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....

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.

The department invites applications for a full-time tenure-track Assistant Professor or full-time tenured Associate or Full Professor in Black Health and Wellness. The rank is open. The successful candidate will join an interdisciplinary faculty and lead efforts to address issues of...

Read an enlightening interview with AFRO faculty member, Dr. Bobby J. Smith II, as he discusses his book 'Food Power Politics', which redefines the role of food in the Mississippi Civil Rights Movement. Smith's book explores the intricate relationship between African American life, food, and...

The College of LAS has published a Q&A with Professor Bobby J. Smith II in connection with his recently published book, “Food Power Politics: The Food Story of the Mississippi Civil Rights Movement.” 

Once again, we have witnessed white police and vigilantes murder Black people in the United States.  George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and Tony McDade died violently and needlessly at the hands of white police officers and vigilantes.  Their tragic and senseless deaths have...