Spotlight on a Student

I never really learned about Black Studies or anything like that in high school, or at any point really in my educational experience. So I thought a lot of the information was very enlightening and good to learn about, and talk about with other people who are like-minded.

Chayanne Chataigne
2021
President of the Black Mass Communication Project (BMCP)
Chayanne Chataigne
picture of John Bracey

Symposium and Memorial Honoring the Life and Work of Professor John Bracey

The W. E. B. Du Bois Department of Afro-American Studies hold a symposium in Professor Bracey's honor on Friday, October 20 from 10:30 a.m.5 p.m. in the Integrative Learning Center (ILC). The campus-wide memorial for Professor Bracey was on Saturday, October 21 from 10:00 a.m.3 p.m. in the Amherst Room of the Campus Center.

Karl Lyn

Karl Lyn: 2023 Recipient of the Ford Foundation Predoctoral Fellowship

We are pleased to announce that one of our amazing PhD students, Karl Lyn, has been named a 2023 recipient of the prestigious Ford Foundation Predoctoral Fellowship, administered by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.

John Bracey Jr., Sonia Sanchez, and James Smethurst at a book signing for SOS―Calling All Black People: A Black Arts Movement Reader.

The UMass Black Presence Project

The UMass Black Presence website serves as a living history of the experiences, contributions, and stories of Black students, alumni, faculty, and staff. Through oral history interviews and research on historical figures, we've captured these stories to provide an authentic and in-depth understanding of these lived experiences.

One
of the first departments of Black Studies in the nation
Second in the nation
to offer a doctoral degree
50
valuable years of experience

Your support matters

We welcome the support of our alumni and friends. Please contact Tricia Loveland if you are considering a gift to the W. E. B. Du Bois Department of Afro-American Studies. Gifts of all sizes—and types—make an impact.

Sam the Minuteman poses with Engineering students during graduation.