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Africana Studies

Penn junior Misha McDaniel named a Beinecke Scholar
Student standing in front of an outdoor fountain.

Misha McDaniel is a 2020 Beinecke Scholar. 

Penn junior Misha McDaniel named a Beinecke Scholar

English major Misha McDaniel has been awarded a 2020 Beinecke Scholarship to pursue graduate education. McDaniel is one of 18 Beinecke Scholars chosen from throughout the U.S., and the 13th recipient from Penn since the award was first given in 1975.
Exhibition showcases the brilliance of Black women writers
Two grad students and library curator looking at Joanna Banks Exhibit

Exhibition showcases the brilliance of Black women writers

A major exhibition and symposium organized by two Penn graduate students highlighting African American women literature is open in the Penn Libraries’ Kamin Gallery.

Dee Patel

‘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?

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.