Late professor 'left a hole in my heart,' showed what can be done in a short time| Opinion

Deidre Hamlar is the director of the Aminah Robinson Legacy Project at the Columbus Museum of Art.

He was relatively new addition to my life, but Terrance Dean’s recent passing left a hole in my heart and in the hearts of the many people he shone his special kind of light on while he was with us.

Looking at how greatly a slice of his life’s work impacted me and our community, it is amazing to realize just how much good can be done in a short amount of time in a person’s life.

Being a man of faith and a warrior for communicating verifiable truths about American history and our diverse human experiences, Terrance Dean proceeded with intention to achieve greatness in all his endeavors.

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One of those endeavors was as the first Aminah Robinson Scholar in Residence at the Columbus Museum of Art. As if he knew time was short, in a Barack Obamaesque “Fierce Urgency of Now” kind of way, Dr. Dean put his ideas into action in short order.

I was introduced to Terrance in December of 2020.

In mid-2021, he met with me and the museum’s deputy Director, Cindy Foley, to discuss ways to utilize Aminah Robinson’s art to inspire people to understand African American history and deconstruct systemic racism.

He toured the museum’s Raggin’ On exhibition and fell in love with Aminah.

After writing what I call “a love letter to Aminah” for the Columbus Dispatch, he offered to write the first non-art focused biography of Aminah Brenda Lynn Robinson. To take it one step further, he offered to lead development of the Aminah Robinson Library and Archives, to catalog her massive collection of books and arrange her memoirs for use by scholars and students of art, history, women’s studies, social studies, and religion.

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Then, in addition to creating a curriculum of study for higher learning based on the art of Aminah Robinson, this professor, historian, and author conceived an exhibition based on the religious iconography in Aminah’s art.

The Aminah Scholar in Residence was funded by an individual philanthropist to function for two years, 2022-2023. While sadly he is not here, we are committed to seeing Dr. Dean’s programs through to fruition.

A spirited thinker that encouraged others and their ideas, Dr. Dean was the professor I wished I had had in college.

When he brought a group of about 10 Denison University students to the museum to help organize and categorize Aminah’s collection of almost 1,000 books, he stated that he wanted the students to see how Aminah’s choices of works by authors such as James Baldwin, Maya Angelou, Zora Neale Hurston, Ivan Van Sertima and many, many others informed her thinking, her art, and her writing.

Just as Aminah Robinson’s reading informed her art, Terrance’s scholarship and life experiences informed his teaching. His lesson was well received by his students and me that Saturday afternoon.

Terrance’s passing made it clear that the short-lived but life-changing impact that he had on me was not uncommon.

Beyond his assignments at Denison, Ohio State University, and the Dispatch and likely other entities, Terrance formed enduring and special relationships with local artists, such as Queen Brooks, fellow alumni of Vanderbilt University, such as Karen Morrison, and civic leaders and colleagues, such as Shayla Favor, who shared similar impact stories with me. The trailing sorrows of family, lifelong friends, and colleagues are traceable through numerous and loving Facebook posts on his still living page.

More:The power of Aminah Robinson: She captured 'Black love' living in plain sight

While I knew Terrance Dean for just a short time, his impact is greater than I could imagine — and it keeps growing with every share of a memory and every decision to follow up on one of his dreams.

Yes, it really is amazing the great amount of good that can be accomplished in a short period of time during one’s lifetime.

Dr. Dean, thank you for the reminder.

Deidre Hamlar is the director of the Aminah Robinson Legacy Project at the Columbus Museum of Art.

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: What was Terrance Dean's impact on Columbus Ohio