Research & Engagement
Diverse & Dynamic
The Department of African American and African Studies (AAAS) leads a diverse research agenda spanning African, African American, and African diasporic literature, history, and culture. Our faculty study topics including Black feminist theory, postcolonial criticism, Black radicalism, African social history, and comparative politics, generating critical dialogue on African and African diasporic lives, beliefs, and knowledge systems. Beyond scholarship, AAAS faculty engage directly with communities, partnering with K-12 educators and civic organizations on educational justice and civic and political participation.
Research Areas
Faculty research fields and areas of expertise
Our faculty comprise widely recognized award-winning teachers and engaged scholars. Areas of specialization include: African, African American, and African Diasporic literary and cultural production; Black feminist theory and practice; postcolonial theory and criticism; Black radicalism and internationalism; African American history; African social history and oral traditions; the study of economic development; critical sociology; and comparative politics.
Community Engagement
How AAAS connects scholarship to civic life
AAAS faculty connect classroom knowledge to the wider world through community engagement and civic participation. We partner with K-12 teachers, administrators, community-based educators, and educational justice activists to bring African, African American, and African diaspora studies into teaching and learning. Together, we're transforming pedagogy, curricula, and the lives of young people. Our work reflects a strong conviction: scholarship and community engagement are inseparable from today's pressing concerns and critical challenges.