Greetings!
The Department of African American Studies is a vibrant intellectual community of scholars engaged in a wide array of cutting edge research. We are very proud of our exceptional teachers who are consistently included in the university’s “Incomplete List of Teachers Ranked as Excellent.”
With seventeen award-winning core faculty/instructors, one scholar-in-residence, two postdoctoral research associates, one librarian, and nearly 40 affiliate and zero-time faculty, the Department of African American Studies stands tall as a leading cultural studies unit on campus and a leading African American studies research department among its peers internationally. Its reputation is supported by having two editors of nationally recognized periodicals—our own peer-reviewed journal Black Women, Gender, & Families currently being published by University of Illinois Press and the peer reviewed journal of the National Communication Association titled Critical Studies in Media Communication. Incidentally, if you look at Professor Abdul Alkalimat’s 2008 state of the art report entitled, “The Academic Journals of Blacks Studies,” he reveals that there are currently only 31 journals in Black Studies. So, this national journal, Black Women, Gender, & Families based in the Department of African American Studies holds a prominent place in the field due to its subject matter as well as its reputation. Additionally, the department houses H-AfroAm and eBlack Studies, two nationally recognized online resources that weekly inform scholars throughout the nation about ongoing academic issues, activities, publications, and tools. It is significant that Professor Abdul Alkalimat has led national efforts in eBlack Studies and has done so from the University of Illinois.
We are also proud to announce that Professor Sundiata Cha-Jua has recently been elected as President of the National Council of Black Studies, one of the leading Black Studies professional associations on the continent.
As you browse our website you will notice that the Department’s core curriculum centers around five faculty research foci:
Comparative Race, Racialized Communities, and Identities Cultural Production and Cultural Movements Political Economy, Public Policy and Contemporary Issues Global Interconnections: Black Transnationalism and the African Diaspora Black Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies
We eagerly anticipate the approval of our proposal for an MA and PhD in African American Studies. We hope to launch this program within the next two years. In the meantime we are very excited to offer a Graduate Minor, Graduate Concentrations (in Education Policy Studies, Sociology, and History), and of course an undergraduate minor and a minor.
The Department of African American Studies is also committed to outreach. We are currently showcasing the work of local artist Gary Clemmons throughout our building. This gallery is comprised of mixed media artwork reflecting a historical perspective regarding African American 1940s era experiences. In addition, last year, we sponsored or co-sponsored nearly two-dozen events reaching thousand of students, faculty, staff, and local community citizens. Another source of pride for us is the Kufundisha Institute, a community resource that has sought to address the crisis in public education by working with school personnel. Because public engagement is foundationally tied to the disciplinary origins of African American Studies, we celebrate the university’s emphasis on it.
These are just some of the exciting things happening here at Illinois. We invite you to visit us periodically or participate in one of our many programs and activities.
Ron Jackson, Head