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African American & Diaspora Studies

African American & Diaspora Studies

Why Choose African American and Diaspora Studies

Declare your major or minor today!

Our alumni tell us that courses in African American and Diaspora Studies provide excellent preparation and foundation not only for graduate work in the humanities and social sciences, but also for careers in a number of fields, including traditional areas, such as business, education, health care, law, journalism, social work, and politics. Because the African Diaspora has so deeply influenced the making of the world today, it is an ideal field for students wishing to work in public and private organizations that investigate issues of far-reaching significance and consequences in the United States and beyond. Moreover, African American and Diaspora Studies also uniquely prepares students for positions in many of America's premier museums, cultural centers, and historic sites, as well as in the array of industries that market to African descent people, such as advertising, film, and music. Students gain a diversity of knowledge, coupled with cultural awareness about global and multiethnic societies, which translates into clear advantages and assets, leading to multiple career opportunities and paths.

Where Are They Now?

Featured AADS Graduates

  • Monyae Kerney ’20 majored in African American and Diaspora Studies, Psychology and Sociology and recently completed her Master’s degree at Columbia University’s Teacher’s College. She is now a Ph.D. student at the University of Kentucky.
  • Mecca Shabazz ’19 majored in Psychology and African American and Diaspora Studies and is currently on track to graduate from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville’s Law School with her JD.
  • Karlin Compton '18 majored in African American and Diaspora Studies. He is currently enrolled in the Ph.D. program in the Department of Biological Sciences at Northwestern University.
  • Akaninyene Ruffin '17 majored in African American and Diaspora Studies. She is currently an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse with Vanderbilt Primary Care.
  • Erin Logan '17 majored in African American and Diaspora Studies. She graduated from the School of Journalism at American University and currently works for the Los Angeles Times covering The White House.
  • Damon Cole '16 majored in African American and Diaspora Studies. He graduated with a J.D./MBA from Tulane University.
  • Yelana Sims '16 majored in African American and Diaspora Studies. After completing a Master’s degree in Women's and Gender Studies at George Washington University, she is currently a student in the Ph.D. program in Afro-American Studies at UMass-Amherst.
  • Sharon Zipporah Champion '15 majored in African American and Diaspora Studies. She is a Registered Nurse with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
  • Erica Johnson '15 majored in African American and Diaspora Studies. After working with Teach for America, she is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in the Graduate Department of Religion at Vanderbilt University.
  • Rebekah Nordine '15 majored in African American and Diaspora Studies. She was accepted into Teach for America in Alabama and now is the Program Director at Impact America.
  • Tarique Shotwell '15 majored in African American and Diaspora Studies. He was accepted into Teach for America in New Orleans and is currently the Academic Dean of Social Studies at the Akili Academy of New Orleans.
  • Niya McKray '14 majored in African American and Diaspora Studies. She completed her J.D. at Vanderbilt University Law School and is currently a Data Privacy Associate at Locke Lord LLP.
  • Jennifer Moore '14 majored in African American and Diaspora Studies and Political Science. She completed her J.D. at Howard University School of Law.
  • Jessica Brown '12 majored in African American and Diaspora Studies. In 2015, she graduated from the Peabody College of Education and Human Development. 
  • Nate Marshall '12, majored in African American and Diaspora Studies and English and studied abroad in our Cape Town, South Africa study abroad program. He won a Fulbright prize in the spring 2012 in order to serve as a teaching assistant in South Africa. He declined the Fulbright in order to pursue a fully funded Masters in Fine Arts (MFA) at the University of Michigan. An accomplished poet, he is featured in the critically acclaimed documentary, Louder Than a Bomb. He is currently an assistant professor at Colorado College.

Sample reading list:

Below is a sample of books used in our 1010 Introduction to African American and Diaspora Studies course:

  • James Baldwin, The Fire Next Time

  • Aimé Césaire, Discourse on Colonialism

  • W. E. B. Du Bois, The Souls of Black Folk

  • Harriet Jacobs, Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl

  • Walter Rodney, How Europe Underdeveloped Africa

  • Eric Williams, From Columbus to Castro: The History of the Caribbean, 1492-1969