Mission

The mission of the Department of African American Studies at the University of Maryland is to interrogate, amplify, and address the full spectrum of issues and inquiries pertaining to Black life—past and present—in the United States, Africa, and the African Diaspora. While centering Blackness, our faculty, drawn from multiple disciplines, document the pernicious effects of structural racism and inequality that imperil lives;  analyze the revered tradition of Black resistance; and highlight Black intellectual and cultural contributions that have defined Black life in the US and around the globe.