Veterans’ Day Closure Notice

Department Chair

Dr. Marquita Gammage


Santa Susana Hall (SN) 324
18111 Nordhoff Street
Northridge, CA 91330-8315

Phone: (818) 677-3311 Fax: (818) 677-3619

AFRS Student Accomplishment Survey

We invite Africana Studies students to take a short survey about your academic and personal accomplishments.

Take the AFRS Student Accomplishment Survey

Alumni & Giving

Alumni and Graduates graduating

For more than 52 years the Department of Africana Studies courses have helped foster the curiosity and empower students with a knowledge base that will afford them an in-depth understanding of an African and African American centered perspective. If you support this mission, we invite you to make a donation to our department. We thank you for your generosity.

Graduates at the 2023 Black Graduation ceremony

"Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world."

– Harriet Tubman

Alumni Profiles

Bio

Jacquil Constant was born in Brooklyn, New York to Haitian immigrant parents and moved to Hollywood when he was six years of age. Very early on Jacquil was exposed to the world of filmmaking and through films such as Malcom X, realized that the medium of film could serve as his creative outlet without limits.

Throughout his career Jacquil has worked for networks such as MTV, BET, and VHI in various capacities including production, post-production and casting of reality television shows. In 2006, Jacquil established his own production company, Constant Production, which has various music videos, short films, and commercials to its credit. Today, Constant Production is focused on developing documentaries, feature films and television scripts. In 2010, Jacquil was granted an internship at the Cal State Northridge’s University (CSUN) Advancement Marketing Communications Department. There he has had the opportunity to film campus events and produce marketing videos such as “First Generation Student Voices” that are regularly spotlighted on CSUN’s website. Jacquil also works with CSUN’s Pan African Studies department filming various events and producing documentaries.

Jacquil is currently an Interdisciplinary Studies graduate student at CSUN. His educational focus has allowed him the freedom to work on both of his passions—film production and the history of black culture. Jacquil will be producing an art documentary on Haiti’s emerging art community for his graduate thesis and will be graduating in 2012. He completed his undergraduate degree in Film Production with a minor in Pan African Studies at CSUN in 2002.

She is a journalist and editor; founder of Nguzo Saba, the first independent black student newspaper at CSUN; the first African-American woman to serve as chair of the Ventura County Commission for Women; founding president of the CSUN Black Alumni Association; http://csunshinetoday.csun.edu/faculty-and-staff-news/shante-morgan-durisseau-joins-economic-roundtable/

Bio

Shanté Morgan-Durisseau is a managing editor of newspapers at California State University, Northridge and owner of Morgan Communications, a full service communications firm specializing in print, broadcast and radio media campaigns. Prior to taking her position in 2007, Ms. Morgan-Durisseau worked as a journalist reporting on issues ranging from Hollywood typecasting to urban sprawl. She was the regional political and urban affairs correspondent for Copley News Service where she won accolades for her coverage of Los Angeles’ mayoral race, Republican and Democratic National Convention, O.J. Simpson trial, Rodney King civil rights trial, the Reginald Denny riot-beating trial, riot rebuilding efforts as well as the region’s catastrophic fires, floods and earthquakes. She has also taught journalism at California State University, Northridge and California Lutheran University.

Ms. Morgan-Durisseau has a master’s degree from the USC Annenberg School of Journalism. She graduated in 1990 from California State University, Northridge with a bachelor’s degree in journalism and Afro-American Studies.

She is the first African-American woman to chair the Ventura County Commission for Women, which is a governmental body she was appointed to by the Ventura County Board of Supervisors. She is president of the Ventura County Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. and founding president of the CSUN Black Alumni Association.

Bio

James Henry graduated with a bachelor’s degree in African American Studies in 1991 From California state university Northridge. He was BSU president in 1989 and pledge Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity Incorporated in 1986. He received an Interdisciplinary Masters Degree in educational policy and leadership and African American studies in 1994 From CSU, Northridge. Mr. Henry also has a social science teaching credential and has been an academic advisor with the in the Educational Opportunity Program for past sixteen years. He has taught several courses in Pan African studies at Los Angeles Valley College, Mission College, Ventura and CSU, Northridge. He has been teaching University 100 for the past sixteen years and is currently pursuing his doctorate in Higher education at California Lutheran University. He is the current advisor for both Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity incorporated and the Black Student Union and serves as Vice president of the Black Alumni association.

He is a poet, author and 2012 NAACP Image Award Winner in poetry;
http://csunshinetoday.csun.edu/community/pan-african-studies-department-celebrates-anniversary/

Anaya Galves, Africana Studies Major

Student

Anaya Galves, Africana Studies Major

About Anaya

Awards

I received the 2020 CSBS Student Impact Award for the highest GPA shift in all of my department. This award shows the growth and expansion in my knowledge over the course of four years. Although the award itself was a blessing, the knowledge was the ultimate gift.

Grants

I received the James Bracy Memorial Merit Scholarship in 2019 for academia. With this award, I was able to take a moment and realize my hard work and mentorship paid off. Since then, I still put 100% into my academic growth and continue to mentor students about Black history and how they contribute to the success of Black lives.

Additional Program Experience

I will be attending CSUN's Higher Leadership Education Master's of Arts program in the Fall of 2020.

What matters to me

My degree in Africana Studies is the first in many steps I am taking to educate the world and consumers of knowledge on what the Black community is capable of. I appreciate the honor and accolades along the way, but it also shows that my work is being recognized.

Department Chair

Dr. Marquita Gammage


Santa Susana Hall (SN) 324
18111 Nordhoff Street
Northridge, CA 91330-8315

Phone: (818) 677-3311 Fax: (818) 677-3619

AFRS Student Accomplishment Survey

We invite Africana Studies students to take a short survey about your academic and personal accomplishments.

Take the AFRS Student Accomplishment Survey

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