Welcome to Africana Studies

The Department of Africana Studies in the College of Arts and Humanities offers a major and a minor in Africana Studies. Africana Studies is primarily a discipline which investigates the social, cultural, political and aesthetic dimensions of Africana peoples' experiences. These experiences range from earliest human civilizations through the tragic era of enslavement, colonization and involuntary dispersal through forced migration and displacement of African peoples. The intellectual framework that sets Africana Studies apart from other disciplines is that it explores the subject area from the perspective of Africana peoples' interests, aspirations, possibilities, and envisioned destinies. The foundation of the discipline rests on an understanding and appreciation of African peoples' worldview and philosophy of life as the starting point for all Africana intellectual inquiry. The BA degree and minor program offered by the department emphasizes an examination of the theoretical and empirical characteristics of the African world experience from both a contemporary and historical perspective.

Mission

The Department of Africana Studies provides students with an opportunity to study the historical and contemporary realities of the African world experience. Through comprehensive course offerings, research, community service, study abroad opportunities, symposia, colloquia, and conferences, the Department of Africana Studies strives to produce critical thinkers, scholars and leaders with broad intellectual perspectives, and skills required to function effectively and comfortably in a multicultural environment. In addition to its curricular offerings, the Department provides students with wide range of academic and cultural programs and activities designed to enhance their learning experiences.