Recognizing student scholarship at second annual symposium On February 27, 2026, the Department of African American Studies hosted our second annual student symposium in the Memorial Union’s Tripp Commons, drawing scholars, students, and community members together for a full day of exchange on Black studies; the event centered research in the arts, activism, and theory. …
The Department of African American Studies develops a monthly series designed to build our campus community and apply scholarship to daily practice. This spring, we launched In Dialogue, a new monthly series created to bring scholarship out of the classroom and into conversation with our broader campus community. Organized by the department’s Programming Committee, In …
by Hope Kelham A conversation with Ziyen Curtis on their research and re-writing the American textbook Ziyen Curtis (she/they) came to the Department of African American Studies in 2024. They started their Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction and began taking African American studies courses. By the time they’d taken three courses, a faculty member suggested …
A recap of the 2026 End of Year Celebration On May 7, 2026, we held our annual End of Year Celebration, bringing together graduating students, their families, faculty, and staff for an afternoon of recognition. Department chair Dr. Christy Clark-Pujara opened the event with remarks before guests shared lunch and conversation. The gathering closed with a …
Dr. Tom Wing Shick (1947-1987) received his M.A. (1970) and Ph.D. (1976) from the Department of History at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. He joined the Department of African American Studies in 1977. Dr. Shick was an academic consultant for the U.S. Department of State, Carnegie Corporation (Kinte Library Project), The Institute of the Black World, …