Department of African American Studies (Syracuse University) facts for kids

The Department of African American Studies (AAS) at Syracuse University is a special part of the university. It helps students learn about the history, culture, and experiences of people of African descent. This includes people from Africa, the Caribbean, African-Americans, and others. The department is located in Syracuse, New York.

AAS is part of the Syracuse University College of Arts and Sciences. It also works with a community group called the Community Folk Art Center (CFAC). This center helps share art and culture in the Syracuse area. The department also has a special library, the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library. It also leads a big project called the "Africa Initiative."

History of the Department

The AAS department started because students wanted change. In the 1960s, students at Syracuse University were among the first in the United States to speak up. They wanted to fix unfairness in education.

In 1961, Ernie Davis became the first Black football player to win the Heisman Trophy. This was a big moment for African Americans in higher education. Later, some Black football players, known as the "Syracuse 8," spoke out. They said they faced unfair treatment from their coach. This led to a lot of tension on campus in 1969.

Because of this tension and the wider civil rights movement, Black students protested in 1968. They demanded that the university offer classes about Black history and culture. These classes would teach about the important ideas and contributions of African Americans.

The university listened and began offering Black Studies classes. African American Studies started as a program in 1972. Then, in 1979, it became a full department within the College of Arts and Sciences. The student protests also led to the creation of an Afro-American Cultural Center. They also started the collection for the MLK library.

In the 1980s, students again asked the university to hire more African American teachers. They also wanted a leader for the AAS department. Students from the Syracuse African-American Students Association (SAS) led these efforts. Their actions led to a large student protest in 1990. Students wanted all students to learn about the contributions of African Americans. They believed this was important for understanding Black identity and history.

Today, the AAS department is well-known both in the U.S. and around the world. It continues to explore the connections between Africa and people of African descent living in other parts of the world.

AAS Community Groups

The AAS department works with special groups that help the community.

Community Folk Art Center (CFAC)

The Community Folk Art Center (CFAC) was started in 1972. It is a part of AAS. Its goal is to show off art by Black artists and other artists who might not get much attention. CFAC holds art shows, movie nights, and art classes. It also hosts dance performances for students and the community. It is a lively art center in Syracuse.

Paul Robeson Performing Arts Company (PRPAC)

The Paul Robeson Performing Arts Company, Inc. (PRPAC) was a part of AAS. It was founded in 1982. This group was named after Paul Robeson, a famous African-American singer, actor, and activist. PRPAC worked to improve art education at Syracuse University and in the Syracuse community.

Academics and Learning

AAS gives students chances to study, do research, and get involved in the community. Students can also study abroad in other countries. The department's classes help students learn about African Americans. They also connect this learning to places like Latin America, the Caribbean, and Africa.

Gender and Environmental Justice

The department received a special grant from the Ford Foundation. This grant helps them teach about gender and environmental justice in African studies. This means AAS is the only department of its kind to focus on environmental justice in its classes. The grant also helped create a lecture series called "Black Feminism and Environmental Justice." It also supported research and projects for Black women and other minority groups.

Undergraduate Studies

Students can choose to major or minor in African American Studies. This program covers many different subjects and focuses on international studies. It helps students get involved in the community. It also gives them chances to study abroad in places like "Paris Noir," the Caribbean, Austria, and Zimbabwe.

Graduate Studies

The Masters in Pan African Studies Program started in 2005. It is a unique program that focuses on Africa, the Caribbean, and the United States. Unlike many programs that focus on history, this one looks at connections between Africa and the African Diaspora. It uses many different ways to study, including culture, social science, politics, and the environment. Students in this program also get to do field research. They often study in Africa, the Caribbean, Canada, or at African American sites.

Africa Initiative

The AAS department believes Africa is a very important part of its studies. The Africa Initiative (AI) started in 2001. Its goal is to bring back interest in Africa, which had lessened in many U.S. universities. AI wants to stop Africa from being ignored or stereotyped. It also aims to restart interest in Africa as a study area.

Eduardo Mondlane Lecture Series

AI manages the "Eduardo Mondlane Memorial Lecture Series." This lecture series is named after Eduardo Mondlane, who founded a group for Mozambique's freedom. He was also a professor at Syracuse University. This series brings together scholars, students, and the community. They discuss important topics about Africa. Famous speakers like Amílcar Cabral and UN Ambassador Stanilas Kamanzi have given talks here.

Symposia and Conferences

AI also hosts big meetings and conferences. In the past, these have included events about WEB Du Bois and human rights.

Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library

The MLK library was started by Syracuse students in 1968. It is one of the few university libraries in the country that has a whole library dedicated to African-American collections. It has videos, art, books, and journals. It also has a special collection called the Harriet Tubman collection. The library also has materials for Africa, the Caribbean, Afro-European, and Afro-Central American collections.

Important Talks and Projects

• MLK Jr Lectures: This series brings speakers to campus. Past speakers include Mary Frances Berry and Jayne Cortez.
• Black Feminist Lecture Series: Since 2007, this series has brought important speakers like Patricia McFadden to campus.
• Other notable guest speakers have included Merle Collins and Sonia Sanchez.
• The AAS department helped put on Wole Soyinka's play Death and the King's Horseman.
• AAS is working with local groups to collect and save the history of Black people in Syracuse. They are doing this through a mapping project.

Notable Faculty

• Horace Campbell - a political scientist and author
• Bill Cole - an author and music expert
• Linda Carty (sociologist) - an activist and sociologist
• Kwame Dixon - a political scientist
• Janis Mayes - an author and literary critic
• Micere Mugo - an activist, poet, and playwright
• Milton Sernett - an author and historian
• S.N. Sangmpam - a political scientist and author
• Renate Simson - an author

Distinguished Visiting Professors

• Angela Davis - an American civil rights activist and author
• Patricia McFadden - a sociologist and feminist from Swaziland

Notable Alumni

• Adolphus G. Belk - a political scientist
• Pierce Freelon - a musician