African American & African Studies and the Transformative Power of Knowledge
In the wake of George Floyd's murder, African American & African Studies core and affiliate faculty offer perspectives on the policing crisis and the imperative of racial justice to articulate knowledge for our time.
The images on this page are from a 2019 teach-in on Black studies in honor of the department's 50th anniversary. Photos courtesy of Boone Nguyen.
![Three African American & African Studies professors sitting at a table greeting a community artist](/sites/cla.umn.edu/files/styles/teaser_image/public/unsorted/images/aaas_woldense_mayes_coifman_teach-in_870x580.jpg?h=2d235432&itok=uQd2koM8)
My name is Yuichiro Onishi. I teach in the Department of African American & African Studies (AA&AS) and the Program in Asian American Studies. I just stepped in as chair of AA&AS. Read Onishi's introduction.
![Professors Josef Woldense and Keith Mayes at a teach-in](/sites/cla.umn.edu/files/styles/teaser_image/public/unsorted/images/afro50_feb_2019_102_woldense_mayes.jpg?h=2d235432&itok=Z0lad0nS)
Keith Mayes presents a sharp commentary on race and justice, especially Minnesota's brand of liberalism for The Washington Post. Read Mayes' writing.
![Professor Terrion Williamson and two others in a panel discussion](/sites/cla.umn.edu/files/styles/teaser_image/public/unsorted/images/terrion_willamson_afro50_teach-in_870x580.jpg?h=2d235432&itok=wimqi8ak)
In a powerful elegiac voice, Terrion Williamson delivers a tale of another Black man choked to death by the Minneapolis police officers that occurred nearly ten years ago. Read Williamson's writing.
![Professor August Nimtz speaking from a podium](/sites/cla.umn.edu/files/styles/teaser_image/public/unsorted/images/august_nimtz_870x8580.jpg?h=2d235432&itok=gOVFPbFS)
August Nimtz explains why policing in Cuba looks so starkly different than the one in the United States. Read Nimtz's writing.
![Professor Yuichiro Onishi speaking at a podium](/sites/cla.umn.edu/files/styles/teaser_image/public/unsorted/images/yuichiro_onishi_afro50_teach-in_870x580.jpg?h=2d235432&itok=79Y6y3eb)
Yuichiro Onishi meditates on movement building and unpacks the directions of Afro-Asian solidarity. Read Onishi's writing.