Africana Studies Professor

Africana Studies Professors have a large topic to cover: the history, culture, and current affairs of the people of Africa, as well as people of African origin who live in various countries around the world.

If you’re an Africana Studies Professor, much of your workday revolves around teaching. You put together lesson plans and choose books for the students to study. Then you stand in front of the class and talk.

To make sure your students are truly listening and paying attention, you give them tests and topics to write about. At the end of the course, each student is rewarded with a grade as a parting gift.

The rest of the time, you immerse yourself in your own studies. You may explore one specific aspect of Africana studies, such as people of African descent living in New York or how the language of a specific African tribe has elements of Spanish sprinkled throughout.

To expand your knowledge of your topic, you may conduct surveys, read journals and articles by other Africana Studies Professors, or attend conferences. Most students will respect your quest for knowledge, although they may envy you when you take trips to Africa for your work. Bringing back souvenirs can help lessen the pain.

Demonstrating your school spirit may be part of the job, forcing you to attend important sporting events and fill your closet with clothing in the school’s colors. You may also attend student council meetings and preside over student clubs. While you may resent this invasion into your free time, it will help you advance your career, and the students will love you for your openness.