African American Studies - University of Houston
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African American Studies

Congratulations!

On March 10, 2021 African American Studies marked another milestone by officially becoming a degree-granting department.

News and Events

  • UH African American Studies Program Granted Departmental Status

    UH African American Studies Program Granted Departmental Status

    Two years after celebrating its 50th anniversary, the African American Studies (AAS) Program at the University of Houston College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences (CLASS) has been formally elevated to a degree-granting department.

  • Headshot of Dr. Reed

    Reed Named as Interim Director of the UH African American Studies Program

    The University of Houston College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences (CLASS) is pleased to announce associate professor of history Linda Reed, Ph.D., as interim director of the African American Studies (AAS) program.

  • UH African American Studies book club discussing the writings of Malcolm X in 1994. Courtesy UH Digital Library.

    Making and Teaching History

    Studying the Black experience and its impact on society – and society’s impact on it – may help stem the tide of racism, but its goal, through the African American Studies (AAS) program at the University of Houston, is to even the historical playing field.

  • Dr. Conyers on a custom background with desks and a yellow overlay

    CLASS Mourns the Loss of One of its Own - Dr. James L. Conyers, Director of the African American Studies Program

    A valued member of the UH community for nearly 20 years, Professor Conyers’ legacy will live on. James Conyers passed away on Monday, January 25, 2021.

  • Photo of Rev. William A. Lawson Founding Pastor Emeritus

    New African American Studies Scholarship Honors Houston-Area Social Justice Leader

    The University of Houston College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences (CLASS) is proud to announce that Director of African American Studies James L. Conyers, Jr., Ph.D., has established the William Alexander Lawson Social Justice Scholarship Endowment. This scholarship honors the remarkable legacy of civil rights advocacy and social justice activism that Rev. Lawson has built over seven decades as one of Houston’s most influential civic and religious leaders.

  • Group of Students

    African American Studies Program Marks 50th Anniversary with New Bachelor of Arts Degree

    The UH College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences (CLASS) is pleased to announce that undergraduate students will have the option to declare a major in African American Studies beginning in the Fall 2019 semester. The addition of a Bachelor of Arts degree in African American Studies (AAS) coincides with the 50th anniversary of the program and reflects growing interest from students and faculty in the study of black culture throughout space and time.

About African American Studies

The mission of the University of Houston African American studies department is reflected in the larger vision of Black, Africana and African American studies departments and programs and their commitment to the development of the knowledge of people of African descent in America throughout the greater Diaspora and on the continent. The program develops, promotes and enhances the knowledge and information of the discipline as well as the collective consciousness of African descended people, which will in turn lead to the growth and prosperity of strong communities and a powerful nation. AAS focuses on the cultural and historical heritage of Africans on the continent, in America and throughout the greater Diaspora and their contributions to the world’s history and civilizations. Read more about AAS.

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Department of African American Studies 
3553 Cullen Boulevard
Agnes Arnold Hall Room 629
Houston, TX 77204-3047