Africana Studies

2 students at desks
The Black Intelligentsia Panel included Dr. Charles McKinney, the Neville Frierson Bryan Chair of Africana Studies at Rhodes, Dr. Ernest Gibson of Auburn College, Dr. Andre E. Johnson of the University of Memphis, and Professor Kiese Laymon of the University of Mississippi. 

The mission of the Africana Studies Program is to understand and appreciate the integral yet distinct experiences of people of African heritage throughout the world. The program’s curriculum aims to emphasize diasporic connections between Africa, the Caribbean and the Americas in an effort to enrich our understanding and appreciation of our complex and diverse world. As such, the program encourages students to seek appropriate ways to integrate content and analysis in this broad subject matter with their work in other disciplines and programs.

The Africana Studies Program at Rhodes brings together disciplines such as sociology, history, and religion to help students understand they are citizens in a world of diverse cultures. 

A young woman intently studying a computer screen.
Resources

The Rhodes library offers a variety of resources for students researching topics in African-American Studies.

Related Links

Faculty & Staff

Katherine Clay Bassard
Professor of English and Africana Studies
Cara Djonko-Moore
Associate Professor and Chair of Educational Studies
Charles Hughes
Associate Professor of History and Urban Studies
Laura Loth
Associate Professor, French and Francophone Studies; Section Head - French
Abou-Bakar Mamah
Associate Professor, French and Francophone Studies
Charles McKinney
Professor of History
McKinley Melton
Associate Professor and Chair of Africana Studies
Shadrack Nasong'o
Professor of International Studies
Samson Ndanyi
Associate Professor of History and Africana Studies
Evelyn Perry
Associate Professor of Sociology
Be Stone
Assistant Professor of Political Science
Earl Wright II
Professor of Sociology; Chair, Anthropology/Sociology

 

 

Departmental News and Events

image of Anaya Bond holding a trophy
Anaya Bond ’27, who is pursuing an environmental sciences major and Africana studies minor, has been honored as one of the 2025 recipients of the SPARK Awards presented to those making a positive impact in the Greater Memphis community.
Read More
head and shoulder images of Dr. Downing and Dr. Ivory
Dr. James R. Downing and Dr. Luther D. Ivory will receive honorary degrees at the 176th Commencement of Rhodes College on May 17. Downing is president and CEO of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Ivory retired in 2018 from Rhodes.
Read More
image of Charles McKinney standing in front of a window
Dr. Charles McKinney, chair of Africana studies and an associate professor of history at Rhodes, has co-edited a new book with Brown University history professor Françoise N. Hamlin titled From Rights to Lives: The Evolution of the Black Freedom Struggle.
Read More