The Department of Gender and Race Studies was established in 2009 when the longstanding Department of Women’s Studies at the University of Alabama came together with the African American Studies Program to be housed in one departmental unit. This academic department draws on the best traditions in the fields of Women’s Studies and African American Studies in order to educate students about local, national, and global issues.

The Department of Gender and Race Studies is committed to offering interdisciplinary training at both the graduate and undergraduate levels that:

• Helps students to understand the intellectual, historical, and political legacies of women and African Americans, in both a national and a transnational/diasporic context
• Enriches scholarly discussions on race, gender, sexuality, disability, and other societal concepts on the local, national, and transnational level
• Develops students critical thinking skills used for oral and written communication
• Offers students the opportunity to use knowledge gained in the classroom to enrich their local communities
• Increases students technological knowledge and skills by engaging in digital technology and new media
• Trains students in the ethical, theoretical, and social challenges of global citizenship

Mission Statement

The Department of Gender and Race Studies is committed to examining and producing knowledge that addresses the importance of societal concepts that provide for a description of intellectual, historical, and political legacies in the US and abroad. It has established an important forum for interdisciplinary research, teaching, and service at the University of Alabama within the academic disciplines of African American Studies, Women’s Studies, and Sociology.