The Africana and Black Studies (ABS) Program at CWU offers an interdisciplinary approach to the multi-faceted and multi-layered experiences of Afro-descendants in Africa and the African diaspora. At the forefront of realizing and addressing historical and contemporary issues within these local and global communities, CWU’s ABS program brings together scholars from an array of disciplines who are dedicated to developing critical and innovative methods that address people in Africa and the African diaspora in fundamental ways relevant  to students’ varying career paths.  Within our rapidly globalizing society, the purpose of the Africana and Black Studies Program at Central is to introduce students to the historical and contemporary political, sociocultural, and economic realities within Africa and the African diaspora.

Vision: 

The ABS Program is dedicated to preparing global citizens equipped with intersectional, interdisciplinary, and transnational perspectives that foster a sense of social consciousness, responsibility, and justice. ABS seeks to: (1) facilitate students’ understanding of marginalized peoples; (2) prepare students to lead and work in a diverse society and global market place; (3) foster students’ cultural enrichment to promote their understanding of the dynamics of U.S and global political, social, and economic systems; and (4) challenge students to examine their assumptions and preconceptions about race, gender, class, sexuality, religion, and the human experience.