The Merritt College African American Studies (AFRAM) program focuses on assisting students on a path of consciousness that ultimately leads to improving their lives and family and liberating our communities. The primary goals and objectives of the program are consistent with and enhance the overall Merritt College mission and have consistently sought to help community college students develop factual information, tools of analysis, and favorable attitudes toward the African American struggle and the liberation of African people from powerlessness, poverty, and racism.

Department Overview

The focus of African-American Studies (AFRAM) is to assist students on a path of consciousness that ultimately leads to improving their lives and family and liberating our communities. The primary goals and objectives of the program are consistent with and enhance the overall Merritt College mission and has consistently sought to help community college students develop factual information, tools of analysis, and favorable attitudes toward the African-American struggle and the liberation of African people from powerlessness, poverty, and racism.

Career paths comprise the same opportunities as any other humanities and social science degree — but with a knowledge of self and a commitment to community empowerment: scientists, business owners, nurses, medical professionals, corporate employees, artists, lawyers, politicians, community activists, psychologists, inventors, teachers, writers, and many other fields.

(See the African-American Studies program highlighted in a video featuring interviews with former AFRAM Chair and faculty member Dr. Siri Brown and faculty member Danae Martinez, and students.)

Africana Center

The Africana Studies Community Research Center has two central objectives:

One, we have four interactive learning modules of museum quality where students engage with supplemental course materials through visual, touch screen, and e-portfolio lessons on iPods. The modules for the center are multilayered and highly visual and kinesthetic. They are also ADA compliant and Spanish bi-lingual to ensure access. The modules are for educational purposes and include assessment that impacts the grade of the student. Every African American Studies course and instructor links their curriculum and assessment to the modules.

Two, the center houses and collects local African American historical documents on the Black Panther Party, post World War II Black migration, unions, arts and culture and other areas. This aspect of the center involves students in that African American Studies majors and interested students are trained in historical preservation processes including archiving, scanning, and interviewing methods for individual and family histories.

Students will be able to receive transferable credit and certification for this work and their projects will become a permanent part of the collection. Our Center is open to scheduled high school class visits, community organizations, and youth groups.

Demo of the Africana Curriculum:

South Africa Fulbright Community Event

African American Studies – A.A. Degree

The Associate in Arts (AA) degree in African American Studies examines, from numerous disciplinary perspectives, questions of race, culture, and modern struggles for equality centering on the experiences of people of African descent in Black Atlantic societies including the United States, the Caribbean, Latin America, Europe, and Africa, including the global impact of those experiences.

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Faculty & Staff

Department Chair Jason Seals Building A-203 jeseals@peralta.edu (510) 434-3935	Dean, Liberal Arts and Social Sciences Dr. Chriss Warren Foster Building L-123 cfoster@peralta.edu (510) 434-3897	Assistant to the Dean Denise Woodward Building D-216 dwoodward@peralta.edu (510) 436-2425
Danae Martinez Building A-203 Email: dmartinez@peralta.edu Bio [ext link]	Jonathan Brumfield Building A-203 Email: Jbrumfield@peralta.edu Bio [ext link] SF State Bio [ext link]	Nehanda Imara Building A-203 Email: nimara@peralta.edu Bio [ext link]
Siri Brown, Ph. D. Building A-203 Email: sbrown@peralta.edu Bio [ext link]

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Liberal Arts and Social Sciences