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Africana Studies

‘FACES’ captures, not defines, Black identity on campus
students in the biopond

‘FACES’ captures, not defines, Black identity on campus

Sophomore Hadja Diallo and Senior Christine Olagun-Samuel published the inaugural issue of Faces of Black Penn on behalf of the Black Student League, a new magazine that features the diversity inherent in the Black campus experience.

Kristina García

Angela Davis ‘refuses to give up’
Gina Dent, Angela Davis, and Margo Natalie Crawford seated in discussion on stage

Gina Dent, Angela Davis, and Margo Natalie Crawford on stage at the 19th annual MLK Lecture in Social Justice.

Angela Davis ‘refuses to give up’

Angela Davis and Gina Dent joined Margo Natalie Crawford of the Center for Africana Studies for this year’s Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Lecture in Social Justice.

Kristina García

The 25th annual MLK symposium
Side-by-side headshots of two female academics

Angela Davis (left) and Gina Dent (right) head the 19th annual keynote conversation with Margo Natalie Crawford of the Center for Africana Studies.

The 25th annual MLK symposium

Across campus, students, faculty, and staff will gather for the 25th annual Commemorative Symposium honoring the life and legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. from Jan. 15 through Feb. 1.

Kristina García

Contemporary art enhances Penn Museum’s Africa Galleries
Man in a suit pointing to a glass box containing artifacts

Tukufu Zuberi in Penn Museum’s Africa Galleries.

(Image: Eric Sucar)

Contemporary art enhances Penn Museum’s Africa Galleries

New installations showcase the diversity and artistry of modern culture in dialogue with historic artifacts.

Kristina García

Herman Beavers’ balancing act of creativity and educational innovation
Professor of English and Africana studies Herman Beavers seated in a chair in a university hallway.

Professor of English and Africana Studies Herman Beavers. (Image: Omnia magazine)

Herman Beavers’ balancing act of creativity and educational innovation

The professor of English and Africana studies is defined by his artistic curiosity and commitment to community building as a teacher and mentor.

Penn Today Staff

Where does affirmative action leave Asian-Americans?
The New York Times

Where does affirmative action leave Asian-Americans?

Two studies led by Camille Z. Charles of the School of Arts and Sciences found an overrepresentation of black immigrant students at “highly selective” colleges and universities, compared to black American descendants of enslaved people. “I think there are American blacks whose families have suffered generationally who are being squeezed out,” she said.

Penn remembers and celebrates Toni Morrison
Amy Gutmann and Toni Morrison seated on stage with flags behind them Toni Morrison appears on stage with University of Pennsylvania President Amy Gutmann in 2012. Morrison was awarded the Trustees' Council of Women's Beacon Award.

Penn remembers and celebrates Toni Morrison

The Penn community recalls the life and legacy of renowned author and teacher Toni Morrison, H‘88.
Toni Morrison, renowned writer, Nobel laureate and Princeton University professor, dies at 88
Philadelphia Inquirer

Toni Morrison, renowned writer, Nobel laureate and Princeton University professor, dies at 88

Herman Beavers of the School of Arts and Sciences memorializes the late Toni Morrison. “She taught us how not to be guided by the white gaze. She made it okay for us to really think about how we see the world and really be central in it,” Beavers said. “She showed us that we didn’t need white people to explain what our lives meant or even acknowledge it. We could do it ourselves.”