African American Studies faculty members have made valuable contributions to the field of African American and African Studies in the United States and around the world. The geographical focus of the department's teaching and research is the United States Black Experience with a particular emphasis in Appalachia.
The African American Research and Service Institute is housed in the African American Studies Department at Ohio University. The AARSI is a regionally recognized institute for the study of the African American experience. The AARSI provides a mechanism for the building of strategic partnerships across the campus, across institutions, and across the global community to conduct cross and inter disciplinary research using multi-disciplinary approaches.
Its four research emphases are:
- Rural America, especially the Ohio River Valley
- The African Diaspora in the Americas
- Constitutional law and social justice
- The sociology of entertainment
Grants and Research Awards
Recent grants and research awards to African American Studies faculty and students at Ohio University:
- Dr. Gary Holbomb's Romance in Marseille (Penguin Classics, 2020), Editor’s Choice, Bestsellers section, New York Times Book Review(opens in a new window) .
- Dr. Daniel Moak, 2019 - $500 grant from CLJC (internal) for pedagogy training (Inside-Out)
- Dr. Daniel Moak, 2019 - $500 grant from Inside-Out (external) for attend Inside-Out training
- Dr. Bayyinah Jeffries, 1804 Special Library Endowment proposal in the amount of $10,000 toward the purchase of library resources related to African Americans and popular culture