Africana Studies

​Alumna Haley Magwood looked to Africana Studies at UD for guidance. Of her training in Africana Studies she says, "I was given the analytical tools to question every political class I encountered, and I was able to challenge and confront my courses and interests within an Afrocentric perspective.” Advice from Assistant Professor of Africana Studies Jorge Serrano inspired Haley to pursue a career in law. “He noticed that I had a talent for writing and a skill for articulating my thoughts to others,” she says. “Until then, I had only thought about attending law school briefly, but after joining the Legal Studies department, I took the path more seriously.”

​"An AFRA degree encompasses more than just the black experience. It teaches you about the connections between all cultures--the connections that create our communities. With an AFRA degree one can join the public sector in any community and be an asset to the people through diversity-driven community programs and development."

​"You can honor the past, empower the present and rediscover consciousness. With an AFRA degree you can work meaningfully across various disciplines, and that will inevitably help you to accomplish great things."

​"In the multicultural world we call home, an AFRA degree is essential in assuring diverse economic opportunities for students, and for understanding the age-old influences of Black heritage in our society. As an aspiring lawyer, I value AFRA courses because they not only taught me about the communities I aim to serve, but also trained me to appreciate various perspectives, and to challenge society's status quo. This type of training is beneficial in any field.

​"Most people think you can't do anything with an AFRA degree, but in reality, an AFRA degree gives you the skills and wherewithal to excel in any field. The difference is that an AFRA degree will help you think critically within that field from a particular lens of Africa and the African diaspora. This sets you a part from the norm and the rest of mainstream America.”

​“I'm a student at Michigan State University's graduate program in African American and African Studies, working towards my doctoral degree. I am employed and funded through an assistantship with the Specialization in African American and African Studies program. AFRA is great because it allows for diverse, interdisciplinary study such as this.”

​"With my Africana Studies degree, I have been empowered to follow my dream of becoming a filmmaker. I am inspired to be a more conscientious and compassionate storyteller with the knowledge and strength I found from my studies."

​“My choice to become an AFRA major not only provided intellectual balance with my pre-med classes but also influenced the trajectory of my medical career. The AFRA experience became my inspiration to address health disparities of marginalized populations.”

"The AFRA education I obtained from the University of Delaware allowed me to interact with the global business community on a level that enabled my peers from other cultures to understand and appreciate my culture as well as theirs. The global scale of my work includes Asia, Europe, South Africa and South America. The learning does not stop after graduation but serves as a foundation for continuous education."