Research spotlight
Reframing the archive: African approaches to American Studies
Dr. Kofi Mensah
Essay · 8 min read
African Association of American Studies
Member portalLibrary & resources
A shared field of inquiry
African voices.
American Studies.
Shared futures.
AfAAS brings together scholars, students, artists, and institutions to expand how American Studies is imagined, taught, and lived across Africa and the world.
Est. 2018AfAAS / 01
We
make
space.
make
space.
For rigorous inquiry, generous exchange, and ideas in motion.
01 / What is AfAAS?
A home for
the field to grow.
We are a bilingual, transcontinental network invested in the many ways Africa shapes American Studies — and in the scholars shaping what comes next.
Through research, gatherings, publications, mentorship, and exchange, AfAAS creates the conditions for knowledge to travel. We connect the people and ideas that make a field more expansive, more accountable, and more alive.
Meet the community02 / The community
Many places. One field.
AfAAS is made by people who ask better questions — across disciplines, generations, and geographies.
Scholars
Research networks, working groups, and a place to share work in progress.
Find your peersStudents
Mentorship, opportunities, and pathways into a global academic community.
Start hereInstitutions
Partnerships that support exchange, public scholarship, and institutional change.
Partner with us03 / Ideas in motion
Research, unbound.
Community voices
“We are building a field that can hold many worlds.”
AfAAS member stories
Conversation · 6 min read
From the journal
New perspectives on Black Atlantic intellectual histories
AfAAS Review · Vol. 04
Publication · Open access
04 / Gather with us
The field
in person.
From intimate seminars to our annual assembly, there is always a way to join the conversation.
See all eventsOCT
18
Annual gathering
AfAAS Annual Assembly 2025
Nairobi · Hybrid
NOV
06
Webinar
Decolonizing the syllabus
Online · 14:00 UTC
NOV
22
Community forum
Early Career Scholars Forum
Dakar · In person
05 / Open doors
There is a place for your work.
Find calls for papers, fellowships, teaching opportunities, and ways to support the next generation of scholars.
Browse opportunitiesCall for papers
AfAAS Review Vol. 05
Deadline · Jan 15, 2026
Fellowship
Early Career Research Fund
Deadline · Feb 01, 2026
06 / Make it yours
The work is better
together.
Become part of a community committed to widening the conversation. Membership opens doors to people, ideas, and possibilities.