Black Studies and the Future of the American University

Black Studies and the Future of the American University

Across the United States, academic freedom faces growing challenges. Debates over curriculum, speech and institutional governance raise urgent questions about the role of the university in a democratic society. At the same time, as universities become increasingly reliant on private funding, tensions are emerging between faculty and student research and the interests of donors, foundations and corporate partners. Further, Missouri has become a key site for legislative efforts to shape educational curricula. Some argue that these interventions risk limiting the range of perspectives and critical analyses essential to understanding history and contemporary social life.

These conditions create a critical moment for examining how universities can sustain open inquiry, inclusive knowledge production and democratic engagement.

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CELJ went on to praise the volume’s wide appeal:

“For the initiate, this issue will serve as an excellent portrait of why they need to read James Baldwin now; for the specialist, this issue is a who's who of James Baldwin scholarship—and why they need to read his work more now!"

The editorial staff at James Baldwin Review is proud to be honored by CELJ and sincerely grateful to our contributors and editorial board members for making this achievement possible.

Joint Postdoctoral Fellowship in African & African American Studies and the Center for the Humanities

James Baldwin Review Wins CELJ Best Special Issue Award

The Council of Editors of Learned Journals has awarded our tenth anniversary Volume 10 its Special Issue Award for 2024-2025. Calling it “expertly edited,” CELJ’s judging panel praised Volume 10 as a collection of works which will “prove generative for scholarship and creative work to come.”

Read Volume 10 Here

Broaden your scholarship—apply for the Graduate Certificate in Global Black Studies!
Gain interdisciplinary training and join a community of scholars exploring Black experiences across the globe

Apply Now: Graduate Certificate in Global Black Studies

Graduate Certificate in Global Black Studies

The Graduate Certificate in Global Black Studies, offered by the Department of African and African American Studies (AFAS), provides doctoral students at Washington University with rigorous interdisciplinary training in the humanities and social sciences beyond their primary department.

Through coursework, community engagement, and scholarly collaboration, the certificate equips students to examine Black experiences, thought, and movements across global contexts. This program fosters intellectual breadth and prepares scholars to engage in innovative, cross-disciplinary research on race, culture, and social transformation.

Eligibility: Open to current Washington University Ph.D. students in any discipline.

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Explore the list to discover powerful works that deepen our understanding of Black life, history, and global experience—and learn more about the courses where these texts come alive.

AFAS Faculty Black History Month Reading Recommendations

Black History Month Books Recommended by WashU Professors

In recognition of Black History Month, faculty and affiliates in the Department of African and African American Studies share books they find especially meaningful to read, teach, and reflect on. These recommendations span literature, art history, urban studies, and Black cultural thought, offering insight into the texts shaping scholarship and classrooms across AFAS.

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About Our Department

Our faculty pursue interests across the spectrum of African and African American studies. In addition to our expertise in core subjects areas like English, history, sociology, and anthropology, AFAS faculty are actively engaged in interdisciplinary, practice-oriented fields across Washington University, including social work and public health, architecture and design, computer science, business, law, and education. 

The department regularly sponsors lectures and events, such as plays, film festivals, exhibits, field trips, and panels and speakers, which focus on contemporary or perennial topics of interest in all areas of the Black experience. In many cases, guest lecturers and artists visit classes and interact directly with our students and others across the campus community. Through our scholarship, teaching, and broader engagement activities we seek to foster a vibrant and impactful social and intellectual community of African and African American Studies. 

Reckoning with the past: Accountability for whose bodies built WashU

Reckoning with the past: Accountability for whose bodies built WashU

"The Abraham Taylor Reparative Research Project plays a critical role in this. Working under the Department of African and African American Studies, the project is actively researching the Terry-Trotter collection and exploring what ethical and reparative practices might look like. Rather than treating the past as static, the project asks forward-looking questions: How should institutions reckon with histories like this? What does meaningful repair look like? Who gets to decide? "

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campus organizations

  • African Students Association

    ASA's mission is to advance political, social, cultural, and economic awareness about the African continent by engaging individuals in dialogue that will establish a deeper understanding and appreciation of the dynamic cultures within the continent.

  • Association of Black Students

    The Association of Black Students is an organization with a rich, powerful history of fellowship, service, and advocacy at Washington University..

  • Black Alumni Council

    The mission of the BAC is to support the professional and personal development of WashU black alumni, to assist in the recruitment and retention of African American students, and to enhance the continued growth and development of the university.

  • Black Anthology

    Black Anthology was founded in 1989. It is an annual performance that is written, choreographed, directed, and produced entirely by Washington University students.

My time in AFAS provided me with a family that kept me focused and motivated throughout my time at WashU. There was an abundance of resource sharing and support from both students and faculty. My time in AFAS also encouraged me to ask questions and challenge the erasure of Blackness in other areas of study. AFAS gave me a second home while at WashU, and continues to keep me rooted today.

― Ashley Thompson Class of 2021, double major in Political Science and AFAS with a minor in Sociology. She is currently a second-year law student at Stanford Law School.