Past Events

Speaker: Dr. John Mundell

Come support AFAS professor, Dr. Raven Lloyd, as she introduces her first published book, "Black Networked Resistance".

Join Bronwyn Nichols Lodato, assistant professor in the African and African American Studies department, for a talk entitled "And You Are...? Measuring Blackness and Black Identity in Federal Statistical Research". 3.21.24 4:30 PM - 6:00 PM Hillman 60

Join the African and African American Studies department for an enlightening conversation led by Dr. Muey Saeteurn. The discussion will focus on smallholder tea farmers in Kenya and explore the country's journey toward increased independence.

Samuel Shearer is assistant professor in the Department of African and African American Studies. Shearer's work focuses on the design, production, and destruction of urban space in African cities and how these processes inform popular politics and cultures across the continent. His current book project, tentatively titled The Kigali After: A New City for the End of the World is about the politics of urban design, displacement, and the dual crises of capitalism and ecology in one of the fastest urbanizing cities the world: Kigali, Rwanda. Dr. Thembelani (Themba) Mbatha is an interdisciplinary scholar of global black thought and the literary and cultural histories of Africa and the African diaspora. His work focuses on the intersections between the histories of blackness and the politics of memory in the postcolonial and black Atlantic worlds. His current book project, titled Registers of Black Witnessing: Archives of Testimony in Africa and the African Diaspora, sets to offer a decolonized framework of testimony and witnessing while investigating the implications of this on contemporary and future discourses of blackness.

Save the date and join the Department of African and African American Studies for a virtual alumni panel. Former AFAS students will come together to share their journeys post-graduation and discuss how they've utilized their degrees in today's job market. RSVP is required.

The Department of African & African American Studies is honored to present AFAS alumna Dr. Heather Skanes. Dr. Skanes will be delivering a talk entitled "The War on Black Birthing Bodies: A Conversation About the Historical and Present Harms of Black Women in the Field of Obstetrics and Gynecology." 4.18.24 4:30 - 6:30 pm Hillman 60

Race is a defining issue in the 2024 U.S. election. Join our expert panelists for an in-depth panel discussion on what this election means for Black voters. From the historic nomination of the first Black woman by a major political party to Trump's escalating attacks on people of color and immigrants—most recently targeting Haitian immigrants—race and rights are being used to mobilize young and marginalized voters while simultaneously stoking fear among white voters. Panelists will also address the ongoing attacks on DEI initiatives, Black Studies curricula in public schools, and affirmative action, alongside continued efforts to suppress Black votes. This panel explores critical challenges and stakes Black voters face in what is being called one of the most consequential elections in history. In response, the Department of African & African American Studies has convened a panel of scholars to provide historical and political context. The discussion will explore what's at stake for the country and, in particular, for Black Americans as we look toward the future. RSVP is required.