BLACK LEADERS
This civil rights leader co-founded the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) and won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964.
Who is Martin Luther King
This ancient North African civilization built the pyramids.
What is Kemet (Ancient Egypt)
What leafy green vegetable is a staple in many Southern and West African dishes?
Collard greens
This genre of music started in the Bronx in the 1970s and became a global voice for Black culture.
What is Hip Hop
What year did the Department of African American Studies at Temple University become the first in the nation to offer a doctoral program in African American Studies?
1985
She became the first African American woman elected to the U.S. Congress in 1968.
Who is Shirley Chisholm?
This Southern African kingdom was led by Shaka, known for his powerful army.
What is the Zulu Kingdom?
This dish, made from ground cassava or yams, is a West African favorite eaten with soups.
Fufu
This Nigerian artist is known as the pioneer of Afrobeat music.
Who is Fela Kuti
This Temple AAS scholar is known for her work on Afrocentricity, emphasizing African-centered perspectives in education and scholarship.
Who is Ama Mazama (The Chair of the Department)
He promoted economic self-sufficiency for African Americans, advocating “Black Wall Streets” and establishing the Negro Factories Corporation.
Who is Marcus Garvey
This empire was ruled by Mansa Musa, who was known as one of the richest men in history.
What is the Mali Empire
What food became a symbol of resistance during slavery, as enslaved people turned leftovers into cultural staples?
Chitterlings (or “chitlins”)
This genre, born in Jamaica, spread worldwide with artists like Bob Marley and emphasizes unity and resistance.
What is Reggae?
Temple AAS offers a course analyzing this modern hip-hop artist, whose music addresses race, identity, and social justice in America.
Who is Kendrick Lamar
He led the fight against colonial rule in Ghana and became the country’s first president in 1957.
Who is Kwame Nkrumah?
This West African kingdom was famous for its art made from bronze and ivory.
What is the Benin Kingdom
What is the traditional dish of rice and beans known across West Africa and the Caribbean?
Jollof rice (or rice and peas depending on the region)
This powerful style of African drumming is used in ceremonies and storytelling.
What are djembe drums (or African drumming)?
Temple AAS gives students the opportunity to visit this West African country to engage with African history, culture, and the diaspora firsthand.
What is Ghana?
Nicknamed “Africa’s Che Guevara,” this revolutionary became president of Burkina Faso in 1983 and implemented radical social and economic reforms before his assassination in 1987.
Who is Thomas Sankara
This West African empire came before Mali and was one of the first to grow rich from gold and trade.
What is the Ghana Empire
This African American chef popularized Creole cuisine and had the first cooking show hosted by a Black woman.
Leah Chase
During the Civil Rights Movement, people sang this type of song to stay strong and united — songs like “We Shall Overcome.”
What are freedom songs?
Who is the Director of Undergraduate Studies of the Department.
Who is Dr. Ifetayo Flannery