EKU African and African American Studies

Let the love for learning rule humanity. Congratulations to the class of 2026!

Join me in congratulating Abigail Wild and Nadia Grullon, who graduated this spring. AFA is proud of all they accomplished here at EKU. Greater things await them.

The Department of History, Philosophy, and Religious Studies held its annual awards ceremony on Friday, May 1. Congratulations to the award recipients, including three AFA students who won the Excellence in Writing Award. Thanks to the dean of CLASS, Dr. Mercy Canon, and the Associate dean, John Bowes, for supporting the department. Thanks to the faculty who mentored the award recipients and the award committees.

https://www.givecampus.com/schools/EasternKentuckyUniversity/eku-giving-day-2026

EKU Giving Day 2026 Join me and make a gift to EKU Giving Day 2026

The winners of the 2026 Ann Peyton Award are Angela Hillary, Marigold Nai, and Uchechi Anyanwu. Ann Peyton was the first black undergraduate student to graduate from Eastern Kentucky University. Although she was the only black student during her first year at EKU, Ann Peyton had no difficulty integrating with the EKU community at a difficult time in the nation's history. She grew up in integrated neighborhoods and had a well-respected grandfather, a landowner, who prepared her to fit in at EKU. The Ann Peyton Award honors her memory by recognizing EKU students who have embodied the spirit of community. Join me in congratulating the winners.

Students in the African and African American studies program shared their fascinating research projects with the EKU community at the annual community showcase held at the Center for Africana Engagement this afternoon. Many thanks to our EKU students for their hard work and dedication, to the faculty who mentored them, and to the EKU administrators in attendance: Dr. Rusty Carpenter, Assistant Provost, and Dr. John Bowes, Associate Dean of CLASS.

https://www.easternprogress.com/online_features/black-history-month-a-time-for-celebration-and-understanding/article_1d1cfed7-1f59-4210-998a-7a381af02c83.html

Black History Month: a time for celebration and understanding While Black History Month is every February, Eastern Kentucky University’s Director of African and African American Studies (AFA) and professor of African History Ogechi Anyanwu says it’s every month in