Student Life

At Temple University, there’s so much more to Africology and African American Studies than the academic work students do in the classroom. As a student, you’ll also have the opportunity to study abroad, contribute to a leading journal and further your knowledge of Black studies through an unparalleled literature collection. And don’t forget about our many scholarship opportunities!

Summer Study Abroad in Ghana!

Temple University's Education Abroad and Overseas Office is now offering for 2025, Temple Summer in Ghana: African Urban Hip-Hop! Over four weeks, this program will focus on how African urban hip-hop functions as a decolonial framework and on sociopolitical movements against cultural and economic imperialism in the global African diaspora. This is your opportunity to live, study and intern in another country for college credit!

Visit the Temple Summer in Ghana webpage to learn more about the academic programming, costs, dates and more!

Journal of Black Studies

Our department is the home to the Journal of Black Studies, the most prestigious publication in the discipline of African American studies. A leading source for innovative and creative research on the Black experience, the journal is published six times per year. Africology and African American studies students can work with the journal under the guidance of our distinguished faculty.

The Encyclopedia of Black Studies

Two of Temple’s faculty members, Molefi K. Asante and Ama Mazama, edited the Encyclopedia of Black Studies. It is the leading reference source for dynamic and innovative research on the Black experience. The encyclopedia contains a full analysis of the economic, political, sociological, historical, literary and philosophical issues related to Americans of African descent.

National Council on Black Studies

The Department of Africology and African American Studies is accredited by the National Council for Black Studies (NSBC). NCBS was established in 1975 by African American scholars who recognized the need to formalize the study of the African world experience, as well as expand and strengthen academic units and community programs devoted to that endeavor. NCBS holds an annual conference and publishes the International Journal of African Studies.

image of Reynaldo speaking in front of a podium and large screen

Charles L. Blockson Collection

The Charles L. Blockson Afro-American Collection, located at Temple University’s Sullivan Hall, contains over 500,000 items on the global Black experience. Dating from 1581 to the present, the extensive catalog is the first of its kind at a major university. Mr. Blockson chose Temple University for his collection because of our diverse student body and our location at the heart of the African American community in North Philadelphia.

Undergraduate Department Scholarships

Undergraduate and graduate students are eligible to be nominated for the following awards and scholarships in Africology and African American Studies Department. Superior academic achievement is a pre-requisite to be considered for nomination.

Frances Ellen Watkins Harper Award

This award is given to a successful student who best represents the department’s commitment to community work and public action. Harper was a Black abolitionist, suffragist, poet, temperance activist, teacher, public speaker, and writer. One of the first African American women to be published in the United States in 1845, Harper became a public figure who championed Black women’s suffrage and educational goals in 19^th century-Philadelphia.

The Annie D. Hyman Award

This award is given to a successful student to honor the founder of The Pan-African Studies Community Education Program (PASCEP) at Temple University. In 1975, Ms. Hyman pioneered the PASCEP education program for adults initiating GED courses. Under Ms. Hyman’s leadership PASCEP instituted a prison program and collaborated with Temple students conducting workshops, Kwanzaa programs and teaching courses for the inmates at Graterford Prison.

The Octavius V. Catto Award

A Quest for Parity: The Octavius V. Catto Memorial

Photo credit: Mark Jason Dominus

The Octavius V. Catto Award is named for the renowned African American activist, leader, and teacher who best articulated the goals and objectives of the African American community in Philadelphia. He was martyred while promoting voter registration, on the first Election Day, after passage of the Fifteenth Amendment in 1871. The award recognizes the successful student who demonstrates, in particular, foremost dedication and academic excellence in socio-political issues that concern Black society. The department recognizes Catto’s contribution to freedom at an annual ceremony near his monument at Philadelphia City Hall.

The Stephen P. Couvillion

The Stephen P. Couvillion Scholarship is established to honor the memory of a former graduate student who studied in our department, 2008-2010. Initiated by Stephen’s family, the scholarship is awarded to the successful M.A. student who demonstrates unusual initiative, and academic commitment to research and scholarship. The Stephen P. Couvillion Award represents one of the highest and most prestigious awards given in the department.

Africology and African American Studies