UMass Boston

The Africana Studies Department is a multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary field of inquiry which is focused upon the social and cultural histories, politics, literatures, economics, environment, and psychology of African Diasporas' people in the Americas, Africa, and the Caribbean. Its broad educational goal is to document and disseminate a specialized body of knowledge about the Pan-African experience with a special emphasis on human equality in American society.

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The field of Africana studies documents and disseminates a specialized body of knowledge about Africa, the West Indies and especially the United States. We focus on the experiences of the African diaspora – the global dispersion of peoples of African descent – its literature, culture, society, and contributions worldwide. Students are prepared for careers relevant to the development of the African world community and to the rectification of world wide social ills created by individual and institutional racism.

Mission Statement

The mission of the Department of Africana Studies is to engage in innovative inter-disciplinary research and pedagogy related to the civilizations and communities of Africa, the Americas, the Caribbean and other parts of the Global African diaspora. Our research and pedagogical efforts focus attention on the established Africana studies history and antiquities, politics, literature, ancient and contemporary culture including the arts, socio-economic sciences, economic development, and the broad dimensions of public policy that affect the societies and welfare of people of African descent.

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