectured at Mason’s Temple in Memphis, Tennessee on Founder’s Day about the development and legacy of the COGIC Church under the leadership of Overseer Charles Harrison Mason.  He established the Bishop J. Howard Dell Papers at the Archives of the Atlanta University Center. Also, he assisted with the re-organization and presentation of the Atlanta Public School Archives.

Dr. Hamilton’s passion has been researching and writing history; however, he also enjoys serving his family and others.  He has been married to a wonderful Georgia Peach, Dr. Ericka Davis-Hamilton for over 28 years and they have a miracle son named Ashton Ovell Hamilton.

5 student attendees will win raffled copies of  Dr. Hamilton's book, Sanctified Evolution, The Church of God in Christ: A History of African-American Holiness

This event is generously funded via student Instructionally Related Activities (IRA) fees.

The University encourages persons with disabilities to participate in its programs and activities. If you anticipate needing any type of accommodation, or have questions about the physical access provided, please contact Disability Accommodations and Support Services at (805) 437-3331 or accommodations@csuci.edu as soon as possible, but no later than 7 business days prior to the event.