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Africana Studies

Donna Ford Grover,  visiting associate professor of literature and American studies. Photo by Chris Kayden
The Africana Studies Concentration
is an interdisciplinary program that examines the cultures, histories, and politics of African peoples on the African continent and throughout the African diaspora. The Africana Studies concentration teaches students to use diverse historical, political, ethnographic, artistic, and literary forms of analysis. Through these interdisciplinary studies, students trace the historical and cultural connections between Africa and the rest of the world, and explore their importance for African peoples and the nature of modern global society.

About the Program

  • Requirements
    Concentration in Africana Studies must be combined with a major in a traditional disciplinary program. Ideally, a student moderates simultaneously in Africana Studies and the disciplinary program. Before Moderation, a student is expected to take at least three Africana Studies courses or Africana Studies cross-listed courses, including the core course, Africana Studies 101, Introduction to Africana Studies, or the equivalent. To graduate, the student must take two additional Africana Studies or cross-listed courses, including one 300-level seminar. The Moderation and Senior Project boards should each include one Africana Studies core faculty member.
  • Faculty

Courses

Each semester Bard offers a selection of Africana Studies courses and a series of courses cross-listed from related programs. Follow the link below to view the courses being offered this semester.

View the Current Courses

Reflecting on the Moment

Conversations on Racial Equity and Justice

Drew Thompson, Assistant Professor of Africana and Historical Studies and Director of Africana Studies, and Dariel Vasquez ’17, cofounder and codirector of Brothers@Bard and Brothers@, speak about the role of mentorship and the university in the wake of the global pandemic and police brutality.