2025-05-02
- The Department of African American Studies (AFRO) hosted its annual Awards Ceremony on May 2nd, 2025, to recognize the accomplishments of faculty and 1 graduate student from the 2024-2025 academic year. Each year, the ceremony aims to fulfill AFRO's mission statement, "celebrating academic excellence, and social responsibility!" It was an afternoon meant for campus faculty, staff, and...
2025-04-02 - On 3/28 and 3/29 Dr. Eddie O'Byrn had the incredible opportunity to be a part of a critical theory symposium on the philosophy, theory, and praxis of Angela Davis. The symposium was held at Penn State, only five speakers were invited, Davis herself gave the introductory keynote, she was present on Saturday for each speaker, responded to each speaker at the end, and attended a dinner with the...
2025-03-05 - Arts and Humanities editor, Jodi Heckel, of the IL News Bureau interviewed Dr. Mary Phillips about her new book, "Black Panther Woman: The Political and Spiritual Life of Ericka Huggins." An excerpt from the story (originally published on 3/4/25): "CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Political activist and educator Ericka Huggins used spiritual wellness practices to cope with imprisonment...
2025-02-18 - On February 18, 2025 the department of African American Studies hosted a "Hot Chocolate and Donuts" social. The social hour was a time for faculty and AFRO's majors and minors students to mingle in order to build community.
2025-01-13 - The Department of African American Studies is pleased to announce our newest addition to the faculty! We welcome associate professor, Dr. Mary Phillips to the team to further our commitment to excellence in teaching and research.In her work on women's history, Dr. Mary Frances Phillips focuses on wellness studies, mass incarceration, Black feminism, gender, and the modern Back freedom...
2025-01-13 - The Department of African American Studies is excited to announce professor Krystal Smalls has transitioned from an affiliate faculty member to a core member! A bit of background on Dr. Smalls research; "I study the semiosis of race in young people's lives by conducting ethnographic research in different locations of the "African diaspora" (mostly digital or urban). My work...
2024-11-28 - In his book Food Power Politics: the Food Story of the Mississippi Civil Rights Movement, the sociologist Bobby Smith II explores how food was both weaponized and used as a tool of resistance in the struggle for Black equality, telling the story of the activist and cook Georgia Gilmore – whom he calls an unsung...- 2024-11-27 - AFRO and BNACC had a an excellent assembly of both students, faculty, and staff for our Freedom Forum event! Its objective was to discuss the meaning of freedom and expansive global visions of Black liberation in light of the 2024 U.S. presidential election. Through an intergenerational dialogue between students and faculty, the panel traced the election's local, national, and global...
2024-11-27 - The department of African American Studies is pleased to announce that Dr. McDuffie's new book, The Second Battle for Africa is now available. The Midwest played a crucial role in the growth of Black freedom movements and in expanding the ideas of political activist Marcus Garvey in the 20th century. University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign African American studies and...
2024-11-14 - The department of African American Studies put together a send-off event on Saturday to celebrate and recognize Dr. Desiree McMillion and all of her contributions to the AFRO unit!AFRO wanted to honor such a decorated and well-respected individual, that not only impacted the AFRO family, but the broader Urbana-Champaign community. She served as assistant to the department head for 7 years...
2024-10-31 - HRI conducted an interview with Dr. Eddie O'Byrn regarding his research as a 2024-2025 HRI faculty fellow. He discusses his current book project Existence Precedes Enslavement, what drives his research, and the impact of the fellowship program. To find out more, please read the full article here.
2024-10-09 - CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — The Big Ten Academic Alliance recently announced the 2024-25 fellows for its Academic Leadership Program and ...
2024-10-01 - The faculty and personal papers of Gerald McWorter, a University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign professor emeritus of African American studies and of information sciences, show the arc of a freedom narrative, from his ancestors’ founding of New Philadelphia, Illinois — the first U.S. town to be incorporated by a Black man — to McWorter’s scholarly work in Black studies and his...- 2024-09-25 - The department of African American Studies hosted it's annual fall Open House where we welcomed AFRO's major and minor students to the new '24 academic year, as well as engaged in good food and conversation. The turnout was insightful for both the students and faculty. Thank you to all that came out! Here is a closer look at the festivities.
2024-09-20 - We here at the department of African American Studies are proud to relay that professor Bobby Smith has moved up the ranks from professor to associate professor! Please click on the link to see the acknowledgement from the College of LAS.