africana studies

Vanderbilt University professor lectures on hardships of West African slaves at MTSU
Photo and story by Benjamin Shaw / Contributing Writer Alexis Wells-Oghoghomeh, an assistant professor of religious studies, American religious history and African-American religious history at Vanderbilt University, gave a lecture titled “Female Captive to Negro Wench: Slavery in Religious and Gendered Perspective” in the Parliamentary Room of the Student Union Building Tuesday afternoon. The presentation, …

‘We need to promote an alternative narrative:’ Director of MTSU Africana Studies explains history of Black History Month
Photo courtesy of Library of Congress While millions of Americans celebrate Black History Month every year, many would say that they have no idea how the observance began or who helped to push African-American history to the forefront of thousands of minds in February. According to MTSU Africana Studies Director Louis Woods, the history of …

MTSU Africana Studies program hosts ‘Get Out’ screening, panel
Photo courtesy of IMDB Story by KeWana McCallum / Contributing Writer The Middle Tennessee State University Africana Studies program hosted a screening and panel for the movie, “Get Out,” on Wednesday in the Student Union Building. Louis Woods, an associate professor in history and director of the Africana Studies program, and Michelle Stevens, an MTSU Africana …

Africana Studies registration drive helps students change major, learn about program benefits
Photo and story by Laklyn May / Contributing Writer Students gathered in Peck Hall Wednesday to be a part of the MTSU Africana Studies registration drive in which they had the opportunity to change their current majors and learn more about the program. The new MTSU Africana Studies major is the first of its kind …

Nashville’s Belcourt Theatre screens James Baldwin documentary
Story by Jarron Parker / Contributing writer For the last week of Black History Month, Nashville’s historic Belcourt Theatre screened Raoul Peck’s “I Am Not Your Negro,” a documentary focused on James Baldwin and Peck’s vision of his unfinished manuscript. Peck attempts to finish the manuscript “Remember This House” through film to shed light on the …

Africana Studies major likely for Fall 2017
Photo and Story by Jarron Parker / Contributing Writer MTSU is one step closer to providing the first Africana Studies major in the Middle Tennessee region. African American Studies is currently only a minor program at MTSU, but Thomas Bynum, the director of the program, has been working since 2013 to make it a major. …