Unerased: Reclaiming the Future of Africana

The state of Africana studies in our current political climate has become a growing concern among students, teaching staff, and community organizations at large. For centuries, Africana histories and ways of knowing have faced the threat of erasure that has led to a suppression of vital truths and creating generations of disconnection, displacement, and misunderstanding. Today, as educational institutions across the nation confront renewed pressure to minimize or politicize the study of Black life, memory, and liberation, our responsibility to protect this knowledge is more urgent than ever.

This event brings together students, activists, scholars, and community members for two dynamic panels and open conversation on the past, present, and future of Africana studies. Together, we will explore the stakes of preserving these disciplines, the role they play in shaping global understanding, and how collective action can safeguard the integrity of Africana-centered scholarship.

Attendees will hear from leading voices doing the work on the ground and within the academy, engage in dialogue about the cultural and political forces influencing curriculum and organizing today, and imagine sustainable pathways for ensuring Africana studies remains accessible, protected, and deeply rooted in our institutions and real world applications.

This is a call to remember, resist, and reimagine.

All are welcome to join us in this essential community conversation.