Department of Africana and American Studies

Samantha Nyweide and Lillian Williams holding the “Sojourner Truth” art piece.

Samantha Nyweide ’24, photographed with Professor Lillian Williams, created this unique piece highlighting Sojourner Truth's successes as a positive representation of people with similar backgrounds who can inspire and motivate others to pursue their goals and dreams. Photographer: Douglas Levere

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Explore the global story of people, power and place.

At the University at Buffalo, the Department of Africana and American Studies is the university’s gateway to understanding how cultures, histories and identities connect across borders and through time. Here, we study the intersections between theory and practice, research and social engagement, humanity and the environment.

Explore the past to better shape the future

Africana and American Studies at UB

What is Africana and American Studies

Careers

Department News

Williams to receive Red Jacket Award
10/23/25
UB historian Lillian Williams has received the region’s most prestigious civic honor from the Buffalo History Museum, recognizing her lifelong dedication to uncovering and preserving African American history and heritage in Western New York.
UB researcher leads effort for historic marker honoring Talbert
10/23/25
Part of the National Votes for Women Trail, the marker pays tribute to Talbert’s role in the women’s suffrage movement.
Q & A with Rinaldo Walcott
10/23/25
Carl V. Granger Chair and professor of Africana and American Studies, Rinaldo Walcott, discusses his research on the global Black diaspora, his vision for UB’s Africana Studies program, and how Buffalo’s unique geography shapes his work.

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Join Our Scholarly Community

Welcome, future students!

Academic work in Africana and American Studies prepares you to be an active, purposeful citizen of the world. Our programs combine research with real-world relevance, helping you develop the insight and empathy to lead, teach, create and advocate in today’s global society.

Our Programs

"Empress of the Blues" by Romare Bearden.

African and African-American Studies

Explore the histories, politics and cultures of people of African descent in the United States and around the world. You’ll examine how systems of power, creativity and resilience shape communities across time and geography.

6/18/25 BA in African-American Studies

Our Programs

National Museum of the American Indian - painting restoration.

American Studies

Take a global approach to studying the Americas. You’ll investigate local cultures, nations and regions within their broader political and social contexts—uncovering the stories that connect us all.

Student Testimonials

When choosing UB, I reverted to the factor I was looking for initially: a sense of family, and the ability to build a relationship with a department. The faculty in the department is what really reeled me in.

– Taylor Coleman, MA and PhD student

Mary Burnett Talbert. Photo courtesy of Buffalo History Museum.

“The greatness of nations is shown by their strict regard for human rights, rigid enforcement of the law without bias, and just administration of the affairs of life. ”

9/15/23

Mary Burnett Talbert

Sept. 17, 1866 - Oct. 15, 1923

Photo courtesy of Buffalo