Africana Studies

Program Chair

Professor Wilson-Fall

The Africana Studies Program is an interdisciplinary program that brings together faculty from diverse Lafayette disciplines and departments who share expertise and research interests in the study of Africa and the African diaspora (communities of African descent worldwide) including African Americans. The interdisciplinary focus of the program provides students with a wide choice of courses which explore the history, cultures, and social dynamics of communities on the continent of Africa as well as dispersed communities of African descent. Many exciting research opportunities are offered in Africana Studies courses, including working with professors on digital humanities projects and working in small groups to uncover new material about African Americans in the nineteenth century. Other innovative and challenging activities include making videos as part of class assignments, working with visiting professors in the arts, and in-class guest lectures on a variety of contemporary topics, including current issues in Africa. Students are expected to engage course topics through intensive reading of primary and secondary materials, and are required to develop skills in critical thinking, to increase their knowledge of global geographies, and to recognize theoretical frameworks important to the evolution of the field of Africana studies. The curriculum includes the study of the numerous waves of migration of people from the African continent to Europe, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East, as well as the Americas. The program takes a global view of African history and the history of its diasporas, including 20th and 21st century migrations.

Africana Studies Courses