Engagement with UGA, Athens, and the surrounding communities is a critical component of the Institute’s mission. Emerging from the Black Freedom Struggle and the Civil Rights Movement, the field of African American Studies involves both scholarly and practical components, encouraging engagement between the Institute, the University, and the local communities. As such, following the models of Anna Julia Cooper's involvement in social settlements of the 1920s and 1930s, W.E.B. Du Bois's work with Atlanta University's People College and Atlanta University Studies, and Carter G. Woodson's work with public schools, the Institute has developed initiatives and programs geared toward building relationships with the local community. Such programs include an African Diaspora Film Festival, poetry and literature readings, seminars and panel discussions, lectures, numerous programs for youth, a book club, and other activities. For a calendar of community activities, please see the Institute's home page. |
