ATLAS is a focal point for the study of African languages, history, contemporary issues, and research at the University of Maryland
Tuesday, March 31 & Wednesday, April 1
H.J. Patterson Hall, rooms 2124 & 2130
Join us for the 3rd Annual UMD ATLAS Conference on March 31 & April 1! This year's conference features DMV-based faculty exploring the theme of “Identity, Belonging, and Postcolonial Politics: Reflections and Futures.”
Conference details will be available soon!
This year is the 100th anniversary of the celebration, which the historian Carter Woodson started as “Negro History Week” in February 1926 to honor the accomplishments of Black Americans, resisting the societal pressures of the Jim Crow era. In 1976, the now-Association for the Study of African American Life and History declared February as Black History Month.
Monday, March 9, 2026 12:30 pm - 2:00 pm | Virtual
In this lecture, Dean of the College of Arts and Humanities, Stephanie Shonekan will explore five songs that African American communities consistently cite as sites of worship—songs that function as prayer, testimony, and praise even when they emerge outside formal religious spaces. Drawing from Black sacred and secular traditions, as well as popular music, the talk examines how these songs carry theological meaning through sound, memory, and collective feeling. As part of a larger project on African American love songs, the lecture argues that love—of God, of community, of self—remains a central mode through which African Americans have journeyed through American history.
American Studies Professor Psyche Williams-Forson leads the center as it celebrates its 55th year.
“America Will Be!,” open Feb. 9-May 8, presents artworks that critically engage the image and symbolism of the U.S. flag, inviting audiences to reflect on ongoing struggles over democracy, citizenship and belonging in the United States.
In a new TED Talk, "Why Can't We Better Prepare for Extreme Weather?", Assistant Professor Catherine Nakalembe examines why millions of people continue to face hunger despite advances in satellite technology that can detect droughts and crop failures months in advance.
