Professor Darius J. Young has been named director of the new center, which is being funded by two large foundations.
By Deidre Williams
Florida A&M University (FAMU) has received funding from two major philanthropic organizations to establish a Center for African and African American Studies. The Henry Luce Foundation and the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation granted $550,000 in total funding to support the center’s mission to promote research, scholarship, and community engagement focused on the rich histories, cultures, experiences, and contributions of the African Diaspora to the world.
Darius J. Young, Ph.D., a history professor in the FAMU College of Social Sciences, Arts, and Humanities, will serve as the center’s director. His vision for the center is to help advance African and African American studies as a discipline and to create a more substantial intellectual community through interdisciplinary collaboration among faculty, students, and the local community.
“Dr. Darius Young is a transformational leader, thought partner, and historian. This investment from the Luce and MacArthur foundations will spotlight African Americans’ invaluable and historically significant contributions to our society,” said Provost Allyson L. Watson, Ph.D., vice president for Academic Affairs. “Interdisciplinary research will play a significant role in our efforts to achieve Carnegie 1 Research status.”
The Henry Luce Foundation and the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation each gifted FAMU $275,000 to help establish the center. Funding will support faculty and student fellowship programs, undergraduate and graduate student research, learning communities for curriculum development and course enhancements, and cultural programming.
“We at the Luce Foundation are inspired by Professor Young’s vision for the center, which builds upon FAMU’s long history of community engagement and social justice,” said Sean Buffington, vice president Luce Foundation. “We believe in the power of education to transform lives and communities, and this center will play a crucial role in that transformation for the betterment of all people.”
The FAMU Center for African and African American Studies will begin operations during the 2024-2025 academic year, with plans to identify a physical campus location to offer a range of programs and initiatives that foster a deepened understanding of African and African American heritage.
“Through the support of our partners at the Luce and MacArthur foundations, we are providing opportunities for faculty and students to actively explore our origins, tell our stories, artistically express our truth, and collectively think critically about our future,” Young said.
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