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The Department of African and African-American Studies (AAAS) was founded in 1970 during a period when student activists sought revolutionary change at the University of Kansas and throughout the United States. This academic year, as we mark 50 years since the department's founding, many are once again demanding equal justice, fighting anti-Blackness, and challenging struggles aggravated by a global pandemic. These tremendous conditions have compounded many student’s needs.
During our 50th Anniversary, the Department of African and African-American Studies has initiated the Spearman Family Student Research and Support Fund, named in recognition of the Spearman family’s long history of activism and support for the Black community of Lawrence and the University of Kansas. In the spirit of the Spearman family’s activism, this fund is created to directly support undergraduate majors, minors and graduate students in the department.
For many students, the cost of pursuing a degree exceeds their resources. The goal of the fund is to encourage retention, assist with enhanced educational experiences, and support students toward the successful completion of their degrees. The support would include:
As friends and alums of the Department of African and African-American Studies, you know Black Studies is important in our struggle for an equitable society. The current movements only highlight the importance and continued necessity of our work. With your support, the students and faculty in the Department of African and African-American Studies at the University of Kansas can continue to succeed into the next 50 years and beyond.
We thank you in advance for any contribution you can contribute to this important fund. You can make recurring installment donations, and all contributions are tax-deductible. Thank you for your support of this initiative.
