Africana Studies
About Africana Studies
Our Program and Courses
You can major or minor in Africana Studies. You will study the beginnings of life in Africa, the Diaspora and its regions of origin, and the myriad contributions of Africans and Black Americans from throughout history. You’ll enjoy an intricately blended education, as numerous other F&M programs contribute to Africana Studies, including American studies, anthropology, economics, English, French, government, history, music, religious studies and sociology.
By the time you graduate, you will be able to demonstrate:
- A firm knowledge of the African Diaspora and its effects on people and cultures today.
- Understanding of the experiences, struggles, achievements, and triumphs of Africans and Black Americans.
- A grasp of race and systemic oppression throughout history.
- Awareness of the ways in which modern day culture is shaped and informed by the past.
- Critical and analytical thinking and the ability to communicate observations and discoveries through the printed and spoken word.
- The ability to collaborate effectively in a manner that translates to the professional arena.
Success Beyond F&M
Once you complete your degree, you might wonder what’s next. The intellectual and analytical activities that make up the work of Africana Studies — including interpreting, analyzing, collaborating with others, and critical thought — help you develop useful and productive skills valuable for entering graduate school or beginning your chosen career.
Graduate School
Our distinctive liberal arts education prepares graduates of Africana Studies to pursue advanced degrees. Many are enrolled in master’s and Ph.D. programs in a variety of disciplines, including history and African American studies.
Career Paths
Africana studies graduates are fully prepared to enter a vast array of industries, including education, research, public administration and government. They hold positions such as:
- Grant Writer
- Historian
- Professor
Student Spotlight
Being a Diplomat On and Off Campus
Fatimata Ly ’25, a government major and Africana studies and religious studies minor, spent six weeks of her summer in the nation’s capital. Ly attended the Charles B. Rangel International Affairs Summer Enrichment Program (SEP), a program designed to provide undergraduate students with a deeper appreciation of current issues and trends as well as career opportunities in international affairs. “As an aspiring U.S. foreign service officer, this program offers an excellent opportunity to gain relevant experience and education in the field,” Ly said. “I’ve always been passionate about helping people and community-building. Coming from a Senegalese background, I've always had to bridge my Senegalese and American identities. That drove me toward public diplomacy.”Read More »
Student Spotlight
“This research allowed me to develop an understanding of what institutionalized racism looks like in disciplines imperative to the health of individuals with darker skin.”
For Genab Diallo ’25, the freedom to explore classes across disciplines helped her discover a passion for studying community health inequities. After taking courses in public health, sociology, and Africana studies, Diallo uncovered a desire to study preventative measures to optimize community well-being before individuals need to visit the doctor. Now a public health major on the sociology track with a minor in Africana studies, Diallo recently conducted research at the intersection of these fields by analyzing public health resources on skin cancer. “This research allowed me to develop an understanding of what institutionalized racism looks like in disciplines imperative to the health of individuals with darker skin,” she said. Diallo found that resources lacked representation of what the warning signs of skin cancer looked like on darker skin, which could result in negative health outcomes in communities of color. She said her courses in Africana studies provided historical context for this and other health disparities in marginalized communities.Read More »
Related Fields of Study
History
Embark on an enriching journey through time, exploring a vast range of geographic regions, topical themes, and time periods. By studying history at F&M, you’ll gain a deeper understanding of history and historical processes, and develop keen insight into how they have shaped the present and will influence the future.
Social Justice (Certificate)
This certificate synthesizes critical perspectives on the social systems and structures through which dynamics of power and inequality are created, maintained, contested, and transformed. At the intersections of race, gender, socioeconomic class, and sexuality, you will have the opportunity to meaningfully engage with historical and contemporary issues germane to struggles for equity and justice between and across social identity groups.
Sociology
One field of study engages in all sorts of questions about people, institutions, and social structures: sociology. How does power operate in society? How do politics shape our lives? How and why have family relationships changed over time? As a student of sociology, you will explore these interactions to better understand how they shape the world and cultures that we live in.
Our Students & Alumni in the Spotlight
September 5, 2024
A Summer in D.C: Senior Eyes Career in Foreign Service
Senior Fatimata Ly spent six weeks in the nation’s capital as part of the Charles B. Rangel International Affairs Summer Enrichment Program. “As an aspiring U.S. foreign service officer, this program offers an excellent opportunity to gain relevant experience and education in the field,” Ly said.
April 22, 2024
Embracing "And": Junior Genab Diallo on the Liberal Arts Experience
The ampersand in the middle of our College's name symbolizes the rich space of possibility that awaits students at F&M. For Junior Genab Diallo, the freedom to explore classes across disciplines helped her discover her passion.
March 8, 2024
Curiosity Leads Kalida Gawon '23 to Taiwan Teaching Fellowship
"I was impressed by Taiwan's commitment to keeping its indigenous languages and culture alive. It felt like a warm embrace of diversity," says Kalida Gawon '23, a Fulbright English teaching fellow.