Outreach

Africana studies at the University of Notre Dame centers on Africans and the African Diaspora—the global dispersion of peoples of African descent—and examines their historical, sociological, political, and economic contexts around the world. Our teaching and research covers a wide range of topics including civil rights issues, justice, liberties, social rights, the dignity of the human person, and the Catholic Social Tradition.

Students And Community Member On St 

In an effort to engage all members of our community—faculty, staff, students, and local citizens—in these important conversations, the department hosts and co-sponsors a wide array of events, from lectures and reading groups to panel discussions and arts events.

We invite you to explore our upcoming events and read the latest news about our faculty and students.

Events

News

How Asha Barnes ’18 mapped out a career in urban planning using skills from anthropology and Africana studies

Maps don’t just show us where things are located — for urban planner Asha Barnes ’18, they also reveal stories about who we are and how we live our lives. Majoring in anthropology and Africana studies at Notre Dame allowed Barnes to explore humanity and identity using both quantitative and qualitative methodologies. She’s now employed these research techniques in her career, continuing to give back by telling the stories of those who have been silenced. “It was through my education that I was able to put to words my own experience as an Afro-American woman living in this country,” said Barnes, now an associate planner at the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning. “It was through my education at Notre Dame that I was able to learn the skills that I have now to collect and tell the stories of other people and advocate for communities that I’ve worked with.”

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Africana studies chair Mark Sanders honored as a member of the 2022 All-Faculty Team

Congratulations to Mark Sanders, professor of English and Africana studies and director of the Initiative on Race and Resilience, for being honored at Saturday's game as a member of the 2022 All-Faculty Team!

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Concurrent faculty Erin McDonnell wins book award for research on how pockets of government in developing countries thrive 

The European Group for Organizational Studies (EGOS) has presented Notre Dame sociologist Erin Metz McDonnell with its 2022 Book Award for her original contribution to the knowledge about organizations, organizing, and the organized. In her award-winning book, Patchwork Leviathan: Pockets of Bureaucratic Effectiveness in Developing States, McDonnell argues that while corruption and ineffectiveness may be expected of public servants in developing countries, “some spectacularly effective state organizations thrive amid institutional weakness and succeed against impressive odds.” 

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