School of Africana and Multicultural Studies
Lift Every Voice and Sing
The field of Africana and Multicultural Studies provides all the notes for the song we all hunger to sing. Those who join in the circle of Africana and Multicultural Studies grow strong in the dance of culture and learn how to bring many voices into one conversation.
Africana and Multicultural Studies at SIU Carbondale is dedicated to the study of all aspects of the history and cultural traditions of African peoples, whether they live on the continent of Africa or elsewhere in the world. Our department is a gathering place for those who wish to learn more about themselves, and to learn about all those who have either created or been influenced by the powerful and complex cultures of African peoples everywhere. We offer both a major and a minor—and we do it with passion.
What is Africana Studies?
Africana Studies is an interdisciplinary and global discipline focused on the scholarship of the histories, political and cultural movements, institutions, economies and identities of Africans and the African diaspora. Africa’s own overlapping cultures along with the dispersment of African people – whether forced or voluntary - have given rise to the discourse of what “black” and “African” identities and experiences actually mean. This has impelled the discipline of Black Studies to rethink the geographical boundaries and conceptual template surrounding the production of knowledge about Africa and its diasporic communities.
Africana Studies at SIU has a commitment to interdisciplinary scholarship as well as student and community programming highlighting the global reach and implications of the Africana World without losing sight of the unique concerns of African American experiences domestically.
The Power of Many
We make our home in the largest and most academically diverse college on campus, the College of Liberal Arts (CoLA), enabling you to benefit from its wide array of complementary classes and minors to shape the program that's exactly right for you and your interests.
Instructors and Class Size
Courses in Africana and Multicultural Studies school span all areas of study and are taught by full-time professors in classes small enough for dialogue between students and professors. The School's distinguished faculty consists of a diverse set of scholars who are leaders in their respective disciplines. Their cumulative work produces an innovative knowledge base in the intersections between class, gender, nation, sexuality, and race.
Support Us
We appreciate the support of our alumni and patrons. We are proud of our endowed scholarships and the resources we are able to provide to today's students through your generosity.
Thank you for giving to the School of Africana and Multicultural Studies.