African and African Diaspora Studies
Available as a concentration
Through the study of Africa today, you'll see how the continent and its many nations and cultures have evolved beyond the stereotypes that still persist in western media. You'll learn about African success stories, the future Africans are forging for themselves and the challenges they face achieving their dreams.
Curriculum & Courses
Sample Course Offerings
POLI 224: Comparative Political Systems: Africa
ANTH 240: Race and Human Evolution
HIST 350: Issues in African History
Student Experiences
South Africa from a student perspective
Kaitlyn Brightwell shared these photos from her time in South Africa while studying abroad.
Kaitlyn Brightwell shared these photos from her time in South Africa while studying abroad.
Kaitlyn Brightwell shared these photos from her time in South Africa while studying abroad.
Kaitlyn Brightwell shared these photos from her time in South Africa while studying abroad.
Kaitlyn Brightwell shared these photos from her time in South Africa while studying abroad.
Kaitlyn Brightwell shared these photos from her time in South Africa while studying abroad.
Kaitlyn Brightwell shared these photos from her time in South Africa while studying abroad.
Kaitlyn Brightwell shared these photos from her time in South Africa while studying abroad.
Kaitlyn Brightwell shared these photos from her time in South Africa while studying abroad.
Kaitlyn Brightwell shared these photos from her time in South Africa while studying abroad.
Kaitlyn Brightwell shared these photos from her time in South Africa while studying abroad.
Kaitlyn Brightwell shared these photos from her time in South Africa while studying abroad.
Fulbright Award winner finds passion in helping her community
Maggie Fitzgerald '18 has received a Fulbright to teach English in Oviedo, a city in northern Spain. "I could not have more pride for the school that prepared us all so well," said Fitzgerald, who is a history major with a minor in secondary education and concentration in African and African Diaspora. "Her outstanding academic abilities, her innate gift for relating to people, and her genuine delight in living and learning make her an ideal candidate," said Dr. Katie Elmore. Fitzgerald plans to attend Indiana University after graduation in order to pursue her Ph.D. in African history.
A new look at African history
A course, African Cultural History through Film, is an example of the innovative ways Roanoke professors engage students in the study of Africa and the African diaspora.
By critically reading novels and watching films, the course asks you to consider the following questions: How do novels and films permit new types of historical analysis? In what ways do these sources of history deliver larger historical insights into issues, including colonialism, economic underdevelopment and globalization?
In addition to reading a secondary text on African history, you will interpret novels and films about Africa, developing your own unique perspective on African cultural history.
Careers & Outcomes
Africa gave her career insight and inspiration
After Roanoke, Katherine Larrivee completed work studying the effectiveness of humanitarian efforts on the African continent. She went on to earn a master's degree in global health at Clark University and served in the Peace Corps in Namibia as a community health and HIV/AIDS project volunteer.
News
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Summer Scholars is a competitive program that offers paid research positions and enables students to do a deep dive into an original topic.
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Catch up on the latest news from our remarkable faculty members.
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Clover Archer devoted months of research to a new exhibit co-sponsored by the Center for Studying Structures of Race and Olin Hall Galleries.
Interested in studying African and African Disaspora Studies at Roanoke College?
African and African Diaspora Studies offers an interdisciplinary examination of the history, culture and politics of Africa and the African Diaspora.
Through the study of Africa today, you'll see how the continent and its many nations and cultures have evolved beyond the stereotypes that still persist in western media. You'll learn about African success stories, the future Africans are forging for themselves and the challenges they face achieving their dreams.
The concentration combines political, sociological, literary and historical issues while encouraging you to pursue your own interests with an independent study, internship or special topics course outside the core requirements.
We offer a concentration in African and African Diaspora studies.