News
Ray Block participates in The Matter of Fact Listening Tour
Hearst's Matter of Fact Listening Tour addresses some of the most challenging issues surrounding race and justice in America. Ray Block participated in the "To Be an American: Identity, Race and Justice" episode.
Department Statement on Anti-Asian Racism from the faculty of the African American Studies Department.
The Department of African American Studies at Penn State University is committed to racial justice for all people. We know that AAPI (Asian American and Pacific Islander) communities in the U.S. have faced a long history of legal, social, and racial exclusion that extends back two centuries. The pandemic has reignited anti-Asian racism and gendered and sexualized racial violence that are older than our contemporary moment.
AFAM faculty response to racist Zoom bombing incident
The faculty of the African American Studies Department stands in solidarity with our young colleagues in the Black Caucus, whose virtual meeting was Zoom bombed by White supremacists spewing and performing racist bile on January 27th, 2021.
Ray Block co-authors "A Monumentally Divisive Moment"
Ray Block and colleagues wrote this piece for A House Divided (ahousedividedapd.com), a blog about American government, partisanship, and political history.
Liberal arts degree gave alumnus 'space to find my voice,' help others
Penn State student experience positions Brian Davis to open doors of opportunity for others as associate director of diversity and inclusion at San Francisco-area preparatory school.
UH Law Center 2L Nguepdo selected as first African-American editor-in-chief of Houston Law Review
Second-year University of Houston Law Center student Charisma Ricksy Nguepdo has been named the Houston Law Review’s editor-in-chief, the first person of African descent to earn that position. She graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Penn State University majoring in African-American Studies and Criminology.
Amira Rose Davis publishes opinion piece in Washington post
Amira Rose Davis, assistant professor of history and African American studies at Penn State University and co-host of the sports podcast, "Burn it All Down", considers how Black college athletes are rising up against the exploitative system they labor in.
Ray Block publishes in medical journal about race and COVID-19
Ray Block co-authors article in July 2020 issue of HLRP: Health Literacy Research and Practice.
The Yaayaa-Maria Hunt Memorial Award
Support the Department of African American Studies in the College of the Liberal Arts with an award in memory of Yaayaa-Maria Hunt, a 2016 alumna.
Awaly Diallo selected as Liberal Arts college marshal
Awaly Diallo is a Paterno Fellow and Schreyer Scholar, graduating with bachelor of arts degrees in sociology and African American studies.