Recovering the African American Past for the Purposes of the Policy Present: The History and Evolution of Africana Cultures and Policy Studies

Year 2009, Issue: 29, 33 - 52, 01.04.2009

Zachery Williams

Abstract

Africana Cultures and Policy Studies represents a revolution in the way Africana studies is thought of and applied. It takes the scholarship of the black experience and applies a multi-dimensional policy framework, producing solutions designed to improve conditions affecting Africana communities worldwide. In terms of intellectual production, there is a direct linkage between black intellectual history and the development of what we refer to herein as Africana Cultures and Policy Studies. First, I argue that the scholarship of black intellectuals, past and present, can contribute to the successful development, evaluation, and implementation of public policy for Africana communities around the globe. Second, the area of Africana Cultures and Policy Studies is offered as a mechanism and framework whereby we can examine the work of black intellectuals as it relates to policy construction, evaluation, and application. Lastly, I seek to highlight the work of the Africana Cultures and Policy Studies Institute in spearheading this effort to link black history and cultures theory with policy praxis.

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