About the African American Studies Program
Learn about our faculty and program offerings.
African American Studies Program
What We Do
The African American Studies Program at the University of Mississippi explores the history, culture, and contributions of African Americans through interdisciplinary research and teaching, with a focus on Mississippi and the South.
We offer a dynamic curriculum that examines African American experiences across history, literature, art, music, and public policy. Our program fosters cultural and intellectual engagement on campus while preparing students for careers that intersect with African American studies.
Who We Are
The University of Mississippi is categorized as an R1 research institution, which means that our faculty are at the top of their fields and actively conducting groundbreaking research. It also means students work and study alongside some of the best.
Our faculty members include award-winning educators and researchers with years of experience.
Welcome from the Director
The African American Studies Program at the University of Mississippi is committed to examining the history, culture, and contributions of African Americans and Africans in the U.S. and the diaspora through dynamic research and teaching. Our interdisciplinary curriculum spans history, literature, art, music, political science, sociology, and more, with a particular focus on the African American experience in Mississippi and the South. As the only institution in the state offering a B.A. in African American Studies, along with a minor that fosters academic excellence and social responsibility, we equip students with the knowledge and skills for impactful careers in law, education, government, media, business, and beyond. We invite you to explore our courses and become part of a vibrant intellectual community dedicated to understanding and advancing African American experiences.
Charles K Ross
Professor of History and African American Studies and Interim Director of African American Studies
Program Leadership & Support
Charles Ross
- Professor of History and African American Studies and Interim Director of African American Studies
Shirley Joiner
- Secretary II
Tracion Flood
- Program Manager
African American Studies Faculty
Charles Ross
- Professor of History and African American Studies and Interim Director of African American Studies
Patrick Alexander
- Associate Professor of English and African American Studies
Kesicia Dickinson
- Assistant Professor of Political Science and African American Studies
Owen Hyman
- Instructional Assistant Professor of African American Studies
Marvin King
- Associate Professor of Political Science & African American Studies
Raja Malikah Rahim
- Assistant Professor of History and African American Studies
Ethel Scurlock
- Dean of the Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College and Associate Professor of English and African American Studies
Affiliated Faculty
Adetayo Alabi
- Professor of English
Robert Colby
- Assistant Professor of History
George Dor
- Professor of Music
Adam Gussow
- Professor of English and Southern Studies
Zachary Guthrie
- Associate Professor of History
Jeffrey Jackson
- Chair of Sociology and Anthropology and Professor of Sociology
Ryan Parsons
- Assistant Professor of Sociology and Southern Studies
Richard Purcell
- Hubert H. McAlexander Chair in English and Associate Professor
Mohammed Salau
- Professor of History
Jodi Skipper
- Professor of Anthropology
James Thomas
- Associate Professor of Sociology and Sociology Graduate Program Coordinator
Faculty Leading Programs
Prison-to-College Pipeline Program
The Prison-to-College Pipeline Program, a university-community engagement initiative––cofounded and directed by Dr. Patrick Alexander, Associate Professor of English and African American Studies, promotes higher education in prison in response to high rates of incarceration and the ongoing need for increased access to educational opportunities in the state of Mississippi.
Slavery Research Group
Led by Slavery Research Group cofounders and codirectors Dr. Chuck Ross, Professor of History and African American Studies and Interim Director of African American Studies, and Dr. Jeff Jackson, Professor and Chair of Sociology and Anthropology, University of Mississippi faculty, staff, and students are working across disciplines to learn more about the history of slavery and enslaved people in Oxford and on campus.
Department Partners
Department of Art & Art History
The Department of Art and Art History is committed to developing a foundation for understanding art history and studio art methodologies through a focus on hands-on, practical, and theoretical approaches.
Department of English
We practice literary studies and creative writing. As scholars and students of literature, we read British, American, and World Literatures from the Medieval period to today, and celebrate and investigate the written word, film, and other media as essential to our history and contemporary society. As creative writers, we move and inform through the craft of fiction, poetry, screenwriting, and other genres. In our classrooms, students strengthen their ability to read, analyze, and communicate in ways that are enduring and adaptable across the professions.
