African American and African Studies

Forms of Freedom Project Reimagines Pedagogy, Artmaking, and Educational Justice

November 16, 2022

Conceived through an imperative to reimagine the possibilities for public pedagogy, Forms of Freedom: The Art and Design of Black and Indigenous Creative Public Pedagogies is a two-year research collaboration between Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) artist collectives to exchange, learn, and create radical forms of artmaking and education.

African American and African Studies / Diversity, Equity and Inclusion / News / Student / Student

Finding Her Purpose in the New African American and African Studies Major

November 14, 2022

For Michigan State University sophomore Amber McAddley, her African American and African Studies (AAAS) major is helping her learn about herself and what it means to be “Black in America.” After the new major launched last spring, McAddley became one of the first students at MSU to declare AAAS as their major. While also pursuing a minor in Spanish, McAddley…

African American and African Studies / News / Performance / Production / Visual Arts, Arts Administration, and Performing Arts

MSU Theatre Brings Detroit’s Corktown Neighborhood to the Stage

October 4, 2022

Michigan State University’s Department of Theatre presents Corktown, Or Through the Valley of Dry Bones October 14-23 at the Pasant Theatre in the Wharton Center for Performing Arts. The play, written by Haitian American playwright Jeff Augustin and modeled after the Thornton Wilder classic, Our Town, centers on Jackee, a 14-year-old boy who takes us on a tour of one of Detroit’s oldest neighborhoods between 2007 and…

African American and African Studies / Diversity, Equity and Inclusion / Event / Faculty / News / Student

New Space Maximizes Vision of African American and African Studies Department

September 21, 2022

The newest department in Michigan State University’s College of Arts & Letters will have a new space on campus to call home. On Thursday, Nov. 17, from 3-5 p.m. on the second floor of North Kedzie Hall, the Department of African American and African Studies (AAAS) will officially open the doors to its renovated, 8,400-square-foot space during a ribbon-cutting event,…

African American and African Studies / Faculty / News

Growing an Innovative Curriculum: New and Updated AAAS Courses for Fall

August 17, 2022

Michigan State University’s Department of African American and African Studies (AAAS) continues its upward trajectory with the addition of five new or revised courses for the Fall 2022 semester. The courses offer contemporary perspectives and innovative curriculum within the evolving discipline of Black Studies. Each course highlights the department’s focus on Black Feminisms, Black Gender Studies, and Black Sexualities Studies…

African American and African Studies / News / Student / Student

Undergrad Adds AAAS Minor to Increase Understanding of Diversity, Equity, and Justice

May 5, 2022

Emily Burch often questioned the answers she received about the lack of diversity in her small town in northwest Michigan. And when she graduated from high school in 2018, she decided to find some answers by attending a public university downstate. This month, Burch will earn a bachelor’s degree and three minors from Michigan State University to put her on…

African American and African Studies / News / Student

Minor in AAAS Leads to Focus on Educational Equity and Community Service

April 28, 2022

Moneé Green listened to her grandfather when he told her that the one thing people can’t take away from you is knowledge. He also told her that if you love something, do it. So she pursued music at the Detroit School of the Arts and, in her senior year, applied to Michigan State University to further her education. “I was…

African American and African Studies / Diversity, Equity and Inclusion / News / Programs / Student / Student

First-Generation Student Finds Niche, Discovers Value of MSU Education

April 27, 2022

College wasn’t always an end goal for Gabby Riley. While her paternal grandmother was a role model as a long-time teacher in Detroit Public Schools and a graduate of Howard University, her parents didn’t follow the same collegiate path. As a student of Renaissance High School in Detroit, Riley didn’t view herself as college-bound, but quickly changed her mind after…

African American and African Studies / News / Programs / Student

MSU Education Inspires Graduating Senior to Pursue Social and Cultural Change

April 21, 2022

When the COVID-19 pandemic prompted Michigan State University to switch to remote learning, Jamia Henry went home to Detroit to attend classes online and to be with her mom who was not in good health. Her mom soon passed away and Henry went through a bout of depression. Despite everything, Henry resolved to finish school and make her mother proud.…

African American and African Studies / Diversity, Equity and Inclusion / Faculty / Faculty / News

MSU African American and African Studies ‘Unicorns’ Drive Black Futures Beyond Survival Into Wellness

April 11, 2022

The Department of African American and African Studies (AAAS) was initially founded as a Ph.D. granting program in 2002. On July 1, 2019, AAAS became a department. In Spring 2020, MSU appointed Ruth Nicole Brown the inaugural chair.