A talk by Dr. Roger Sneed: Afrofuturism as a way of Black people expressing their identity through speculative fictions is fairly new, and yet it is not new. We can trace the Black use of speculative fiction to articulate visions of Blackness and critique white supremacy back to W.E.B. DuBois’s 1920 short story “The Comet.” However, Afrofuturism has made a resurgence, due in part to the phenomenal success of Black Panther, ongoing interest in the work of Octavia Butler, and the rise of the “blerd” (a portmanteau of “black” and “nerd”). Today’s talk uses an episode of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine as a focal point for investigating the intersections of Afrofuturism and Black Religious Thought.

Please join us as we listen to Saidiya Hartman, Professor at Columbia University, discuss her new book "Wayward Lives, Beautiful Experiments." Wayward Lives recreates the experience of young urban black women who desired an existence qualitatively different than the one that had been scripted for them.

Kamau Daáood and Mark de Clive-Lowe Wednesday, March 13th, 2019 7:00pm  Jan Popper Theater "I was taught that the concept of the local artist is a noble one. That to live and work in a community and to be known for that work, is very dignified." – Kamau Daáood Performance poet Kamau Daáood, widely acknowledged as […]

Where Do We Go From Here? Preserving Los Angeles's Black Business History Thursday, March 14th, 2019 1:00pm-3:00pm Charles E. Young Research Library, Main Conference Room What does the history of black entrepreneurship add to our understanding of black communities, politics, and economic life? This roundtable brings together long-term business owners who were interviewed for the […]

We are excited to announce a performance and public dialogue with Bryonn Bain, the creator and lead performer of the award-winning "Lyrics from Lockdown." The event, "Free LA: The New Frontier of Abolition?" will be held Thurs, 7-9pm at the California African American Museum.

Join us for an insightful discussion on the topics of Gender, Slavery, and Freedom, with a host of speakers ready to share their thoughts and views. The event will take place In Royce Hall room 306, from 10:00am-3:30pm, with a light breakfast provided at 9:30am. We hope to see you there!

“Aretha Franklin’s Amazing Grace: From Watts to Detroit” Sunday, March 24th, 2019 | 4:30pm-7:30pm Screening of “Amazing Grace” and Discussion Monday, March 25th, 2019 | 10:00am-4:30pm Discussions, Music & Celebration Aretha Franklin's Amazing Grace: From Watts to Detroit is a two-day event held on the Queen of Soul’s 77th birthday. The event will reflect on […]

A Reading with Roxane Gay Tuesday, April 2nd, 2019 12:00pm-1:00pm Black Forum Room, Haines 153 (lunch will be provided) Roxane Gay’s writing appears in Best American Nonrequired Reading 2018, Best American Mystery Stories 2014, Best American Short Stories 2012, Best Sex Writing 2012, Harper’s Bazaar, A Public Space, McSweeney’s, Tin House, Oxford American, American Short […]

We would like to invite you to a reading by critically acclaimed writer, editor, and commentator Roxane Gay. She has written numerous bestsellers such as "Bad Feminist.", "Difficult Women.", and "Hunger, a Memoir of my Body." Come through TOMORROW from 12-1pm in Haines Hall 153.

The Department of African American Studies and the Warner Bros. Television & CBS Television Network Presents AN EXCLUSIVE SCREENING AND CONVERSATION OF “THE RED LINE” Thursday, April 25th, 2019 6:00pm-8:30pm Door Opens at 5:30pm (seating on a first come, first served basis) UCLA Fowler Museum, Lenart Auditorium | 308 Charles E Young Dr. N Event […]