UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAMS IN

Africana Studies at Hofstra University is an interdisciplinary program in the Hofstra College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (HCLAS) that examines the histories, cultures, experiences, and contributions of African and African American people through the humanities and social sciences. The program helps students develop critical thinking, problem-solving, and communication skills while fostering a deeper understanding of social responsibility and an increasingly interconnected world.

Established in 1971, Hofstra’s Africana Studies program emerged during a period of significant growth in Black studies programs at colleges and universities nationwide, influenced by the American Civil Rights and Black Power movements. Students of diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds advocated for the histories and experiences of African and African American people to become an integral part of the academic curriculum. Originally established as the African Studies program, it was later renamed Africana Studies to reflect a broader range of scholarship, research, teaching, and service.

Africana Studies draws on the expertise of faculty from disciplines across the University, including anthropology, dance, drama, education, geography, history, LGBTQ+ Studies, literature, political science, psychology, sociology, and writing studies and rhetoric. Through this interdisciplinary approach, students explore complex topics from multiple perspectives and gain the knowledge and skills to think critically about the forces that shape communities, cultures, and societies.

The Africana Studies program introduces students to a broad range of historical and contemporary perspectives, encouraging critical engagement with the experiences, cultures, and contributions of people of African descent in the United States and throughout the African diaspora. Students demonstrate their learning through a variety of methods, including research papers, essays, examinations, oral presentations, experiential learning, structured dialogues, and debates.

Learning Goal 1: Students will demonstrate an understanding of the experiences, roles, and contributions of people of African descent throughout the African diaspora.

Objective 1: Students will examine the historical and contemporary social, political, economic, environmental, and cultural experiences of people of African descent.

Objective 2: Students will analyze and interpret scholarship, art, dance, theater, film, literature, and other cultural works created by people of African descent.

Learning Goal 2: Students will examine American history through the experiences and global influence of African Americans.

Objective 1: Students will examine movements and struggles for freedom, liberation, and justice led by people of African descent in the United States and around the world.

Objective 2: Students will analyze how “race,” gender, sex, class, and other aspects of identity intersect and influence institutions, policies, and practices.

Learning Goal 3: Students will develop critical and analytical skills to examine racism, injustice, inequality, and other forms of discrimination and gain a deeper understanding of social issues in the United States and around the world.

Objective 1: Students will critically reflect on issues of social justice and develop the knowledge, skills, and perspectives that support future academic, professional, and civic engagement.