Faculty

Faculty

Name	Contact	Specialty
Rose Brewer Professor	839 Social Sciences 612-624-9305 brewe001@umn.edu	Social and behavioral sciences, public policy and development, African diasporic studies
Njeri Githire Associate Professor	848 Social Sciences 612-625-1687 ngithire@umn.edu	African artistic and cultural production, African diasporic studies
Rahsaan Mahadeo Assistant Professor	852 Social Sciences 612-624-9847 maha0134@umn.edu	Critical race and ethnic studies, Black studies, time, abolition, radical social and political thought, youth, the life course perspective, urban sociology
Tade Okediji Professor	868 Social Sciences 612-624-8957 tokediji@umn.edu	Social and behavioral sciences, public policy and development, Africa and African diasporic studies
Yuichiro Onishi Associate Professor	874 Social Sciences 612-625-0513 ohni0001@umn.edu	African American history, Asian American studies, African diaspora studies
Olivia Polk Assistant Professor	Starting Fall 2025	Black feminist theory, queer theory, 19th and 20th century African American literature, Black visual culture, gender and sexuality studies
Ana Cláudia São Bernardo Assistant Professor	825 Social Sciences 612-624-9847 saobe001@umn.edu	Black diaspora studies, Afro-Brazilian studies, gender, women and sexuality studies, global studies, Black diasporic literatures and cultures, Black geography
Bula Sirika Wayessa Assistant Professor	872 Social Sciences 612-624-5083 bwayessa@umn.edu	African archeology, social marginalization, the materiality of social identity, mobility, ontology, and agricultural change
Josef Woldense Assistant Professor	878 Social Sciences 612-624-0362 jwoldens@umn.edu	Elite politics; authoritarian regimes, African political institutions and social network analysis

Instructors

Name	Contact	Specialty
Khadar Jama Head Somali Language Instructor	823 Social Sciences 612-624-8571 jamax028@umn.edu	African languages (Somali)
Hassan Hade Teaching Specialist	852 Social Sciences 612-624-8571 hhade@umn.edu	African languages (Somali)
Angaluki Muaka Senior Teaching Specialist	856 Social Sciences 612-625-0185 muaka@umn.edu	African Languages (Swahili), African diasporic studies
Yolanda Williams Lecturer	836 Social Sciences 612-624-0122 willi233@umn.edu	African American literature, art, and history

Affiliate Faculty

Affiliate faculty have homes in other departments, but hold appointments in our African American & African Studies department.

Name	Contact	Specialty
Adam Bledsoe Assistant Professor	414 Social Sciences 612-625-6080 bleds008@umn.edu	Geography. Environment & Society
Nathaniel Mills Associate Professor	Pillsbury Hall 612-625-8444 mills175@umn.edu	English
Michael Minta Professor	1337 Social Sciences 612-626-5632 mdminta@umn.edu	Political Science
August Nimtz Professor	1327 Social Sciences 612-624-1512 animtz@umn.edu	Political Science

Faculty Emeriti

Name	Specialty
Keletso Atkins	Africa, African diasporic studies
Victoria Coifman	Africa, African diasporic studies
John Wright	African American literature, art, and history; Africa and African diasporic studies