The mission of the Africana Studies Program is to understand and appreciate the integral yet distinct experiences of people of African heritage throughout the world. The program’s curriculum aims to emphasize diasporic connections between Africa, the Caribbean, Europe and the Americas in an effort to enrich our understanding and appreciation of our complex and diverse world. Deeply interdisciplinary, the Program engages a wide swath of faculty from various departments/programs as course instructors and program interlocutors. Given this approach, the program encourages students to seek appropriate ways to integrate content and analysis in this broad subject matter with their work in other disciplines and programs. Graduates of the Program will be critical, thoughtful global citizens, well-prepared to succeed professionally, academically, and personally in our pluralistic world.

McKinley E. Melton, Associate Professor and Chair

Charles W. McKinney, Jr., Associate Professor of History

Charles Hughes, Associate Professor of History and Urban Studies

Samson Ndanyi, Assistant Professor, History and Africana Studies

Earl Wright II, Professor, Anthropology and Sociology

Shatavia Wynn, Assistant Professor, Africana Studies and Religious Studies

Requirements for a Major in Africana Studies 

A total of 11 courses (44 credits) as follows: 

1. AFS 105: Introduction to Africana Studies

2. AFS 305: Africana Theory 

3. AFS 485: Senior Seminar in Africana Studies

4. At least four (4) AFS-Approved Electives in the Humanities and Fine Arts Divisions

5. At least four (4) AFS-Approved Electives in the Social Sciences and Natural Sciences Divisions

At least three electives must be courses based outside of the United States. Students may not take more than three electives from any one department. At least two electives must be at the 300/400 level.

Selected topics courses in any department related to Africana subject content may also count toward the major with approval of the Program Director.

A total of twenty-four (24) credits as follows:

1. Africana Studies 105 (Introduction to Africana Studies)
2. Africana Studies 305 (Africana Theory)
3. Either History 242 (African American History) or English 224 (African American Literature)
4. International Studies 251 (Government and Politics of Africa)
5. Two (2) approved Africana Studies Electives