Africana Studies
Africana studies is the academic inquiry into the histories, cultures, religions, and literatures of African peoples worldwide. With an Africana studies major or minor, students explore the experience of Africans and people of African descent within both national and international contexts.
Africana studies is multidisciplinary, with courses in the social sciences (history and anthropology), the humanities (literature and religion), and the arts (music).
The goals of the Africana studies department are the same as the liberal arts goals of Luther College: breadth and depth of knowledge, critical thinking and inquiry, and effective writing.
But the discipline also emphasizes expanding students' knowledge of Africans and of Africans in the African diaspora—those peoples who have historically been excluded from the curriculum.
Luther encourages students to combine their work in this department with another academic discipline. Students interested in legal work or international relations may choose, for instance, to double major in political science. Students interested in careers in community service may choose, for instance, to major in social work and minor in Africana studies
On campus, the college sponsors African and African-American guest lecturers, art displays, and performances by gospel choirs and other musical and theatrical groups.
The Africana studies department, in partnership with the Diversity Center, sponsors the annual Black History Month conference every February. This conference brings together Africana studies scholars and students from throughout the Midwest.
These events are all part of Luther's efforts to extend the view of the campus outward, encouraging students to be active participants in a global community.