This academic year was special. (Swipe to see why!)
We couldn't have done it without you.
Next year will look a little different, but our work moves forward. Support the future of Black Studies at UT Austin by visiting the link in our bio. Today we're raising money for experiential learning opportunities for students. Our faculty are committed to continuing to connect the classroom with the wider world.
Yoruba Day 2026 | Embodied Tradition: Yorùbá Spiritual Frameworks in Capoeira Angola
Wednesday, April 22
11:00AM – 2:00PM | GWB 2.206
See agenda below
The Yoruba Day celebration at The University of Texas at Austin brings together students, faculty, and members of the broader community to celebrate Yoruba language, heritage, and traditions. Join us for performances such as traditional music, dance, drama, and spoken word, alongside displays of Yoruba cuisine, attire, and art. All are welcome!!
Hosted by African & African Diaspora Studies (AADS) and the Warfield Center, Yoruba Day creates an immersive and interactive atmosphere, where attendees not only observe but actively participate in cultural expressions. The event highlights the richness of Yoruba culture while fostering cross-cultural understanding and community engagement. Students in our Yoruba language program are featured contributors! We hope to see you for 2026 Yoruba Day!
AGENDA
11:00 – 11:05 AM Welcome by Prof. Níyì Afọlábí
11:05 – 11:45 AM Capoeria Performance & African Food with @capoeiraangolaatx
11:45 AM – 12:00 PM YOR 611C Performance: Ọ gbọn Ọ ba, (The Wisdom of the King) directed by Dr. Adébímpé Adégbìtẹ́
12:00 – 12:15 PM Introduction of Guest: Prof. Níyì Afọlábí
12:15 PM – 1:15 PM Guest Lecture: “Embodied Tradition: Yorùbá Spiritual Frameworks in Capoeira Angola” by Capoeira Master, Dorian Layssard
1:15 – 2:00 PM Musical Interlude
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Image: Photo by Priscila Almeida from Pexels
Thank you to everyone who attended the 2026 Eric Williams Memorial Lecture (EWML) featuring acclaimed author Marlon James. His reading and reflections reminded us of the power and possibilities of art, imagination, and community.
We would also like to express our appreciation to all the co-sponsors whose partnership and support allowed us to host this year’s EWML: Austin Arts, Culture, Music, & Entertainment (AACME), the Black Diaspora Archive, @blackpearlbooks , the Eric Williams Memorial Collection Research Library, Archives & Museum (EWMC), @carvermuseumatx , @michenercenter , @newwritersprojectmfa , the @llilasbenson Caribbean Studies Initiative, and @texasbookfest .
Thank you for joining us and contributing to an evening of learning, reflection, and imagining alternative futures together. 📸: SWNG Productions
One week away!! Marlon James comes to Austin for the 2026 Eric Williams Memorial Lecture! Get your tickets, and get there early! Reception begins at 5:15 and auditorium doors close promptly at 6:15 for the start of the program. Can't make it in person? The keynote will be livestreamed!
🗓️ April 2nd | 6:15–7:45 PM (US Central Time)
The in-person event is preceded by a public reception at 5:15 p.m. CT.
📍 Boyd Vance Theatre at the George Washington Carver Museum and Cultural Center (1165 Angelina Street, Austin TX 78702)
🎥 A livestream of the event begins at 6:15 p.m.
🎟️ This event is FREE and open to the public.
🔗 RSVP & Learn more at link in bio
“Marlon James is a writer of exceptional talent and range,” says Warfield Center Director and literary scholar Dr. Jennifer Wilks. “As Eric Williams was a scholar whose deep knowledge of history informed his vision for an independent Trinidad and Tobago, so James is an artist who deftly moves between immersive historical fiction and captivating epic fantasy, delving into the nuances of the past to imagine the possibilities of the future.”
Founded in 1999, the Eric Williams Memorial Lecture series honors the late Dr. Eric Williams (1911-1981), scholar, statesman, and Head of the Government of Trinidad and Tobago from 1956 until his death in 1981.
The 2026 EWML is sponsored by the John L. Warfield Center for African and African American Studies, The Eric Williams Memorial Collection Research Library, Archives & Museum at The University of the West Indies; the City of Austin, UT’s Michener Center for Writers, UT’s New Writers Project, The Caribbean Studies Initiative of The Teresa Lozano Long Institute of Latin American Studies (LLILAS), and the Texas Book Festival.
This winter we celebrated the promotion of Dr. Mónica Jiménez and Dr. Nessette Falu to the rank of Associate Professor of African & African Diaspora Studies. AADS is proud to be home to such accomplished and beloved tenured faculty!
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📸 Gabby Payne
Join the Warfield Center for the 24th annual, 2026 Eric Williams Memorial Lecture on Thursday, April 2, 2026, featuring award-winning author Marlon James.
Known for his powerful storytelling and global impact on contemporary literature, James brings a dynamic and thought-provoking voice to this year’s lecture, titled “Imagining Alternative Futures.”
