Africana Studies

Promoting the Study of Africa, the African Diaspora and the Lived Experiences of African Americans.

Are you interested in the multitude of ways that Africans and people of African descent have impacted our world? 

The Center for Africana Studies promotes the study of Africa and those of African descent, bringing recognition to the studies locally, regionally, nationally, and internationally. Our mission is to recognize the important contributions that Africans and people of African descent have made and the impact these contributions have had on the world economically, politically, culturally and socially.

Are you ready to join us?

Students in the Center for Africana Studies have the opportunity to engage in social justice research and participate in programs designed to positively impact the community. An academic arm of the College of Arts, the Center for Africana Studies curriculum is designed to lay a foundation for students to explore the historical, cultural and political experiences of African people and the African Diaspora.  Students will gain an appreciation for the diversity of the people of Africa and African descendants throughout the world.

What Makes Us Unique

Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage Center

The Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage Center, located in the Armstrong Center in Savannah, celebrates and preserves Gullah Geechee culture along the South Georgia region of the Gullah Geechee Corridor.  We are a community anchor that focuses on Gullah Geechee people and connects the past and present through interaction and outreach across generations.   The physical space, combined with the knowledge and ideas of the community, instills pride, increases awareness and understanding, sustains preservation of language and cultural assets, and serves as a vehicle to tell the Gullah Geechee story to the surrounding community and beyond.  The Center honors myriad contributions made by Gullah Geechee people, provides educational resources for faculty, students, and the surrounding community, and serves as a model for national reconciliation and reparations.

Africana Studies Reading Room

This collection of books and artifacts from Africa and the African Diaspora sits in Room 2004 in the IAB Building on the Statesboro Campus and offers an intimate setting for students and faculty to explore Africa. Much of the collection was donated by Betty Podol from treasured items of her late husband, Richard Podol.

Here’s what our Africana Studies students and alumni have to say…