“I am more than glad that I chose Africana studies. It’s a major that helps you form a way of going about life,” said Olivia Furman, a senior in the College of Arts and Letters.
Africana studies at the University of Notre Dame centers on Africans and the African Diaspora—the global dispersion of peoples of African descent—and examines their historical, sociological, political, and economic contexts around the world. Furman appreciated the range of topics she was able to explore through the program, including “civil rights issues, justice, liberties, social rights, the dignity of the human person, and the Catholic Social Tradition.”
As a Franklyn E. Doan Scholar, Furman undertook a research project studying the purpose and usefulness of a culturally relevant arts education in inner city schools.
“Through Africana studies we get to study people and culture … and how people have changed the way they live over time,” Furman said. “It’s not just something that you study, it’s something that you do, and that’s what I really love about Africana studies.”
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Originally published by at al.nd.edu on October 16, 2014.