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African American Studies is committed to the develpment and growth of our student. Whether it be through academics or providing extra mentorship, we wish to leave an indelible impact
AFRO's send-off event to celebrate a one-of-a-kind MVP, Dr. Desiree McMillion
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...
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Sindra Gerdes, Class of 2024
Why African American Studies (AFRO)?
I chose AFRO because I grew up in a small sundown town just a short drive from the University Campus where my identity was called into question...
Read full story about Sindra Gerdes, Class of 2024
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McDuffie. E. S. (2024). The Second Battle for Africa: Garveyism, the US Heartland, and Global Black Freedom. Duke University
In The Second Battle for Africa, Erik S. McDuffie establishes the importance of the US Midwest to twentieth-century global Black history, internationalism, and radicalism. McDuffie shows how cities...
Read full story about McDuffie. E. S. (2024). The Second Battle for Africa: Garveyism, the US Heartland, and Global Black Freedom. Duke University
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Meyers. J. P. (2024). Same Old Song: The Enduring Past in Popular Music. University Press of Mississippi
In Same Old Song: The Enduring Past in Popular Music, John Paul Meyers argues that these phenomena are part of what he calls “historical consciousness in popular music.” These deep relationships with...
Read full story about Meyers. J. P. (2024). Same Old Song: The Enduring Past in Popular Music. University Press of Mississippi
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McKinnis, L. C. (2023). The Black Coptic Church: Race and Imagination in a New Religion. NYU Press
McKinnis asks, ‘What does it mean to imagine Blackness?’ Drawing on ten years of archival research and interviews with current members of the church, The Black Coptic Church offers a look at a group...
Read full story about McKinnis, L. C. (2023). The Black Coptic Church: Race and Imagination in a New Religion. NYU Press
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Smith II, B. J. (2023). Food Power Politics: The Food Story of the Mississippi Civil Rights Movement. The University of North Carolina Press
This book unearths a food story buried deep within the soil of American civil rights history. Drawing on archival research, interviews, and oral histories, Bobby J. Smith II re-examines the...
Read full story about Smith II, B. J. (2023). Food Power Politics: The Food Story of the Mississippi Civil Rights Movement. The University of North Carolina Press
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Professor Sundiata Cha-Jua on African Americans and reparations
Support for reparations for people of African descent to compensate for slavery and racial oppression is growing because U.S. political and corporate leaders have retreated from a commitment to racial justice, says Sundiata Cha-Jua, an Illinois professor of history and of African American studies...
Fall 2024 Open House
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...
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Candice Jenkins, professor and head of African American Studies selected as fellow for The Big Ten Academic Alliance
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — The Big Ten Academic Alliance recently announced the 2024-25 fellows for its Academic Leadership Program and...