Events and Activities

The Africana Studies program is pleased welcome Dr. Rogers Orock from the African and African American Studies program at Louisiana State University to campus on Monday March, 20th, 2023 at noon in the Gendebein Room of Skillman Library.

AFS welcomes Jori Lewis, an award-winning independent writer and editor who writes about the environment and agriculture mostly from the Global South. She will be discussing her new book, Slaves for Peanuts, and how demand for peanut oil in Europe ensured that slavery in Africa would persist well into the twentieth century.

AFS welcomes Dr. Adjepong to speak on their book Afropolitan Projects: Redefining Blackness, Sexualities, and Cukture from Houston to Accra. Dr. Adjepong is a sociologist whose reserach examines culture, identity and social change in West Africa and the diaspora.

Africana Studies welcomes Damareo Cooper! In January of 2021, Cooper was on the ground in Atlanta working with the rapper Common and other activists.  He was the Field Director for BLACKPAC, and is now the Director of Place Based Power at the Center for Popular Democracy. He spoke about his work in activism and getting out the vote.

Africana Studies hosts filmmaker Zadi Zokou April 17, 2019; this event is cosponsored by the student group LACSA. Zadi Zokou’s documentary Black N Black explores the relationship between African Americans and African immigrants to the United States and was filmed in the US, Ghana and Ivory Coast.

Africana Studies, International Affairs, and Women and Gender Studies in conjunction with the Class of 1961 Endowed Lecture Series is pleased to welcome Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Nobel Laureate and the first elected female head of state in Africa on October 23, 2018.

The David L. Sr. and Helen J. Temple Visiting Lecture Series is pleased to invite Charles Burwell for a lecture and printmaking project at Lafayette College. His lecture will be held in the Williams Center for the Arts, room 108 on October 3, 2018 at 4:30PM.

Laurence Gavron

Laurence Gavron is a writer and filmmaker born and raised in Paris, France and maker of the documentary film she will be presenting October 22, 2018, "So Far Away From Vietnam," a film about Senegalese soldiers and their Vietnamese families. Ms. Gavron currently lives in Senegal and has made numerous films about Senegalese culture.

Dr. Ousmane Sene

Africana Studies is grateful to Dr. Sene for making the long trek from Senegal to present, "The Mourides, the Baye Fall, Senegalese Culture and the Arts" on September 27, 2017. Dr. Sene's visit was part of the year-long project, Tapestries:Voices Within Contemporary Muslim Cultures.

Cheikh Lo & The Ndiguel Band

Africana Studies was excited to partner with the Tapestries:Voices Within Contemporary Muslim Cultures project to welcome Senegalese singer and songwriter, Cheikh Lo along with The Ndiguel Band to campus for a three day residency, September 25-28, 2017.

Cynthia Becker, Ph.D.

Dr. Cynthia Becker presented, "From Timbuktu to Morocco: Gnawa Ceremonial Arts" on March 27, 2017. Dr. Becker is an Associate Professor of History of Art Architecture at Boston University.

Laurie Lambert, Ph.D.

Joining us from the University of California, Davis, Laurie Lambert, Ph.D. presented, "Surviving Empire: Black Feminist Revisions of Revolution" on November 3, 2016.

Dr. Drew D. Brown

On October 20, 2016, Africana Studies welcomed Dr. Drew Brown from the University of Houston to present his lecture, "Talking Black Men: Communicating Manhood through Sports, Power, and Posture."

Gail Milissa Grant

Gail Milissa Grant discussed her book, "At The Elbows of My Elders: One Family's Journey Toward Civil Rights" on October 18, 2016.

Dr. Susan Kart from Lehigh University presented a very popular lecture titled, "Wade in the Water: Beyonce, Mami Wata and Black Feminist Power on October 18, 2016.

Jonathan Jones

It's a Go Go Beat Party! Students and faculty had a fantastic time at the Go Go Beat Panel Discussion and Party on April 29, 2016 with guest Jonathan Jones from Advocates of Culture and Knowledge Inc.

The Africana Studies program welcomed Senegalese poet, Thierno Seydon Sall to Lafayette April 4-7, 2016. Sall shared and discussed his poetry during classroom visits and at a several events for the Lafayette community.

Kenneth Kimani, known professionally as Brayo Judah delighted students and the Lafayette community with a creative dance workshop on March 30, 2016.

Sylviane A. Diour is an award-winning historian of the African Diaspora who shared her research, thoughts and reflections from her many publications with the Lafayette community on March 9, 2016.

Book Reception for Dr. Wendy Wilson-Fall

Lafayette faculty, staff and students celebrated the recent publication of "Memories of Madagascar and Slavery in the Black Atlantic" written by Professor Wendy Wilson-Fall with a cocktail reception and book signing on December 1, 2015.

On September 18-19, 2015, the Africana Studies program welcomed a group of scholars from institutions around the country to participate in discussions about Postcolonial Theory and current scholarly analysis of African American communities.

Alexis Wilson

Alexis Wilson is the author of the book, "Not So Black and White." Utilizing her multifaceted background of dance, theater, producing, directing and writing, Alexis presented a lecture on March 13, 2015 that touched on the social context of critical 21st century issues such as same sex parents, bi-racial heritage, abandonment and AIDS.