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Africana Studies

Africana Studies

The field of Africana Studies examines the history and culture of people of African descent including Black people in the US and across the diaspora.

Develop the skills to challenge systemic oppression and promote racial justice

The Africana Studies program offers opportunities to critically examine the historical, political, social, economic, and cultural processes and institutions of people across the African diaspora, including the experiences of Black people in the United States and across the globe. The program has a long history at Simmons University. The program was established as Black Studies in 1972 in response to Black student activism on campus.

The Africana Studies program offers both a major and a minor. It is an interdisciplinary and transnational program situated primarily in the humanities and social sciences that provides opportunities for the intersectional study of race, ethnicity, class, gender, and sexuality. It provides a solid foundation in critical thinking, research, writing, and technology, equipping students with marketable, transferable skills that translate into living and working in a diverse world as well as demonstrate cultural competency to future employers in fields such as education, social work and nonprofit sectors, medicine, law, and business. Students with degrees in Africana Studies develop the tools to become global citizens and participate effectively to shape a more inclusive, equitable, socially just world.

Program Requirements

The Africana Studies major consists of 9 courses (36 semester hours) of coursework. Students in the major are required to complete the following program of study:

Core Requirements

Students complete a core of TWO courses (8 credit hours).

AST101	Introduction to Africana Studies	4
AST202	Introduction to Black Popular Culture	4

Three Required Core Courses (12 semester hours) that include:

AST101	Introduction to Africana Studies	4
AST202	Introduction to Black Popular Culture	4
	AND
AST350	Independent Study	4
	OR
AST355	Senior Thesis	4
	OR
AST365	Intimate Family Violence	4
	OR
AST370	Internship	0
	OR
AST375	Behind the Veil: Simmons Oral History Project	4
	OR
RGS355	Race, Gender and Sexuality Capstone Project	0

Two Additional Africana Studies Courses (8 semester hours) in the program each with an AST prefix.
Four Elective Courses (16 semester hours) chosen from the list of approved classes. At least one of the elective courses needs to be at the advanced 300-level. No more than two elective courses can be situated in the same department and have the same prefix.

Electives

Complete FOUR (16 credit hours) of electives chosen from the list of approved classes. At least one of the elective courses needs to be at the advanced 300-level. No more than two elective courses can be situated in the same department and have the same prefix.

COMM268	Human Rights in South Africa	4
HIST 118	Topics in Latin American History	4
HIST210	African American Experience	4
HIST213	Race and Ethnicity in U.S. History	4
HIST214	African Diaspora	4
HIST217	Caribbean History	4
HIST240	The Atlantic World 1500-1800	4
LTWR 170	Introduction to 21st Century Global Literature	4
LTWR176	African American Fiction	4
LTWR230	Postcolonial Film	4
LTWR235	Identity and Race in 19th Century American Literature	4
LTWR 274	Literature of the Jazz Age	4
LTWR317	Toni Morrison Seminar	4
LTWR327	Psychoanalysis, Race and Sexuality	4
POLS215	The Politics of Exclusion	4
POLS226	State and Local Politics	4
POLS228	The War on Drugs	3
POLS234	African American Political Thought in Theory, Novels, and Film	4
POLS242	Colonial & Postcolonial Politics of Africa	4
RGS101	Identity and Power	4
RGS102	Introduction to Migration Studies	4
SOCI232	Race, Gender & Health	4
SOCI300	Special Topics: Race Theory	4
SOCI344	Poetry for the People: Black Queer Poets	4
SOCI347	Antiracism and Social Justice	4
SOCI348	Re-envisioning the Third World	4
SOCI365	Intimate Family Violence	4
WGSS210	Black Women, Gender, and Feminism(s)	4

Capstone

Complete ONE Senior Seminar chosen from the following:

AST350	Independent Study	4
AST355	Senior Thesis	4
AST365	Intimate Family Violence	4
AST370	Internship	0
AST375	Behind the Veil: Simmons Oral History Project	4

Minor Requirements

Africana Studies Courses

Complete TWO Additional Africana Studies Courses (8 credit hours) in the program each with an AST prefix (see list below).

AST 170	Introduction to 21st Century Global Literature	4
AST 176	African American Fiction	4
AST210	Black Women, Gender, and Feminism(s)	4
AST232	Race, Gender & Health	4
AST240	Black Intellectuals and Entrepreneurs	4
AST245	Tweeting Into the Future: Race, Technology & Social Media	4
AST249	Inequality: Race, Class, and Gender in Comparative Settings	4
AST 274	Literature of the Jazz Age	4
AST275	The Black Freedom Movement: From Civil Rights to Black Lives Matter	4
AST307	Black History at the Movies	4
AST313	The Black Struggle for Schooling in the The United States	4
AST 317	Toni Morrison Seminar	4
AST350	Independent Study	4
AST355	Senior Thesis	4
AST365	Intimate Family Violence	4
AST370	Internship	0
AST375	Behind the Veil: Simmons Oral History Project	4

Additional Courses

Complete TWO additional Courses (8 credit hours) in the Africana Studies program (AST prefix- see list above) or from the list of approved elective courses (see list below). At least one of the elective courses needs to be at the advanced 300-level.

