Africana Studies : Intro

Africana Studies is an interdisciplinary field that explores the histories, cultures, and lived experiences of people across the African Diaspora. It draws from a wide array of disciplines, including Literature, History, Politics, Religion, Sociology, Anthropology, Cultural Studies, Psychology, and Education, within the broader Social Sciences and Humanities.Dr. Maulana Karenga defines Black Studies as "the critical and systematic study of the thought and practice of African people in their current and historical unfolding" (Karenga, 2010). He underscores that the field is critical for its rigorous analysis and considered judgment, and systematic for its structured and methodical approach to producing and presenting knowledge (Karenga, 2010). Similarly, Dr. Karenga and Dr. Molefi Kete Asante note in the appendix of the Handbook of Black Studies that the naming of the discipline "remains unsettled" (Asante & Karenga, 2006), highlighting the diversity of terms used to describe it.

According to Dr. Robert Harris Jr., Africana Studies has evolved through four distinct stages:

1. Early Organizations (1890s–World War II): This stage saw grassroots efforts to document and analyze African history and culture, challenging dominant narratives. Groups like the Bethel Literary and Historical Association spearheaded initiatives to highlight African heritage.
2. Civil Rights Movement Focus (Post-WWII): During this period, scholarship shifted to emphasize African American history and culture, reflecting the influence of the Civil Rights Movement. Research focused on the unique experiences of African Americans and the systemic racism they faced in the United States.
3. Institutionalization of Black Studies: The establishment of formal Black Studies programs in universities marked this stage. These programs created structured spaces for rigorous academic exploration of Africana topics, solidifying the discipline within higher education.
4. Global Perspective and Interdisciplinary Approach: The most recent stage broadens the scope of Africana Studies to include the global African Diaspora, incorporating perspectives from regions such as the Caribbean. This phase emphasizes interdisciplinary approaches to explore issues of race, colonialism, and liberation struggles.

Harris’s framework highlights the progression of Africana Studies from grassroots efforts to document African heritage, through its focus on African American experiences during the Civil Rights era, to the development of formal academic programs with a global and interdisciplinary perspective.

Africana Studies extends beyond the continental United States, encompassing the experiences of African-descended peoples worldwide, particularly those displaced by enslavement, genocide, war, migration, and other forms of systemic disruption.