Save the date: Celebrating 35 years of the Department of African American Studies

This semester the Department of African American Studies and Wayne State alumni are celebrating the courageous students who demanded Black studies and the department that resulted from their protests.

On Apr. 13, 1989, students sat in and occupied Helen Newberry Joy Hall/Student Service Center. They “studied in” for 11 days and gained the attention of the campus, university administration, city of Detroit, and supporters and critics. The students presented 17 proposed changes. One was for the creation of the Department of Africana Studies with at least five faculty members. The university eventually agreed, and the department was created in the next academic year, 1989-1990.

On Friday, Apr. 12, 2024, we will have a reception from 6 to 8 p.m. as an opportunity for the department and the university to recognize the students who participated in the protest.    

On Saturday, Apr. 13, 2024, we will have a luncheon from 12 to 3 p.m. This event will have a brief panel discussion and a keynote speech on the state of Black studies on campus and around the country. Wayne State now has a growing Department of African American Studies with 12 full-time faculty members and six part-time instructors.

Both events will be held at Saint Andrew’s Hall.