Africana Studies
About Africana Studies
Our Program and Courses
You can major or minor in Africana Studies. You will study the beginnings of life in Africa, the Diaspora and its regions of origin, and the myriad contributions of Africans and Black Americans from throughout history. You’ll enjoy an intricately blended education, as numerous other F&M programs contribute to Africana Studies, including American studies, anthropology, economics, English, French, government, history, music, religious studies and sociology.
By the time you graduate, you will be able to demonstrate:
- A firm knowledge of the African Diaspora and its effects on people and cultures today.
- Understanding of the experiences, struggles, achievements, and triumphs of Africans and Black Americans.
- A grasp of race and systemic oppression throughout history.
- Awareness of the ways in which modern day culture is shaped and informed by the past.
- Critical and analytical thinking and the ability to communicate observations and discoveries through the printed and spoken word.
- The ability to collaborate effectively in a manner that translates to the professional arena.
Success Beyond F&M
Once you complete your degree, you might wonder what’s next. The intellectual and analytical activities that make up the work of Africana Studies — including interpreting, analyzing, collaborating with others, and critical thought — help you develop useful and productive skills valuable for entering graduate school or beginning your chosen career.
Graduate School
Our distinctive liberal arts education prepares graduates of Africana Studies to pursue advanced degrees. Many are enrolled in master’s and Ph.D. programs in a variety of disciplines, including history and African American studies.
Career Paths
Africana studies graduates are fully prepared to enter a vast array of industries, including education, research, public administration and government. They hold positions such as:
- Grant Writer
- Historian
- Professor
Faculty Spotlight
Saving an African Language
An F&M professor heard the calling and helped save a native tongue spoken by less than 1 million people in a distant corner of Africa. “I think Pokot is a peculiar language whose study might give us a better historical and linguistic understanding of Kalenjin and other Southern Nilotic groups,” said Quincy Amoah, assistant professor of cultural anthropology and Africana studies. While he was doing fieldwork in East Africa a few years ago, Pokots approached Amoah about resuming an incomplete project. They wanted someone to help them finish standardizing and preserving their language in a dictionary, a project started nearly 45 years ago. To finish the dictionary, Amoah started funding workshops, brought elders together, worked on their materials, and organized local intellectuals. Fruits of this labor produced a first edition of “The Learner’s Pokot-English Dictionary,” published last year.Read More »
Alumni Spotlight
“These moments, big and small, have made my time at F&M truly unforgettable.”
Michael Vasquez ’25 was first introduced to the concept of the liberal arts during his interview with F&M. “I was immediately drawn to the encouragement to explore a multitude of disciplines and create my own college experience at F&M,” he said. True to his desire for a custom academic journey, Vasquez immersed himself in a wide range of pursuits at F&M. He majored in American studies and sociology, minored in Africana studies, became student body and Diplomatic Congress president, collaborated with professors to enhance anti-racist curricula, and more. “Every experience has shaped my journey,” he said. “These moments, big and small, have made my time at F&M truly unforgettable.”Read More »
Alumni Spotlight
A Diplomat On and Off Campus
Fatimata Ly ’25, a government major and Africana studies and religious studies minor, spent six weeks of her summer in the nation’s capital. Ly attended the Charles B. Rangel International Affairs Summer Enrichment Program (SEP), a program designed to provide undergraduate students with a deeper appreciation of current issues and trends as well as career opportunities in international affairs. “As an aspiring U.S. foreign service officer, this program offers an excellent opportunity to gain relevant experience and education in the field,” Ly said. “I’ve always been passionate about helping people and community-building. Coming from a Senegalese background, I've always had to bridge my Senegalese and American identities. That drove me toward public diplomacy.”Read More »
Related Fields of Study
History
Embark on an enriching journey through time, exploring a vast range of geographic regions, topical themes, and time periods. By studying history at F&M, you’ll gain a deeper understanding of history and historical processes, and develop keen insight into how they have shaped the present and will influence the future.
Social Justice (Certificate)
This certificate synthesizes critical perspectives on the social systems and structures through which dynamics of power and inequality are created, maintained, contested, and transformed. At the intersections of race, gender, socioeconomic class, and sexuality, you will have the opportunity to meaningfully engage with historical and contemporary issues germane to struggles for equity and justice between and across social identity groups.
Sociology
One field of study engages in all sorts of questions about people, institutions, and social structures: sociology. How does power operate in society? How do politics shape our lives? How and why have family relationships changed over time? As a student of sociology, you will explore these interactions to better understand how they shape the world and cultures that we live in.
Our Students & Alumni in the Spotlight
July 3, 2025
Young Alumni Share Law School Journeys
Robert Suite ’17 and Matthew Thomas ’19 first met at F&M. Their post-graduate paths led them both to Drexel School of Law. Follow their story of friendship and mentorship.
May 26, 2025
Saving an African Language
A Franklin & Marshall College anthropology professor helps produce the first dictionary for Pokot, an African language.
April 24, 2025
Michael Vasquez ’25 Found a Campus that Felt Like Home
Michael Vasquez ’25 was drawn to F&M’s liberal arts approach to academics, but it was the sense of community—on and off campus—that sealed the deal when he was deciding where to attend college. "As a first-generation, queer student of color, I was happy to know F&M was committed to ensuring everyone knows they belong," he said.