Africana Studies
- Department Interdisciplinary
- Academic Division The College
- Offerings Minor
Africana Studies is an interdisciplinary minor that examines the culture and experiences of African peoples and those who make up the African Diaspora throughout the world. Relevant courses come from a variety of disciplines, including literature, history, sociology, economics, politics, art and music.
Africana Studies at W&L
Students interested in global history or politics, the Atlantic world, international law, international relations, world economics, African-American studies, comparative literature and Africa should consider this program.
Annually, the program brings noted speakers to campus, sponsors multiple student and faculty events, and supports university efforts to offer a more diverse and rich curriculum that accurately reflects and represents the cultural complexity of Africa and the African Diaspora.
Each student completing the minor in Africana Studies produces a senior capstone project. In this capstone, students pursue in-depth and detail a subject that particularly captivates them, usually something they have studied in one of their courses in the program.
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Meet the Faculty
At W&L, students enjoy small classes and close relationships with professors who educate and nurture.
Michael D. Hill
Professor and Program Head of Africana Studies
- P: 540-458-8327
- E: mhill@wlu.edu
Hill is a scholar of African-American culture, literature and history. He previously taught at the University of Iowa and Wake Forest University.
Henryatta Ballah
Assistant Professor of History
Ballah’s teaching and research focus on 19th and 20th century Africa. Her book project explores the political activism of Liberian youth from 1950 to 2010.
Niels-Hugo (Hugo) Blunch
Darrold and Kay Cannan Term Professor of Economics
- P: 540-458-8619
- E: blunchn@wlu.edu
Blunch teaches econometrics and health economics, and also takes students to Ghana for study abroad. His research pertains to health, education and labor market issues. Previously, Blunch worked with the World Bank and the United Nations.
Nneka Dennie
Assistant Professor of History
Professor Dennie is a Black feminist scholar specializing in African American intellectual history. Her courses examine race and gender in the United States and the Caribbean. She is currently writing two books about 19th century Black women thinkers.
Matt Gildner
Assistant Professor of History
- P: 540-458-8772
- E: gildnerm@wlu.edu
Gildner teaches many courses in Latin American history and some that count towards the Africana Studies minor. His research pertains primarily to the cultural, political and intellectual history of Latin America.
Lena Hill
Provost and Professor of English
- P: 540-458-8746
- E: lmhill@wlu.edu
In addition to her many duties as Provost, Hill researches and teaches courses primarily in 19th- and 20th-century African-American literature. She has written a number of books and articles on the subject.
Mohamed Kamara
Department Chair and Professor of Romance Languages; Campus Muslim Student Advisor
- P: 540-458-8475
- E: kamaram@wlu.edu
Professor Kamara holds degrees in French, English and Secondary Education. He teaches French courses in the Department of Romance Languages and also teaches in the university’s Africana Studies Program. As faculty advisor to campus Muslim students and the W&L African Society, he is a member of the Religious Staff in the Office of Inclusion and Engagement.
Diego Millan
Assistant Professor of English
- P: 540-458-8759
- E: dmillan@wlu.edu
Millan teaches upper-level courses in black diasporic literature. He has researched 19th- and 20th-century American and African-American literature and culture, black studies, performance studies, and theories of laughter and comedy.
Lucas Morel
Department Head, John K. Boardman, Jr. Professor of Politics
- P: 540-458-8161
- E: morell@wlu.edu
Morel has taught at W&L since 1999. His teaching and research interests include American government, political theory, Abraham Lincoln, Ralph Ellison, and race and equality. He is a pre-law advisor and an accomplished writer.