Assistant Professor Neema Langa is spearheading new research into the living, working and social conditions that shape maternal health outcomes among Black women in the United States. Due to systemic disparities in access to health care and quality care received, Black women are the demographic most affected by this national healthcare crisis. 

Thirteen students from Houston-area high schools participated in the inaugural Emerge Leadership Academy (ELA), a summer program hosted by the University of Houston Department of African American Studies. The free, two-week program brought students from the Greater Houston area together on campus, ensuring their college readiness and deepening their knowledge about African American culture.

In conjunction with Black Maternal Health Week, the University of Houston Department of African American Studies presents the “Diminishing Inequalities in Maternal Health in Africa and the USA” symposium on Monday, April 17 from 1 to 3 p.m. at the Student Center South, Downtown Room. 

Tara T. Green, CLASS Distinguished Professor and chair of the Department of African American Studies, has been named a finalist in the Association of American Publishers (AAP) 47th Annual PROSE Awards. Evaluated by a 25-judge panel, her 2022 book “Love, Activism, and the Respectable Life of Alice Dunbar-Nelson” held its weight against other humanities projects from around the nation.

On Oct. 20, rap legend Bernard James “Bun B” Freeman joined University of Houston Department of African American Studies (AAS) Chair Tara T. Green in a vivid conversation about hip hop's influence on Black culture, religious parallels and much more.