For many Black students growing up across the country, we attended schools that only taught us about the contributions of people across the African Diaspora during Black History Month. Our exposure to prominent African and Black American figures at school was limited to Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks, whose contributions were presented as a blip in history that solved all the issues of racism without providing the full context of how and why their work came about. This book participates in an academic tradition of writing against European-white-dominated discourses, emphasizing that narratives must come from the individuals experiencing them. Africana Studies have higher stakes as Africana scholars are tasked with engaging in research not just for academic prosperity but to create solutions that manifest into tangible change. We are writing to change lives.
This book presents a series of research topics within Africana Studies, focusing on gender and sexuality, technology, language, traditions, Afro-centric coping mechanisms, and global conversations with Afro-Diasporic communities. The scholars contribute new findings and research addressing gaps in youth, gender, and sexuality within African studies, navigating both academic and daily struggles commonly found in African communities. It serves as a resource where Black girls, people of African descent of all genders, teachers, and students can find answers to their questions about their research and communities. Topics such as the use of feminism and its conflicts with Africana womanism, youth studies for Black girls, daily practices of resistance for Black women, and literary responsibility in rejecting anti-Blackness are explored, revealing the immense work that remains within Africana Studies to advance Black life.