UMD Department of African American Studies (AAAS)

AAAS's outstanding graduating senior highlight continues: today, we're celebrating Dominique Curtis! Congratulations, Dominique! 🐢🎓

AAAS498R-Race and Sports, is one of our summer classes being offered this year! From June 1st to July 10th, lean about the role Black Americans have played in sports since their origins. Questions? Email bguluma@umd.edu.

UMD's Historic Preservation Program will be hosting a Descendant Community Film Festival at the Reginald F. Lewis Museum this Saturday! Registration is free through the link through Friday, May 1! 🗓️: Saturday, May 2nd 🕰️:10 AM - 1 PM 🔗: eventbrite.com/e/land-legacy-…

AAAS is proud to highlight another one of our graduating seniors! Meet Aspen King-- congratulations, Aspen, and best wishes on your future plans! 🐢🎓

Sign up for AAAS398A: Hidden In The Cupboard: Studying African American Culture and Society Through Foodways. The class is for Summer 2026, beginning on June 1, 2026 - July 10th 2026.

Join the Office of Civil Rights and Sexual Misconduct (OCRSM) and One Love UM for their Color the Plaza event! This drop-in event invites students to write positive messages with chalk to uplift their fellow Terps. 🗓️: Monday, April 27th 🕰️: 2-3PM 📍: Hornbake Plaza

Over the next couple of weeks we'll be highlighting AAAS's graduating seniors and their future plans! The department is tremendously proud of all of their hard work and next steps. Up first is Maria Klevorn-- congratulations, Maria! 🐢🎓

The Driskell Center's Artists Panel will feature three artists from their spring exhibition America Will Be! as they reflect on the American flag as a site of protest, possibility, and belonging. 🗓️: Friday, 5/1 🕰️: 5:00 pm 📍: 1207 Cole Student Activities Building

The Douglass Dialogues: What to Us Now is the Fourth of July? Speakers: Christopher Bonner, Janelle Wong, and Larry Thompson. 🗓️: Monday, April 20th 🕰️: 1:00 - 2:30 PM 📍: Cole Student Activities Building Room 1214

Next Week! As part of Latin American and Caribbean Studies Center's 2026 Caribbean Week, join UMD Steelbands and Terrapin Steel for a steelpan workshop and performance! 🗓️: Tuesday, April 21st 🕰️: 6:00 - 7:30 PM 📍: School of Music Courtyard

UMD's Art History and Archaeology department has hosted a Transcribe-A-Thon of the Freedmen's Bureau records since 2016. Join the department for a 10th annual Transcribe-A-Thon! 🗓️: Friday, April 24th 🕰️: 10am-2pm 📍: the Collabratory (4213A ArtSoc)

On Monday, April 20th, The Driskell Center will be launching their new event series The Douglass Dialogues. The first event, "What to Us Now is the Fourth of July?," is free through the Driskell Center's Website. 🗓️: Monday, April 20th 🕰️: 1 pm-2:30 pm 📍: Driskell Center

The Reginald F. Lewis Museum's FREE Children's Book Festival returns this month! 🗓️: Saturday, April 11th 🕰️: 11 AM - 3 PM 📍: Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African American History & Culture

Check out this new article by alumni Jessica Weiss '05, which features an interview with AAAS and English Professor John Drabinski! It discusses the throughlines between all three of his new releases. aaas.umd.edu/feature/how-pr…

Join us for the Open House & Diaspora Launch! Come celebrate community, culture, and connection as we introduce new initiatives and create space for meaningful conversations. 🗓 April 7th ⏰ 3:30 PM – 5:00 PM 📍 AAAS Main Office (1119 & 1126), Taliaferro Hall

Nyumburu's NACPE Program is hosting a workshop this Friday, 3/27, at noon. These free workshops are great ways to gain information and knowledge! Please RSVP by emailing solomon@umd.edu

This Thursday, 3/26, the David C. Driskell Center will be having its Spring Program beginning at 4 pm. Artist Alison Saar will be giving an afternoon lecture, and Dr. Cherise Smith (UT Austin) will provide an evening lecture. Please register: eventbrite.com/e/artist-talk-…

We’re excited to share the 3rd Annual UMD ATLAS Conference, taking place March 31 – April 1 in H.J. Patterson Hall (Rooms 2124 & 2130). 📍 Free and open to the public 🗓 Registration open through March 29: atlas.umd.edu/conference/2026

Mark your calendars! AAAS, in collaboration with the Center for Literary and Comparative Studies and the John B. Slaughter Endowment Series, will be holding a book discussion with John Drabinski and Michael Sawyer (University of Pittsburgh). We look forward to seeing you there!

Join the National Museum of African American History and Culture, for their African American Heritage Cookbook series. 🗓 Saturday, March 7, 2026 ⏰ 10:30 AM – 3:00 PM 📍 Concourse Level 🎟 Free to attend (menu items vary in price). Timed-entry museum passes required.