The Department of African American Studies believes the deepest understanding of the complex reality of race in America requires an interdisciplinary and community-based approach. Our studies within and beyond the university’s walls draw on history, literature, the social sciences, and the arts. Our research lab, The SoulFolk Collective, engages in research that prioritizes Black-affirming methodologies to amplify the voices, stories, and lived realities of Black communities, embodying the department’s mission.
In the 2026–27 academic year, we will be launching The SoulFolk Saturday School program, a culturally grounded Saturday school for Black high school students in Madison. Housed within the Center for Black Excellence and Culture, we radically imagine a space that prioritizes Black education, rapport, free food for students and their families, and free mental and physical wellness services for students. The Department of African American Studies aims to revolutionize learning for Black Madison high school students, ensuring that academic tutoring, advising, and coaching is accessible to all.
How your gift makes an impact
A gift to The SoulFolk Saturday School directly effects the daily lives of Black students and their families. It puts books and supplies in students’ hands, covers stipends so high schoolers don’t have to choose between learning and working on Saturdays, and supports a graduate research assistant who helps coordinate and strengthen the academic support students receive. It funds the hourly wages of the undergraduate and graduate mentors who guide students, and it pays for transportation for those who live far from the Center for Black Excellence and Culture. It also makes it possible to bring in guest speakers, provide an academic coach and a mental health counselor, and serve hot meals that nourish students and their families.
Why we need your support
The University of Wisconsin–Madison has a Black student population of under 3 percent, and that number dropped in 2024; UW–Madison has the lowest Black student population in the Big Ten (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel). We hope to demystify higher education for Black Madison high school students. According to Madison 365, the current average score on the ACT for Black students in the Madison Metropolitan School District is 14.8. The average ACT score for all students in the state of Wisconsin is 19.4 (a 4.6-point gap). If students score below 17 on their ACT, they are forced to take developmental courses in college, requiring them to stay in school longer, which could mean additional loans or a delay in graduation. The Department of African American Studies and The SoulFolk Collective aim to use the Black Freedom School resistance strategies of the past to herald more liberatory futures for all of us and build a transformative Black community in Wisconsin and beyond.