Bachelor of Arts in Africana Studies

Northeastern University

Africana studies is an interdisciplinary field of study devoted to the critical and systematic examination of the cultural, political, social, economic, and historical experiences of the African Diaspora across the globe. Students are able to focus on either African American, African, or Africana studies. The Department of Cultures, Societies, and Global Studies is an open and dynamic academic platform for interdisciplinary research and teaching on the transformative power of culture as an instrument for social change and innovation. We approach the challenges facing humanity through perspectives that are primarily, though not exclusively, informed by the experiences of the peoples from the Global South (Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, and Latin America) and its diasporas. As we search for the tools to foster sustainable economic growth and social well-being on a global scale, we aim to reevaluate and learn from the historical experiences, belief systems, intellectual traditions, and pressing concerns of the greater part of the world’s population. This requires a critical reexamination of the persistence of Eurocentric postulates that were developed to support modern colonialism and nationalism with their variegated world of ''otherness.'' As such, we adhere to the broadest and most inclusive definition of languages and cultures as we aim to understand, shape, and thrive in a global community characterized by increased social connectivity, economic integration, intellectual exchange, and cultural hybridity.