Outreach

The African American Studies Department's outreach program aims at directly impacting the immediate and larger community in Macomb, west central Illinois, Chicago and the Quad Cities areas, the United States and the African World as a whole. It is geared at strengthening the scholarly and community service activities of the department. The department strives to be a leader in its outreach programs and to directly impact on the WIU community, the Macomb community, the west central Illinois region and other parts of our immediate and global world. Currently, Professors Audrey Watkins and Safoura Boukari are in the process of working on a Black Community Center project in Macomb. The project, which was initiated by native Black citizens of Macomb, aims at exploring possibilities of social and educational ventures for Black youths in Macomb.

Among other outreach missions of the department are:

WIU Black Alumni

The department want to strengthen the relationship with WIU Black alumni and collaborate with them in ventures that are of immediate and long-time benefit to the Black community in Illinois and around the world. The department also needs the help of alumni in recruiting students for the AAS degree programs.

Student Recruitment

The department organizes visits and cultural programs in community colleges, High schools, and other places as part of its drive to recruit more students to the African American Studies degree program. It collaborates with alumni, the AAS Department Club, Interested Back Sorority and Fraternity, in organizing its student recruitment events.

African American Studies Department Alumni

The alumni of the department of African American Studies are regularly updated about the progress of the department, and are invited to send ideas and suggestions that will strengthen department's offerings and support extra curricular activities for students and faculty. The department looks at its alumni as its ambassadors to the immediate and larger world communities and strives, from when they are students on campus, to provide them the best of the African American Studies discipline, and make them always choose WIU's African American Studies as the exemplary post-secondary education discipline that enhance their chances of becoming leaders of their community and prepare them to be relevant in the social, economic and political arenas of our global community, ensuring a strong and satisfactory careers for them and ensuring their strong background for further graduate training.

WIU Foundation

Through WIU Foundation, the African American Studies department provides opportunities to its alumni to support the educational and community outreach ventures of the department. AAS Alumni and others interested in supporting a strong African American Studies discipline have opportunities to institute scholarship programs, support department's Visiting Professors Program, support student recruitment, department's general operations or any other area of their interest.

Indigenous Africa and Diaspora Discourse Project (IADDP)

Founded and directed by Dr. Abdul-Rasheed Na'Allah, the IADDP's Lecture Series invites to WIU campus every semester scholars and researchers from the United States and abroad to present on topics relevant to the culture and peoples of Africa and the African Diaspora. IADDP also has other cultural and scholarly programs to incorporate African materials into the curriculum. For more information about IADDP see: www.wiu.edu/iaddp

Black Perspectives Television Program

The African American Studies Department is organizing a television program, called "Black Perspectives" to be shown initially twice a week. It will offer programs from cultural performances, to intellectual discussions and debates relating to issues and views of people of African descent, America and our global world. There will be scholars, artists, people of exceptional and ordinary achievements featuring on "Black Perspectives." The department will announce the first edition soon. Professor Audrey Watkins has been chosen as Presenter, and other AAS faculty members and students would join her from time to time. WIU University Television, channel 3, will broadcast "Black Perspectives."

Other Programs

The department is working on other programs, and from time to time, will announce new outreach events.

African American Studies Department | College of Arts & Sciences
1 University Circle, Morgan Hall 232
Macomb, IL 61455
Phone: 309/298-1181 Fax: 309/298-2181
E-mail: aas@wiu.edu
WIU Homepage: www.wiu.edu