Thirteen students from Houston-area high schools participated in the inaugural Emerge Leadership Academy (ELA), a summer program hosted by the University of Houston Department of African American Studies. The free, two-week program brought students from the Greater Houston area together on campus, ensuring their college readiness and deepening their knowledge about African American culture.

On Oct. 20, rap legend Bernard James “Bun B” Freeman joined University of Houston Department of African American Studies (AAS) Chair Tara T. Green in a vivid conversation about hip hop's influence on Black culture, religious parallels and much more.

Join us in congratulating Andrea Tribble as she becomes the newest student ambassador for the Department of African American Studies. Read more about Andrea here.

Effective Aug. 1, Tara T. Green begins her tenure as the founding chair and CLASS distinguished professor of the department of African American studies at the University of Houston. This historic appointment is the latest in a series of major developments for the program, which launched a large scholarship endowment and earned departmental status soon after marking its 50th anniversary.

Two years after celebrating its 50th anniversary, the African American Studies (AAS) Program at the University of Houston College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences (CLASS) has been formally elevated to a degree-granting department.

The University of Houston College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences (CLASS) is pleased to announce associate professor of history Linda Reed, Ph.D., as interim director of the African American Studies (AAS) program.

Studying the Black experience and its impact on society – and society’s impact on it – may help stem the tide of racism, but its goal, through the African American Studies (AAS) program at the University of Houston, is to even the historical playing field.

A valued member of the UH community for nearly 20 years, Professor Conyers’ legacy will live on. James Conyers passed away on Monday, January 25, 2021.

The University of Houston College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences (CLASS) is proud to announce that Director of African American Studies James L. Conyers, Jr., Ph.D., has established the William Alexander Lawson Social Justice Scholarship Endowment. This scholarship honors the remarkable legacy of civil rights advocacy and social justice activism that Rev. Lawson has built over seven decades as one of Houston’s most influential civic and religious leaders.

The UH College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences (CLASS) is pleased to announce that undergraduate students will have the option to declare a major in African American Studies beginning in the Fall 2019 semester. The addition of a Bachelor of Arts degree in African American Studies (AAS) coincides with the 50th anniversary of the program and reflects growing interest from students and faculty in the study of black culture throughout space and time.