I am honored to be the new director of the Africana Studies Program at Texas
A&M University, particularly at this exciting moment of our development. Africana Studies (AFST) is currently expanding the program by hiring dynamic faculty in various fields who are committed to maintaining the highest level of teaching and research excellence. Be on the look out for exciting new course offerings, as well as academic and cultural events! Let me take a few moments, however, to familiarize you with Africana Studies.
Africana Studies was developed by Albert S. Broussard, Finnie D. Coleman, Larry W. Yarak and me (Kimberly N. Brown), under the direction of the late Woodrow Jones, Jr. (Dean of Liberal Arts 1994 – 2001). The program was launched officially in 2004. AFST is an interdisciplinary minor in the College of Liberal Arts that encompasses courses in the discipline of Africana Studies as well as courses in Anthropology, Communication, English, Hispanic Studies, History, Performance Studies, Political Science, Psychology, and Sociology. Students also have the opportunity to participate in a directed study or research hours in a particular area of Africana Studies of their choice. One of the main goals of the College of Liberal Arts is to diversify and internationalize its curriculum offerings. Africana Studies provides students with a unique opportunity to learn about the cultural, historical and social contributions and experiences of peoples from Africa and of African descent.
“Africana” is a term that refers to any cultural and intellectual production relating to Africa and its Diaspora. Our faculty expertise in this area includes the literature, society, history and culture of Africa, Europe, Latin America, the Caribbean and the United States. AFST uses a cultural studies approach to investigate “black ways of knowing” as alternative methods to those posed by Western epistemology or white patriarchy. The program rejects monolithic constructions of blackness and instead examines its construction across ethnic, regional, and national boundaries. AFST privileges cutting-edge scholarship that challenges stereotypical or traditional expectations of the cultural production of peoples of Africa and of African descent.
Our mission is to develop a nationally recognized program in the field of Africana Studies; one that provides the highest quality of teaching and research. AFST also seeks to facilitate the development of an Africana community at Texas A & M University for students from all racial, religious and ethnic backgrounds by doing the following:
- Offering a variety of courses for undergraduates pertaining to Africa and its Diaspora.
- Exposing students to non-traditional theoretical approaches and experiences than those found in average college curriculums.
- Providing regular academic programming by inviting scholars both within and outside of TAMU to share their expertise in Africana Studies.
- Providing regular cultural programming to the TAMU community.
Why Minor in Africana Studies at Texas A & M University?
Approximately ninety five percent (95%) of Texas A & M undergraduates hail from the state of Texas. The traditional demographic of our campus community might explain why in the 1998 Murdock Report, written by Dr. Steve H. Murdock, Director of the Institute for Demographic and Socioeconomic Research, Texas A & M graduates ranked high in their loyalty, but low in their acceptance and awareness of cultural diversity. In an increasingly pluralistic society and global economy, students cannot afford to enter into the workforce without a fundamental respect and understanding of people from different racial, ethnic, and religious backgrounds. Dr. Muana, the former coordinator of Africana Studies, accurately states, “As Aggie graduates pursue professional careers in private/public sector and international jobs, they will be better prepared to handle the complexities of intercultural and intergroup relations especially involving people of African descent.”
Given its global dimension, Africana Studies can be paired with any major. Additionally, minoring in Africana Studies is sound preparation for most major professional programs, as well as graduate programs in social sciences and liberal arts.
I would like to invite students and faculty to explore our website in order to familiarize them with the program. I also want to encourage faculty whose research and teaching are aligned with AFST’s mission to contact me about formally affiliating with our program.
Thank you! – Kimberly Nichele Brown, Ph.D.
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For additional information contact: Dr. Kimberly Nichele Brown |
Dr. Kimberly Brown on 2005 research trip to Senegalese village. |