#  AAAS 

 



       ![homepage-banner](/sites/g/files/omnuum8896/files/styles/hwp_21_9__1920x825/public/aaas/files/homepage-banner.png?itok=GGZoXo-4) 

 

 



 

 



 

##  Welcoming the 2026-2027 Academic Year 

 



  [### Courses

 ](/courses-fall-2026) 

   ![Man reading a book](/sites/g/files/omnuum8896/files/styles/hwp_1_1__360x360_scale/public/aaas/files/courses_resized.jpg?itok=POZJlK2v) 

 

 

 

  [### Undergraduate Program

 ](/undergraduate) 

   ![Graduation Party](/sites/g/files/omnuum8896/files/styles/hwp_1_1__360x360_scale/public/aaas/files/party_resized.jpg?itok=IPU4Igu7) 

 

 

 

  [### Graduate Program

 ](/graduate) 

   ![Graduate Student Reading in Raines Library](/sites/g/files/omnuum8896/files/styles/hwp_1_1__360x360_scale/public/aaas/files/raines_library_resized_2.jpg?itok=Yt4engP5) 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 



 

 

 

 

##  Featured Faculty 

 



  [### Jarvis R. Givens

 ](/people/jarvis-r-givens)**Professor of Education**  
**African and African-American Studies Faculty**



 

   ![Jarvis Givens](/sites/g/files/omnuum8896/files/styles/hwp_1_1__360x360_scale/public/aaas/files/jarvis_givens_0.jpg?itok=aGU7v_nM) 

 

 

 

  [### Emmanuel K. Akyeampong

 ](/people/emmanuel-k-akyeampong)**Ellen Gurney Professor of History and Professor of African and African American Studies;**  
**Oppenheimer Faculty Director of the Harvard University Center for African Studies**



 

   ![Emmanuel Akyeampong](/sites/g/files/omnuum8896/files/styles/hwp_1_1__360x360_scale/public/aaas/files/emmanuel_akyeampong_-_news.jpg?itok=h-B6qNoC) 

 

 

 

  [### Jacob Olupona

 ](/people/jacob-olupona)**Hugh K. Foster Professor of African and African American Studies and Professor of African Religious Traditions**  
**Chair of the Department of African and African American Studies**



 

   ![Jacob Olupona](/sites/g/files/omnuum8896/files/styles/hwp_1_1__360x360_scale/public/aaas/files/jacob_olupona_news.jpg?itok=PLWkyaJg) 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

##  AAAS In The News... 

 



  [### AAAS doctoral candidate Mafaz Al-Suwaidan Produces PBS Series

 ](/news/2026/05/aaas-doctoral-candidate-mafaz-al-suwaidan-produces-pbs-series) May 05, 2026 

 AAAS doctoral candidate Mafaz Al-Suwaidan is a writer and producer of American Muslims: A History Revealed , a Webby-nominated PBS series exploring the early history of Muslims in the United States. Originally released online to an audience of over 3.5... 

 

  [Eli Bernhardt](/people/eli-bernhardt)

 

   ![PhD student Mafaz Al-Suwaidan](/sites/g/files/omnuum8896/files/styles/hwp_16_9__480x270/public/2026-05/mafaz%201.1_0.jpg?itok=HEHKieBb) 

 



 

 

   [### Professor Daniel Agbiboa Appointed as Fellow for Canadian Institute for Advanced Research

 ](/news/2026/05/professor-daniel-agbiboa-appointed-fellow-canadian-institute-advanced-research) May 01, 2026 

 AAAS professor Daniel Agbiboa has been appointed as a Fellow of the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research (CIFAR) under the Humanity’s Urban Future program, following nomination by leading international urbanists and the program’s advisory committee... 

 

 

   ![Daniel Agbiboa](/sites/g/files/omnuum8896/files/styles/hwp_16_9__480x270/public/2026-05/thumbnail_daniel_e._agbiboa_official_copy_1.jpg?itok=S5KkYl80) 

 



 

 

   [### Henry Louis Gates, Jr. Awarded Jefferson Medal

 ](/news/2026/04/henry-louis-gates-jr-awarded-jefferson-medal) April 24, 2026 

 AAAS professor Henry Louis Gates, Jr. was awarded the 2026 Thomas Jefferson Foundation Medal in Citizen Leadership on April 13 in a ceremony in Charlottesville, VA. This annual award is the highest external honor bestowed by the University of Virginia and... 

 

 

   ![Henry Louis Gates stands at podium](/sites/g/files/omnuum8896/files/styles/hwp_16_9__480x270/public/2026-04/gates%20jefferson_0.jpg?itok=WynYZVAL) 

 



 

 

  

 

 [ More... arrow\_circle\_right ](/news-events) 

 

 

 

##  African and African American Studies Visual Retrospective 

 



 

In honor of the 50 years of African & African American Studies at Harvard University, two of our graduate students, Amy Alemu and Robin McDowell, have created a visual retrospective to celebrate the department's history.

[**View Retrospective**](/visual-retrospective)



 



    ![screen_shot_2020-02-18_at_7.27.08_pm](/sites/g/files/omnuum8896/files/styles/hwp_1_1__720x720_scale/public/aaas/files/screen_shot_2020-02-18_at_7.27.08_pm.png?itok=ew_nzu3M)