Since its start in 1970, the Department of African American Studies has grown to be one of the most successful programs in the country. The department offers a wide variety of courses leading to both undergraduate and graduate degrees and certificates; courses also overlap with English and history doctoral programs. We believe that the deepest understanding of the complex reality of race in America requires a truly interdisciplinary approach that draws on history, literature, social science, and the arts. We are committed to bringing academic research to the broadest possible audience, and to do so, we need your support.
Gifts will be used to provide additional funding for recruitment to our master’s degree program and to support graduate students, most of whom come from underrepresented groups and families with limited resources. Your gift will support graduate-student teaching and project assistantships, student research trips, and conference participation. We also need funding to provide cultural and community-oriented programs beyond academic course offerings — these opportunities are extremely important to our faculty, students, and community members.
Our program began as an outgrowth of student concern for relevance in higher education, and our work continues to be essential to campus and the community.