Oberlin College: The Department of Africana Studies

Department Overview:

Since the late 1960s, when Oberlin College created a Black Studies Department that evolved into today’s Department of Africana Studies (formerly African American Studies), the College has offered a socially relevant education that has received national recognition. Students may either earn a major or minor in this field. Many are double majors, combining this course of study with theater, sociology, religion, or other social sciences.

As an academic major, Africana Studies prepares students, not only as adept critical thinkers, presenters, and researchers, but also as valuable global citizens. Because Africana Studies is a multidisciplinary department, we offer courses to students of any major—knowledge to expand your worldview and deepen understanding of people of African ancestry. Students explore key aspects of black life in Africa, the Caribbean, the United States, Europe, and the Americas. This pluralistic approach to the curriculum gives students a fuller appreciation of all cultures.

In addition, our faculty and staff offer programs and services in cooperation with Afrikan Heritage House, a residence hall and the College’s black collective and cultural center. Afrikan Heritage House welcomes students who want to heighten their understanding of African, African American, and African-Caribbean traditions and issues. Stop in to partake of soul sessions, art shows, and poetry readings, the Kuumba festival, and other happenings.


Rationale for Department Name Change:

The Department successfully submitted a proposal to the General Faculty to change our name from The Department of African American Studies to the The Department of Africana Studies, effective September 2012. This change fully reflects the Departments’ historic curricular offerings in African American, African, and Caribbean Studies. We are unique among our cohort at other institutions in that we have always offered courses in African politics and history alongside North American Afri-US literatures, histories, and politics. At other small liberal arts colleges, African Studies and African American Studies departments were established separately. Embracing Africana Studies communicates to our students and the wider Oberlin College Community that our curriculum engages all aspects of African and African Diasporic intellectual work from an interdisciplinary perspective.