Through the years, Overby has been a strong advocate for research and educational partnerships with community organizations and served multiple commitments as deputy director of UD’s Community Engagement Initiative prior to her appointment as director of the University-wide effort in 2021. 

A major focus of her community engagement scholarship has been developing projects and programs with local, national and international partners to address racial justice issues. A current production, in collaboration with literary historian P. Gabrielle Foreman at Pennsylvania State University, incorporates art and history to tell the story of Mary Ann Shadd Cary, an anti-slavery activist who was born in Wilmington, Delaware, in 1823 and wanted to publish a newspaper. Cary would go on to become the first Black woman publisher in North America, the first woman publisher in Canada, and the first Black woman to attend law school (Howard Law School) in the United States. 

The dance production, “Mary Ann Shadd Cary: Her Life and Legacy,” has been performed in Delaware, Texas, Alabama, Virginia, Washington, D.C., Australia, South Africa and Belize. 

Although the pandemic has limited in-person gatherings with the Sharing Our Legacy Dance Theatre, Overby has been working remotely with her students and other scholars on an oral history component to the production that included interviewing women in Delaware and Canada who are Cary’s legacy and are now working in the arts, in writing, in law and other fields. 

The research group created a program where dancers created solos inspired by the quotes of these interviewees. This digital project was presented with Penn State’s Center for Black Digital Research #DigBlk, co-directed by Foreman. The move to digital work has enabled the program to be shared at conferences and in a book chapter.

The focus of the Sharing Our Legacy Dance Theatre is now on developing future digital programs in African American history. The first project has been piloted with 11th graders in the Brandywine School District.

“We hope to help students learn about history and the humanities in a fun and engaging way,” Overby said.

She also recently received a Jessie Ball duPont Fund grant to support partnership programs between UD and arts and cultural organizations in Wilmington, Delaware, focusing on social justice.

“It’s important for university faculty, staff and students to share knowledge and build on the assets in the community to make the world better,” Overby said. “If we really want to make a difference in a world with so many problems, we need to build on our partnerships with the community.”

Overby is the author or coauthor of more than 60 publications including 14 books that she has either edited, authored or co-authored. She also has earned more than 20 state, district and national awards and honors, including the 2018 Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Dance Education Organization. She has served as an officer of that organization, as well as Dance and the Child International. She also is a trustee of the Delaware Historical Society and a board member of the Delaware Arts Alliance. Recently, she was inducted into the Academy of Community Engagement Scholarship, which recognizes exceptional leaders who unite academics and communities to benefit society.