Department of History
Studying history allows you to sharpen your thinking and writing skill while exploring the rich, endlessly varied human past. A degree in history opens doors to careers not only in teaching and museums, but also in any profession that requires a sharp mind, the ability to process information and the flexibility to adapt to ever-changing circumstances, from foreign service to law.
Department of Music
We provide a transformative educational experience through music that empowers students to realize their full potential, cultivate their unique talents, and make meaningful contributions to the world. Our students work closely with faculty and peers as they perform, research, engage with the community, and develop relationships that prepare them to be successful leaders, scholars, and artists.
Department of Psychology
Psychology is a field that studies behavior, mental activities, and the biological processes that underlie them. Psychologists apply the scientific method to understand many different topics, such as, the brain, development, social interactions, personality, psychopathology, and cognition.
Sarah Isom Center for Women and Gender Studies
We offer students, faculty, staff, and visitors a gathering place, as well as an atmosphere of mutual encouragement and support for women of all ages and backgrounds.
Department of Sociology and Anthropology
We study social behavior, institutions, and structures within human societies and examine the cultural, social, and biological aspects of human life across different societies and historical periods.
Center for the Study of Southern Culture
The Center for the Study of Southern Culture seeks to investigate, document, interpret, and teach about the American South through academic inquiry and publications, documentary studies of film, photography, and oral history, and public outreach programs.
Department of Theatre & Film
The Department of Theatre and Film at the University of Mississippi offers great artistic and academic opportunities. Our students receive individualized attention from a faculty with extensive professional experience and we create performance, design, and stage management opportunities for all of our students.
History
The African American Studies Program grew out of demands from African American students attending the University of Mississippi. On February 25, 1970, more than 80 students demonstrated at the university for the establishment of a Black Studies program and the hiring of black faculty and administrators. After the protest, a number of students were arrested. Protesters were housed in the Lafayette County Jail, and over 40 were sent to the Mississippi State Penitentiary known as Parchman Farm until they were bonded out.
Eventually, eight students were expelled from the university, but in the fall of that year, the university hired Ms. Jeanette Jennings as the first black faculty member. Also during that year, the first classes were offered under the Black Studies Program. The program has published newsletters, developed the Afro-American Novel project, and organized conferences on Richard Wright, Black Language, Archaeology, and the Annual Experience of Black Mississippians.
| 1970–1978 | Dr. Harry P. Owens and Ms. Jeanette Jennings, co-advisors of Black Studies Program |
| 1978–1980 | Dr. Cleveland Donald, first director of Black Studies Program |
| 1980–1981 | Dr. Donald took a leave of absence to work for the National Endowment for the Humanities |
| 1980–1981 | Dr. Donald Cole, appointed coordinator |
| 1981–1982 | Dr. Thomas Eric Green, acting director |
| 1983–1989 | Dr. Ronald Bailey, director (renamed Afro-American Studies Program) |
| 1989–1990 | Ms. Marilyn M. Thomas-Houston, coordinator |
| 1990 | Dr. Bruce B. Williams, acting director |
| 1990–2003 | Dr. James F. Payne, director (renamed African American Studies Program) |
| 2003–2019 | Dr. Charles Ross, director |
| 2019–2020 | Dr. Ethel Scurlock |
| 2020–2024 | Dr. Derrick Harriel |
| 2024–2025 | Dr. Charles Ross, interim director |
Our Community
A Place That Ever Calls
Located 70 miles from Memphis and surrounded by the natural beauty of Northern Mississippi, Oxford boasts thriving music, art, and literary scenes along with great restaurants. UM's athletics provide many opportunities to watch and participate in sports—and one of the world's best tailgating parties.
With everything Oxford has to offer, it's no wonder USA Today named Oxford as one of the Top Six College Towns in the Nation.
Come see why.