Africana Studies

Africana Studies: Self-Designed Major, Concentration 

Explore the rich, global history and diverse cultures of Africa and the African diaspora. 

What do African diaspora and Africana Studies mean? 

People of African descent living outside of the continent are often referred to as the African diasporaAfricana has come to refer to the study of the past and present experiences of Africans and the African diaspora wherever people of African descent reside; people of African descent are found around the globe. 

At 17Թ, the Africana Studies concentration is an interdisciplinary academic program that examines the integral role that Africans and people of African descent have played in the histories, politics, cultures, and economies all over the world, particularly in Africa, the Americas, the Caribbean and Europe. Using methods from multiple disciplines including history, sociology, languages, literature, political science, religion, and music, students of all backgrounds gain insight into our shared past and present.

Africana Studies Statement on Racism, Violence on Black Bodies, and Activism

Read the full statement »

Program Highlights

As a complement to our long-standing Introduction to Africana Studies course, we have added a series of foundational courses to offer multiple ways to enter the concentration. These introductory classes generally address most if not all of the following areas:

  • the social construction of race
  • use of comparative case studies or a regional approach
  • methods and theories

We offer upper-level courses in most departments allowing students to enhance their major program of study or develop new avenues of inquiry and research. Coursework can be supplemented with additional research, internships, and study abroad and study away opportunities.

Course and Research Projects
Course and Research Projects

Coursework and research span the College curriculum in history, literature, art, politics, economics and religion.

Study Abroad or Study Away
Study Abroad or Study Away

Study abroad in Australia, England, Peru and Tanzania. Study away in D.C., New York, or at an HBCU.

Course and Research Projects
Carter G. Woodson Award

Graduating seniors are eligible to submit work for the annual Carter G. Woodson Award in recognition of excellence.

Africana Studies News

Mable Millner sits in her office
Mable Millner Looks Back Over a Career Spent Looking Ahead
“The message was so special,” says Mable L. Millner, smiling as she reads a card resting next to a bouquet of flowers on her desk: “‘Service is the rent we pay for the privilege of living on this earth.'” The …
Students and professors walk down a street in Puerto Rico
Students Travel to Puerto Rico to Study the Effects of Hurricane Maria
It’s one thing to study the effects of a hurricane in a classroom setting, learning about the biology behind the devastation or the history of the country it hit. It’s a whole other ballgame to visit the place you’ve been …
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Video: Academic Conference Celebrates Students’ Wide-Reaching Research, Creativity
“How many black women therapists do you think there are in the state of Massachusetts?” Olivia Fenty ’21, a psychology major with a concentration in Africana studies, asked a room full of students and faculty members at Academic Conference. The …