By Aaliyah Butler
The Center for African Studies at Howard Universityhas been awarded National Resource Center (NRC) and Foreign Language and Area Studies (FLAS) grants from the United States Department of Education. The center will receive nearly $3 million for the 2022-2026 grant cycle to support Africa-focused programming, education and outreach, as well as African language instruction.
“We are delighted to continue to serve as a National Resource Center for African Studies,” saidKrista Johnson, director of the Center for African Studies. “The increased allotment is a testament to Howard’s leadership in African studies, scholarship, language and outreach programs. We are uniquely positioned to expand our programming and impact, with an average of 700 student registrations in African languages per year, and an additional 1,000 student registrations in African studies courses.”
The Center for African Studies is a comprehensive Title VI National Resource Center and a campus-wide hub that supports and enhances Africa-related teaching, including African languages (Amharic, Arabic, Somali, Swahili, Wolof, Yoruba and Zulu) in the Department of World Languages and Cultures. In unifying Howard’s mission and vision, the center works to consolidate and expand the legacy of HU as a leader for America and the global community in relation to the study of Africa.
As part of the Title VI program of the U.S. Office of International and Foreign Language Education, the NRC and FLAS grants promote a greater understanding of countries and regions across the globe through foreign language and areas studies training and research. With Title VI funding, the center will expand the number of students with advanced fluency in African languages, increase Africa-related interdisciplinary programming, research and curriculum development, and broaden our outreach to K-12 schools, HBCUs and community colleges.
