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The College of LAS and campus offers a wealth of resources to help students navigate their college journey here at Illinois. Please see the collection of programs, services, and handbooks ava
Hot Chocolate & Donuts Social
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.
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Issues with Champaign Police Department's Citizen Review Subcommittee Structure
Prof. Sundiata Cha-Jua was featured in an Illinois Public News article where he was interviewed about police misconduct in Champaign County. "CHAMPAIGN — In 2009, the fatal shooting of a teenager by a Champaign Police officer sparked calls for change in the years that followed...
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Mother's Day Recognition
Professor Esther Ndumi Ngumbi featured in NPR (opinion; Washington, D.C.) on the role her mother played in life and career."I want you to study hard so that you can rescue our family from poverty. Your father and I are poor and the only gift we can give you is an education. You are intelligent....
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Symposium, Angela Davis, and Dr. Eddie O'Byrn!
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...
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Illinois News Bureau Story Shines Light on Professor Mary Phillips' Book, "Black Panther Woman"
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. —...
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Dr. Krystal Smalls joins core faculty of the Department of African American Studies
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...
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New faculty announcement- Professor Mary Phillips joins AFRO
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...
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Phillips. M. F. (2025). Black Panther Woman: The Political and Spiritual Life of Ericka Huggins. NYU Press
The first biography of Ericka Huggins, a queer Black woman who brought spiritual self-care practices to the Black Panther Party.
In this groundbreaking biography, Mary Frances Phillips immerses...
Read full story about Phillips. M. F. (2025). Black Panther Woman: The Political and Spiritual Life of Ericka Huggins. NYU Press
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Professor Bobby J Smith II featured in The Guardian| Not Just Dessert: How Sweet Potato Pie Became a Tool of Black American Resistance
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...