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Read more about the article African American and African Studies Faculty Leaders to Deliver Keynote Address at Inaugural MLK Student Symposium

African American and African Studies Faculty Leaders to Deliver Keynote Address at Inaugural MLK Student Symposium

January 15, 2025

The inaugural MLK Student Symposium that is set to take place on Saturday, Jan. 18, at the MSU Union will give students the chance to discuss the challenges faced within systemic barriers, to share their experiences, express their identities, and promote inspiration for change. The keynote speakers for this event are Department of African American and African Studies faculty leaders Ruth Nicole Brown and LeConté Dill.

African American and African Studies / Diversity, Equity and Inclusion / Lansing-East Lansing Impact / News / Student

First MSU Students to Earn BA Degrees in African American and African Studies Graduate This Spring

April 19, 2024

Michigan State University’s Spring 2024 commencement will see the very first students to graduate with a bachelor’s degree in African American and African Studies. As the first graduates of this program, Morgan Braswell, Jhala Martin, and Mike Martin mark a significant milestone in the history of the Department of African American and African Studies (AAAS), the history of the College…

African American and African Studies / Diversity, Equity and Inclusion / Donor / Lansing-East Lansing Impact / Michigan Impact / News

MSU’s African American and African Studies Strengthened by Transformative Gift

June 7, 2023

A gift of $500,000 that’s rooted in reparations and recognizes the powerful contributions being made by Michigan State University’s Department of African American and African Studies (AAAS) toward racial and social justice will benefit the students and faculty of that department for generations to come. The Adrian Dominican Sisters, a Catholic congregation of more than 400 Dominican sisters and 200…

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

Love of Black History Draws Student to African American and African Studies Major

February 2, 2023

Michigan State University junior Morgan Braswell has had an interest in Black Studies from a very young age. Growing up in Detroit, watching shows like The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and A Different World, and hearing her father talk about Malcolm X, instilled in Braswell a sense of pride in her culture. That influence has led her to become one…

African American and African Studies / Event / Faculty / Lansing-East Lansing Impact / News

Making History at Michigan State University

February 1, 2023

Making history at Michigan State University: Barry D. Amis, David W.D. Dickson, and Ruth Nicole Brown The College of Arts & Letters at Michigan State University has been part of many firsts when it comes to Black history, including hiring David W.D. Dickson, who was the first Black faculty member at MSU and, more recently, establishing the Department of African…

African American and African Studies / News / Student / Student

‘Repairing Her Soul’ Through African American and African Studies Major

November 28, 2022

Following this year's launch of the African American and African Studies (AAAS) Bachelor of Arts program, Mike Martin, a junior now double majoring in AAAS and Arts and Humanities, was one of the first students at Michigan State University to transition to the new major. "AAAS isn’t just a major I gain knowledge in, but a place where I actively…

African American and African Studies / Diversity, Equity and Inclusion / Event / Lansing-East Lansing Impact / News

MSU Celebrates New Academic Learning Space for Department of African American and African Studies

November 18, 2022

Michigan State University’s College of Arts & Letters held an official opening Nov. 17 for a new space dedicated to the Department of African American and African Studies (AAAS) — the first department of its kind at MSU. “The Ascension of AAAS” event celebrated the 8,400-square-foot renovated space as well as the new bachelor’s degree offered by the department. Located on…

African American and African Studies / Diversity, Equity and Inclusion / Faculty / Grant / News / Research / U.S. Impact

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.

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Faculty / Faculty Stories / News / Performance

College of Arts & Letters Faculty Honored at 2022 Investiture

September 29, 2022

The Michigan State University community gathered at the Wharton Center for Performing Arts on Sept. 14 for the investiture of the 2022 class of endowed chairs, endowed professors, and MSU Foundation professors. The ceremony was a celebration of their accomplishments and a celebration of the philanthropic support that makes these esteemed positions possible. Dr. Kristen Renn, newly named Mildred B.…

African American and African Studies / Diversity, Equity and Inclusion / Event / Faculty / Lansing-East Lansing Impact / 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,…