The evening will begin with a 5:15 PM reception, followed by the 6:15 PM keynote lecture and a conversation with UT Assistant Professor of Religious Studies Khytie Brown.
Location: George Washington Carver Museum, Cultural and Genealogy Center
Free and open to the public
Books by Marlon James and Eric Williams will be available for purchase from Black Pearl Books, followed by a post-event book signing.
Refreshments will be provided.
This beloved lecture series honors the legacy of Eric Williams while bringing leading voices in global thought, literature, and scholarship to our community.
We hope you’ll join us for an evening of reflection, dialogue, and celebration.
Registration link:
/e/2026-eric-williams-memorial-lecture-ewml-marlon-james-tickets-1983830283782?utm-campaign=social&utm-content=attendeeshare&utm-medium=discovery&utm-term=listing&utm-source=cp&aff=ebdsshcopyurl
The Warfield Center invites students, faculty, staff, and community members to join us for our latest Faculty Book Talk on Monday, February 9.
✨ Featuring:
• Dr. Ashley Farmer – Associate Professor, UT Austin Department of African & African
Diaspora Studies, UT Austin Department of History
• A'Lelia Bundles – Award-winning journalist and great great granddaughter to Madam C.J. Walker
Date: Monday, February 9
Time: 3–5:00 PM
Location: Gordon-White Building Multi-Purpose Room (2.206)
Engage in an enriching conversation about Dr. Farmers new book, 𝘘𝘶𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘔𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳: 𝘉𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘬 𝘕𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘮, 𝘙𝘦𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘜𝘯𝘵𝘰𝘭𝘥 𝘚𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘈𝘶𝘥𝘭𝘦𝘺 𝘔𝘰𝘰𝘳𝘦, and enjoy light refreshments as we celebrate the scholarship and insights of A'Lelia Bundles and Dr. Farmer.
See you there!
Beginning in the late ’60s, a new wave of Black graduate filmmakers emerged from UCLA, turning their cameras toward the lives Hollywood overlooked. Not unified in style but on common ground, the films of the L.A. Rebellion blend experimentation with lived realities, insisting on truth over tropes. These films by filmmakers such as Charles Burnett, Julie Dash, Larry Clark, and Zeinabu irene Davis have reshaped the pulse of American cinema, creating new possibilities in Black storytelling along the way.
Essential Cinema: The L.A. Rebellion includes screenings of Charles Burnett’s TO SLEEP WITH ANGER (February 3–7), Larry Clark’s PASSING THROUGH (February 10-14), Julie Dash’s DAUGHTERS OF THE DUST (February 17–22), and Zeinabu irene Davis’ COMPENSATION (February 24–28).
Tickets and more info via the link in our bio. Thanks to our partners @warfield_ut
On this Giving Tuesday, hear from our students how an AADS-led study away experience expands their skills and worldview!
Click link in bio to support experiential learning at UT Black Studies!
Giving Tuesday is here! We invite you to join us in supporting experiential learning in African & African Diaspora Studies.
We are excited about one such opportunity in Spring 2026: a transformative new course called Black Curatorial Thought, created and taught by Dr. Rikki Byrd (@rikkibyrd ). The course prepares students to become future leaders in the curatorial field by engaging them in: 🎨 Curatorial proposals and exhibition case studies 📚 Critical writing and exhibition reviews 🌍 On-the-ground learning that connects theory to real-world practice
A highlight of the course is its experiential learning component: a student trip to the 61st annual Venice Biennale—a landmark exhibition curated this cycle by the late Koyo Kouoh, the first African woman to lead this internationally renowned event.
By giving today, you help ensure that our students can participate fully in this rare and invaluable opportunity. Together, we can cultivate the next generation of curators, scholars, and cultural leaders.
Giving link in bio. Add a comment to your gift form with the phrase "experiential learning" to direct your funds towards the goal of bringing this course and others like it to life for AADS students!
Get Ready!! This is a friendly reminder that Giving Tuesday is Tuesday, December 2. We hope you will join us in supporting the launch of our new Spring 2026 course, Black Curatorial Thought, created and taught by Dr. Rikki Byrd.
Your Giving Tuesday contribution will directly support:
🛫 Student travel to the 2026 Venice Biennale
🎨 Hands-on engagement with curatorial practice
📚 Opportunities for students to explore curatorial proposals, case studies, and critical writing
With your help, we can provide students with an unparalleled experiential learning opportunity, which includes travel to the 61st Venice Biennale—a globally celebrated exhibition shaped this cycle by the late Koyo Kouoh, the first African woman to curate the event. Your gift ensures that financial barriers do not prevent students from participating in this transformative experience.
Your support empowers the next generation of cultural leaders and strengthens UT’s role as a leading incubator for African diasporic visual culture and curatorial practice.
We thank you.
Donate now via Link in Bio.
GWB, or the Gordon-White Building, is the official home to African & African Diaspora Studies, AGBS, the Warfield Center, the AADS Institute for Research & Policy, Latino Studies, and more!! Visit us for classes, study spaces, art displays, advising services, and community.
