40 Hours for the Forty Acres 2020

Who We Are

Black Studies at The University of Texas at Austin is a collective endeavor like no other Black Studies initiative in the country. With a history rooted in activism, the group draws its strength from four distinct yet aligned campus units – the African and African Diaspora Studies Department, the John L. Warfield Center for African and African American Studies, the Institute for Urban Policy Research & Analysis, and the Art Galleries at Black Studies. Students have access to and play a large role in the cutting-edge policy research, thought-provoking scholarship, and robust arts and cultural programming, happening every day at Black Studies at UT Austin.

What We’re Fundraising For

The work of each unit is based on the premise that every student deserves the right to feel welcomed and value on campus, given every opportunity to succeed, and exposed to a history and narratives that tell an accurate story of the Black experience across the world. Classes may be virtual and programs may be cancelled – but the work to support our students is not. 

When you give to Black Studies, you are supporting a collective that is committed to creating a community for students from marginalized populations, through the very important and timely ways:

• Direct Student and Faculty Support: AADS has worked hard to transition our classes to the online environment and support students in every way possible, to ensure their continued success while learning away from campus. 
• Providing Important Spaces for Students and Community: The Warfield Center and AGBS have reimagined programming and explored exciting new digital platforms for engaging the community. 
• Educating Students on COVID-19: IUPRA took the lead in explaining the impact of COVID-19 on Black communities and on our public education system, providing crucial data that has helped guide meaningful policy conversations.

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Resiliency, creativity, and ingenuity are not new to Black people and our students – they are the tenets of our collective histories and reflect brilliantly in all we are as a diaspora of diverse global cultures. As donors and alumni, you contribute to our foundation, compel us to move forward, and provide shining examples of what's possible across our collective.  

Your Impact

Right now, your impact will help students navigate the new reality of obtaining their educational goals in in light of COVID-19.

• Food assistance to Black Studies students who are facing food insecurity.
• Summer funding for Black Studies graduate students who lost teaching assistantships and research funding.
• Scholarships for undergraduate students to continue their research activities 

Ensuring that Black Studies mission is intact beyond COVID-19 is essential. Representation Matters. At Black Studies and through the initiatives launched within the collective, ensuring that the voice of marginalized communities is centered and valued, has equipped thousands of students with tools of discovery to change the world. These special initiatives at Black Studies:

• Enriched the educational experience of the 1,500 students who have engaged with visiting performance artists in their classes since the program began.
• Financially supported 10 student gallery attendants employed each semester at AGBS and one Black Diaspora Archive scholarly annually.
• Expands the horizons of 2,000 students annually as they take part in over 40 Warfield programs each year.
• Equipped advocacy organizations, policy makers, and students with research to improve the lives of black communities in Texas.