Northwestern Reportedly Set to Close Program of African Studies, Ending an Near Eight-decade Chapter in Higher Education

Brandon Caldwell

Sat, August 15, 2026 at 5:24 PM EDT

Established in 1948, the Program of African Studies at Northwestern is the first academic program formally focused on Africa.

Northwestern is preparing to cut ties with its Program of African Studies, according to The Purple Wire.

The program, founded in 1948 by American anthropologist Melville J. Herskovits, is the first formal academic program focused on Africa and its study in the United States. Over time, it has garnered widespread acclaim, and its status as a campus-wide research institute and center has given it the distinction of being a program completely separate from Northwestern's schools.

"They told us that the center is closing, so all staff are being laid off because there will be no center to employ you," a staff member told The Purple Wire under condition of anonymity for fear of potential retribution.

Another staffer added, "They didn't give us a reason for the closing. They haven't actually told staff anything about their plans."

Per the report, students in the program, as well as faculty, were left in the dark about the announcement and how the school will utilize African studies in the future. Subsequently, staff members in the program would be laid off. At present, the only staff member explicitly tied to the program is director Chris Abani, with two other staff members listed under the Institute for the Study of Islamic Thought in Africa.

In a statement, Northwestern spokesperson Amy E. Lee countered that the program had "not closed but is in a period of transition away from status as an Office for Research university-wide research institute and center."

She added that the university remains "committed to continued support for all facets of African Studies, including undergraduate and graduate education as well as research."

Northwestern's decision echoes similar pausing or outright closures of similar programs across the country. In Florida, a Senate bill stripped Black-studies courses of general-education status and cut research funding. The University of Louisville in Kentucky saw its Pan-African Studies doctoral program suspended and graduate assistantships eliminated after a bill was originally vetoed by Governor Andy Beshear but later overridden by state lawmakers.

It remains unclear what will happen to the teaching of African Studies as a whole at Northwestern, and whether staff in the Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences will continue those studies.