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Obama Slave-Ancestry Report Misses Mark

Two scholars dispute assertions that a 17th-century forebear was one of the first documented slaves. Faculty members at Boston University’s African American Studies Program, Linda Heywood, Ph.D., and John Thornton, Ph.D, discuss President Obama’s ancestral roots in an article on The Root. Click here to read the entire article!

Congratulations to MA graduate Sarata Toriola

Congratulations to Sarata Toriola, AFAM’s newest MA graduate. The AFAM convocation ceremony took place on Saturday, May 19th at 4 :00pm  at the African American Studies Program Building, 138 Mountfort St. Brookline,MA 02446. Professor Allsion Blakely’s remarks entitled, “The Future of African American Studies” at the 2012 African American Studies Convocation. Convocation program 2012Final

Jazz, Criticism & American Politics

Jazz Criticism and American Politics April 12 and 13, 2012 Keynote Speaker: Lewis Porter (Rutgers University) The Department of Musicology and Ethnomusicology at Boston University in collaboration with the Howard Gotlieb Archival Research Center will host an international conference, “Jazz, Criticism, and American Politics,” on April 12 and 13, 2012. The Gotlieb Archival Research Center […]

“Expressions of Islam in Contemporary African-American Communities.”

The Alwaleed Islamic Studies Program at Harvard University is hosting its Fourth Annual Conference on April 7 & 8, 2012, entitled “Expressions of Islam in Contemporary African-American Communities.”  Speakers will explore and highlight the varied experiences of African American Muslims in the United States. The conference will not only showcase research on African American Muslims […]

Black History Month Film-Festival

UMOJA  and the African American Studies Program Present… “Black Power Mixtape 1967-1975” . Tuesday, February 28,2012 6-9 pm Howard Thurman Center, 775 Commonwealth Ave ( Lower Level) Boston “Black Power Mixtape 1967-1975” mob…ilizes a treasure trove of 16mm material shot by Swedish filmmakers, after languishing in a basement of a TV station for 30 years, into […]

African Americans and the Abrahamic Religions Symposium-Save the Date

African Americans and the Abrahamic Religions Symposium-Save the Date On April 19 and 20, 2012, BU Professors Linda Heywood and John Thornton have assembled a stellar lineup of national and inetrnational scholars to explore the topic of African Americans and the Abrahamic Religions. Click here for more details.

Interview with Professors Linda Heywood and Ruha Benjamin about Black History Month Events

The Daily Free Press interviewed BU Professors Linda Heywood and Ruha Benjamin about the program’s activities in honor of Black History Month. Both Boston University and the Boston Public Library will highlight the history and culture of African Americans with presentations and performances. Many experts on black history will visit the city to offer their […]

Drs. Heywood and Thornton Interview with Fox News

Dr. Linda Heywood and Dr. John Thornton were interviewed recently by Fox News about new research that identifies the origins of African American ancestry as stemming from 46 ethnic groups located in three major regions in Africa. See interview here Fox Interview with Profs Heywood and Thornton.