Welcome to the Africana Studies Institute

UConn’s Africana Studies Institute is a vibrant community of scholars who study the African American experience, Africa, and the African Diaspora. 

Learn more about the history of ASI

Moratorium, October 15, 1969. Students at the Vietnam War protest in front of the Student Union. (Howard Goldbaum Collection of Connecticut Daily Campus Negatives, Archives & Special Collections, University of Connecticut Library.)

What is Africana Studies?

Africana Studies is a field of study that is interdisciplinary in focus. The Institute offers a wide range of courses, which are cross-listed with anthropology, sociology, history, political science, human development and family studies, psychology, art and art history, English, among other fields. More specifically at UCONN, for decades we have trained our students to critically analyze the varied experiences of people of African descent globally and locally. We have a strong public history presence that focuses on Black people in New England and Connecticut that helps the program remain committed to the principles that Africana Studies was founded on, community engagement.

Why major or minor in Africana Studies?

It has become increasingly important to successive generations of students entering the workforce to develop and refine skills needed to practice cultural competence and critically analyze the varied experiences of African descended people in this country and around the world. The Africana Studies Institute offers a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree and a minor in Africana Studies, which provides a solid foundation for jobs in health care, law, education, journalism, government, and charitable, nonprofit organizations.

What we offer

  • You will learn from some of UConn’s best teachers and mentors as well as trailblazers in their respective fields.
  • You will enhance your critical thinking, writing, analysis, and communication skills.
  • Opportunities to study abroad in Ghana and Kenya for course credit.
  • Faculty pairing: 1:1 academic advising, career mentoring, and research opportunities.

Upcoming Events

Undergraduate Advising

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Major in Africana Studies

Dive into diverse cultures and histories of African descended people.

Explore the Major

 

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Minor Options

The Institute offers two minors in Africana Studies and African Studies, coupled with study abroad opportunities in African countries.

 

Explore the Minors

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Coursework

Explore the wide range of courses offered through our Africana Studies programs.

 

Explore our coursework

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Find a Professor

Explore our roster of faculty members and their areas of research expertise.

Explore our Faculty

We are on Instagram

Presenting the Luckey Family Studies Lecture Series!

Join us for “Pretty Enough? Exploring the impact of media’s sexualized and euro-centric beauty ideals ofr girls and young women” with Dr.L. Monique Ward, Professor of Psychology at the University of Michigan.

Wednesday October 8th in Rowe 320 or join virtually from the link in the bio!

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Presenting the Luckey Family Studies Lecture Series! Join us for “Pretty Enough? Exploring the impact of media’s sexualized and euro-centric beauty ideals ofr girls and young women” with Dr.L. Monique Ward, Professor of Psychology at the University of Michigan. Wednesday October 8th in Rowe 320 or join virtually from the link in the bio!

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✨ Interested in graduate studies in African American & Diaspora literature, language, culture, and Black digital/public scholarship? ✨
Apply to the Cooper-Du Bois Mentoring Program — a three-day virtual experience (Oct. 24–26) that connects you with faculty, graduate students, and fellows while preparing you for the grad school journey.

📌 Applications due: Friday, Sept. 30 @ 11:59 PM EST and the link is in the bio!

Don’t miss the chance to join this powerful network and get the tools you need to thrive!

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✨ Interested in graduate studies in African American & Diaspora literature, language, culture, and Black digital/public scholarship? ✨ Apply to the Cooper-Du Bois Mentoring Program — a three-day virtual experience (Oct. 24–26) that connects you with faculty, graduate students, and fellows while preparing you for the grad school journey. 📌 Applications due: Friday, Sept. 30 @ 11:59 PM EST and the link is in the bio! Don’t miss the chance to join this powerful network and get the tools you need to thrive!

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Cool off with us at the Africana Studies Institute Ice Cream Social! This event will be held at the UConn Dairy Bar and the RSVP link will close today at 5pm. 🍦🍨

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Cool off with us at the Africana Studies Institute Ice Cream Social! This event will be held at the UConn Dairy Bar and the RSVP link will close today at 5pm. 🍦🍨

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We’re so proud to celebrate Trinity Stewart, one of our outstanding Africana Studies students, for being selected as a 2025 Mellon Scholar with the Library Company of Philadelphia! Trinity’s dedication to scholarship, research, and uplifting Black histories continues to inspire our community. Congratulations on this incredible opportunity!🎊🎉

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We’re so proud to celebrate Trinity Stewart, one of our outstanding Africana Studies students, for being selected as a 2025 Mellon Scholar with the Library Company of Philadelphia! Trinity’s dedication to scholarship, research, and uplifting Black histories continues to inspire our community. Congratulations on this incredible opportunity!🎊🎉

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Hello UConn Africana Family! Over the course of the next few days, we will be sharing our spotlights of featured students, alumni, facility. Get to know the students and faculty of ASI and their amazing accomplishments! ✨

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Hello UConn Africana Family! Over the course of the next few days, we will be sharing our spotlights of featured students, alumni, facility. Get to know the students and faculty of ASI and their amazing accomplishments! ✨

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Join Prof. Alexis Boylan as she explores how visual culture shapes perceptions of violence, race, gender, empathy, and identity. This course highlights works produced by and about African Americans, critically examining the intersection of art and social understanding.
Please Contact alexis.boylan@uconn.edu for a permission number

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Join Prof. Alexis Boylan as she explores how visual culture shapes perceptions of violence, race, gender, empathy, and identity. This course highlights works produced by and about African Americans, critically examining the intersection of art and social understanding. Please Contact alexis.boylan@uconn.edu for a permission number

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Real Life into Reel Life, Your Truth in Script Form
Asha Michelle Wilson, Writer/Producer/Actor/Showrunner
Join the event on YouTube Live on March 4th at 5:30pm with this link:
Link: s.uconn.edu/wilson

The most common advice given to writers is "write what you know." Determining how much of that should be in your script is a different story. This discussion will focus on how to bring your authentic and diverse POV to the script and screen, while maintaining story, comedy, and character. It will also speak to how to keep reality alive when writing genre television (animation, horror, sci-fi), and how to know when a truth from real life, might not fit into the reel life that`s been created.

About the Speaker:

ASHA MICHELLE WILSON is a writer currently in development on series with Sony TV and 20th Century Fox, as well as being Co-Executive Producer on the Fox animated series The Great North. She has previously developed with and written on series for Netflix, Amazon, Paramount, and FX, including American Horror Story and Archer. Her short film Friends Like These won the London Shorts Festival, and she was listed as one of BET’s Six Black Female Showrunners Who Inspired TV’s Diverse Renaissance.

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Real Life into Reel Life, Your Truth in Script Form Asha Michelle Wilson, Writer/Producer/Actor/Showrunner Join the event on YouTube Live on March 4th at 5:30pm with this link: Link: s.uconn.edu/wilson The most common advice given to writers is "write what you know." Determining how much of that should be in your script is a different story. This discussion will focus on how to bring your authentic and diverse POV to the script and screen, while maintaining story, comedy, and character. It will also speak to how to keep reality alive when writing genre television (animation, horror, sci-fi), and how to know when a truth from real life, might not fit into the reel life that's been created. About the Speaker: ASHA MICHELLE WILSON is a writer currently in development on series with Sony TV and 20th Century Fox, as well as being Co-Executive Producer on the Fox animated series The Great North. She has previously developed with and written on series for Netflix, Amazon, Paramount, and FX, including American Horror Story and Archer. Her short film Friends Like These won the London Shorts Festival, and she was listed as one of BET’s Six Black Female Showrunners Who Inspired TV’s Diverse Renaissance.

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