Developing Culturally Competent Leaders for the Future
The African American Studies (AFAM) Program at the University of Florida offers students a high-quality education, delivered by faculty experts in their respective fields. It provides students with a variety of innovative courses that apply creative cultural teaching methods while examining the African American experience.
However, we believe that this education is significantly enhanced when students have the resources to develop their own experiences during their time at the University of Florida. Experiential learning opportunities, such as undergraduate research, guest lecture interactions, and mentorship, help students learn through hands-on experiences. Through these experiences, students gain practical skills that will serve them in their first jobs and careers while developing passions in their chosen field of study.
These opportunities enable students to learn about conducting research, critical thinking, and knowledge creation firsthand, while developing their critical thinking, problem-solving, and presentation skills. These experiences often help students to become more culturally competent, learning to interact with people from a wide variety of cultures and backgrounds – skills that will serve them well in their next step, whether they pursue graduate school or work in industry or government.
Despite all the benefits, many students lack the time and financial resources to invest in their future by taking advantage of experiential learning. The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation is committed to partnering with the AFAM Program to provide more students with these types of experiences. To achieve this, the Foundation is creating the UF AFAM Mellon Scholars Program, which offers undergraduate research and experiential learning opportunities for high-achieving students participating in the UF African American Studies Program.
The African American Studies Program carries on this work through the AFAM Scholars Program.
Program description
The AFAM Scholars Program will offer students a high-quality experiential learning experience that fosters their passion for the humanities and social sciences, while developing their research and professional skills. This program would enrich the student experience in a variety of ways:
- Experiential Learning Stipend: Scholars will receive a $1000 stipend for their participation in the program. This will help alleviate financial pressures on students and enable them to participate fully as UF AFAM Scholars.
- Mentorship: Students will receive mentorship in two ways. Each AFAM Scholar will have a faculty mentor from the UF AFAM program to guide research and critical thinking. Scholars will also participate in the Beyond120 MentorConnect program, connecting with an alumnus from the UF AFAM community to broaden their knowledge of the world and introduce them to the real-world working environment.
- Guest Lectures: As part of the UF AFAM Scholars Program, four invited lectures will be held each year for the UF campus and the local community to participate in. Each January, a Martin Luther King, Jr. speaker and community volunteer event will take place. In February, a leading scholar in African American Studies will be invited to give a presentation as part of Black History Month. March will host a speaker dedicated to Women’s History Month, and a speaker in September will be invited as part of Latino History Month to discuss Afro/Latino history.
- Professional Development: Scholars will have the opportunity to hear from four guest speakers, who will offer further opportunities for growth and mentorship to the Mellon Scholars.
Drew D. Brown
AFAM Scholars Coordinator
Assistant Professor
AFAM & Sociology
AFAM SCHOLARS FOUNDING STAFF
Alyssa P. Cole
Project Director
2024-2025 AFAM Mellon Scholars
2023-2024 AFAM MELLON SCHOLARS
AFAM Scholars News
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Welcome the 2024-2025 Mellon Scholars Cohort
Welcome to the 2024-2025 African American Studies Mellon Scholars cohort.
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Upcoming Event: Fireside Chat with Bomani Jones
Join the African American Studies program on Race and Sport, which features Sports Analyst and Host Bomani Jones.
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AFAM Student Sophia Williams wins NCBS’ 2025 Terry Kershaw Undergraduate Essay Contest
African American Studies would like to congratulate Sophia Williams who won the 2025 Terry Kershaw Undergraduate Student Essay Contest for her paper “From Colonial Injustice to Contemporary Challenges: Unraveling the Complex Narratives of Beauty, Body Image, and Anti-Blackness among African American Women.” Sophia is a 2023-2024 AFAM Mellon Scholar and AFAM Honors student with a…
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AFAM Mellon Scholars Present at National Black Studies Conference
The African American Studies Program is proud to introduce five of our majors who presented their research at the 47th Annual National Council for Black Studies Conference (NCBS) held on March 22-25, 2023. Presenters range from a first year student to a recent graduate.
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Mellon Foundation Higher Learning Grant Opportunity
The University of Florida African American Studies Mellon Scholars Program will provide 12 African American Studies major students with a high-quality experiential learning program that will help elevate their humanities knowledge, while also developing their skills in research and professional development.