Charlisa Holloway Edelin, JD

Charlisa Holloway Edelin is the interim chair of Delaware State University’s Department of Mass Communications, Visual, and Performing Arts and co-director of the university’s Law Studies Program. In addition, she is co-advisor of the university’s chapters of the National Association of Black Journalists and Public Relations Student Society of America. Her work focuses on the First Amendment, journalism, and public relations, and she has published articles on the speech-centered cases concerning Kimberly “Lil Kim” Jones’ perjury trial and Robert Mapplethorpe’s obscenity trial. A resident of Middletown, she is also one of the five elected members of the Appoquinimink School District Board of Education. Currently in her second five-year term, she has served as the board’s vice president, state school board representative, and legislative liaison. As a member of the board, she is focused on diversifying the district’s staff to reflect the community’s changing demographics and eradicating the achievement gap for minority students. She holds Bachelor of Arts and Juris Doctor degrees from Howard University.