Message From the Chair

Greetings!!!! With the academic year of 2024-25 underway, I’m delighted to welcome and introduce the UCLA Department of African American Studies. I extend a warm welcome to our new undergraduate majors–Class of 2028– incoming graduate student’s cohort, and the Chancellor Postdoctoral fellow to our department. Our department offers a wide-range of courses that provide a historical, conceptual, and theoretical lens for understanding global Black experiences. African American Studies has formal linkages to various disciplines including anthropology, English, gender studies, history, law, linguistics, philosophy, political science, psychology, and sociology. In doing so, our faculty provides our students with courses ranging from African studies, art, education, ethnomusicology, geography, information studies, management, psychiatry and biobehavioral sciences, society and genetics, public health, religious studies, social welfare, theater, to world arts and cultures | dance in discussing a wide-ranging set of issues and geographical areas, theoretical frameworks as well as analytical concepts and categories of identity, such as race, gender, class, sexuality, culture, and nation. Engaging the community at large around these issues is more important than ever, and we hope to continue doing this in the coming year through thoughtful public programming and events.

If you are interested in knowing more about the study of Black life, please visit other areas on the website including “Why African American Studies” and how prospective students might wish to pursue a Bachelor of Arts, a minor, or a Master of Arts or the joint Master of Arts-Juris Doctor degrees. Please contact our academic advisor for more information.

Finally, you will also find on our website how you might wish to get and stay involved with the department. For example, last year we were thrilled to surpass the annual Spark Campaign and raised critical funds for our students during Black History Month. Your outpouring support empowers the African American Studies Department at UCLA as a nationally recognized hub of scholarship on Black life throughout the globe. As such, I encourage you to also visit our News, Black Calendar, and Gallery sections on the website and the department’s YouTube channel that showcase our students, faculty, and our most memorable public events.

We look forward to an exciting and productive school year and seeing you at some of our many events and programs throughout the year! As always, Go Bruins!!!!

Warmest regards,

Cheryl L Keyes, PhD

Professor and Chair of the Department of African American Studies