COMM268	Human Rights in South Africa	4
HIST 118	Topics in Latin American History	4
HIST210	African American Experience	4
HIST213	Race and Ethnicity in U.S. History	4
HIST240	The Atlantic World 1500-1800	4
LTWR 170	Introduction to 21st Century Global Literature	4
LTWR176	African American Fiction	4
LTWR230	Postcolonial Film	4
LTWR235	Identity and Race in 19th Century American Literature	4
LTWR 274	Literature of the Jazz Age	4
LTWR317	Toni Morrison Seminar	4
LTWR327	Psychoanalysis, Race and Sexuality	4
POLS215	The Politics of Exclusion	4
POLS226	State and Local Politics	4
POLS228	The War on Drugs	3
POLS234	African American Political Thought in Theory, Novels, and Film	4
POLS242	Colonial & Postcolonial Politics of Africa	4
RGS101	Identity and Power	4
RGS102	Introduction to Migration Studies	4
SOCI232	Race, Gender & Health	4
SOCI249	Inequalities	4
SOCI300	Special Topics: Race Theory	4
SOCI347	Antiracism and Social Justice	4
SOCI348	Re-envisioning the Third World	4
SOCI365	Intimate Family Violence	4
WGSS210	Black Women, Gender, and Feminism(s)	4

Required Course

Complete ONE of the following courses (4 credit hours).

AST101	Introduction to Africana Studies	4
	OR
AST202	Introduction to Black Popular Culture	4

Customize Your Program

The Africana Studies major and minor both pair well with any fields of study across the university. With a wide array of electives across many different departments, students have the freedom to choose a course of study that reflects their interests. Students interested in dual degree programs or self-designed majors should consult with program faculty to design an individualized program that best suits their interests. The program also offers internships and opportunities for advanced study in independent studies or a senior thesis for interested students as well as supports study abroad.

Celebrating 50 Years of Africana Studies at Simmons

Learn about the history of Africana Studies, the work of its students and recent graduates, and explore oral histories of Black alums from the 1970s and 1980s.

50 Years of Africana Studies

Our Faculty

Tatiana M.F. Cruz

Assistant Professor and Interdisciplinary Program Director of Africana Studies and Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies

Abel Djassi Amado

Associate Professor

Dawna Thomas

Professor and Chair of the Department of Race, Gender, and Sexuality Studies

Daren Graves

Professor

Becky Thompson

Professor

Lena Zuckerwise

Associate Professor and Department Chair

Lynn Perry Wooten

President

Spotlight on Africana Studies Students and Alums

View All News

Merging a Scholarly Stance with Lived Experience

Africana Studies and Political Science double major Reham Zeroual ’24 discusses her engagement with Student Senate, her favorite courses and professors, as well as her experience as a first-generation college student.

Headshots of the 2024 Senior Scholar Award winners

Congratulations to the 2024 Senior Scholars

The annual Senior Scholar Award is sponsored by the Provost's Office and the Office of Undergraduate Research and Fellowships. The award recognizes six graduating seniors for their outstanding scholarship and contribution to a field of study.

Bart Brown ’24, Gia Elie ’24, Sunei Clarke ’24, and Sunday Ntoto ’24 of the Black Student Organization host the Cupcake Tabling event at Common Grounds on February 1, 2023

Black Student Organization Honors Black History Month with Food, Festivities, and Intergenerational Community

Throughout Black History Month, all students are welcome to express their solidarity with Simmons’ Black community over cupcakes, soul food, music, and dancing. We spoke with BSO’s Soul President Gia Elie ’24, Soul Vice President Sunei Clarke ’24, and Soul of Communications Bartianna Brown ’24 about their passion for Black history and co-curating events that celebrate their culture.

The cupola of the Main College Building on the Simmons campus with a Pride flag in the foreground

Trans & Non-Binary Living-Learning Communities at Simmons Offer Residential Support and Allyship on Campus

The Trans & Non-Binary Living-Learning Communities (LLC) are for students who identify anywhere within the transgender and non-binary spectrum, as well as active allies. We spoke to students, staff, and Resident Advisors about how the LLC supports trans undergraduate students on campus.

Meet Keeva Haynes ’02, Senior Manager at PwC and Member of the African American Alumnae/i Association

In her career and volunteer work, Keeva Haynes is passionate about gender and racial equity. Working at a major accounting, audit, and consulting firm, Haynes manages performance, planning, and evaluations operations across partners in the U.S. and Mexico, as well...

Undergraduate Recipients of 2023 Senior Scholar Award

Six seniors across the University have been selected as recipients of the 2023 Senior Scholar Award, in recognition of outstanding scholarship and contribution to a field of study.

Awards and Honors

Teaching Social Workers to Work with the Marginalized with Associate Professor Eugenia Knight ’97

Eugenia Knight ’97 is Associate professor of practice and director of practicum education for Master of Social Work. In March 2022, Knight was named the 2022-23 Center for Faculty Excellence Faculty Fellow for Teaching and Learning. For her year-long appointment...

Careers and Internships

How Africana Studies Shed Light on Entertainment and Healthcare, with Helena Fils ’07 ’21SN ’24MSN

Helena Fils ’07 (English) ’21 (Nursing) wrapped her nursing board exams and received her license number in March 2022. Shortly thereafter, Helena returned to Simmons for her MSN. Why did you decide to attend Simmons for your undergraduate degree? My...