Africology and African American Studies
Department e-mail: liberal-arts-africology-african-american-studies@temple.edu
Dr. Ama Mazama, Chairperson
809 Gladfelter Hall
215-204-1992
mcerol@temple.edu
Dr. Ifetayo Flannery, Director of Undergraduate Studies
828 Gladfelter Hall
ifetayo.flannery@temple.edu
TJ Cusack, Manager Administration
910 Gladfelter Hall
215-204-9209
tjc@temple.edu
Linda Wyatt, Department Coordinator
808 Gladfelter Hall
215-204-8491
ldwyatt@temple.edu
Mission
Temple University's Department of Africology and African American Studies provides students with a textured intellectual experience through the systematic Afrocentric study of the thought, behavior and practices of African people globally. Inasmuch as our faculty and students pursue knowledge from the perspective of African people as both agents and subjects of experience, we also remain open to plural understandings emanating from the multicultural society in which we live, and the rapidly shrinking world beyond. Students engage in critical discourse about issues of race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, class and culture across a great expanse of time and geographical space. Our classes interrogate African frames of reference, from the classical to the contemporary periods, tracing continuities and transformations from Africa to numerous diasporic communities worldwide.
We commit ourselves to the shaping and evolution of our discipline, and to positive change in our communities. Through enhanced mentoring and cooperative pedagogy, we cultivate the academic excellence, social responsibility and political engagement necessary for subsequent generations of scholars to carry this work into the future.
Curriculum
The curriculum stresses the skills necessary to think critically, write clearly, argue persuasively, and solve problems effectively. Students are exposed to theory and research in a variety of subject areas and are encouraged to engage in active research and service beyond the classroom.
Career Opportunities
Our alumni have entered careers in primary and secondary education and administration, social work and administration, research design, law enforcement, city government, and have also worked with museums and other cultural and artistic institutions. Several Africology and African American Studies alumni are active in local and national entertainment in roles that include music production, film making, acting, and script writing. Many others have earned graduate degrees in a variety of areas, including Africology, law, the health-related professions such as medicine and nursing, public administration, and the social sciences, including political science, history, psychology, sociology, and anthropology.
Awards and Honors
The department offers three internal awards for graduating seniors: two privately-sponsored awards for outstanding academic performance and one departmental award for outstanding service. The Department of Africology and African American Studies supervises the Temple in Ghana program, which allows students to study for six weeks during the summer at the University of Ghana in Accra.