The Department of Afroamerican and African Studies (DAAS) provides students an opportunity to examine the histories, social organizations, cultures, and arts of people of African descent, particularly those of Africa, the United States, and the Caribbean. The Center fosters a comprehensive program of study that enables students to focus within and across these areas, as well as to work within and across various disciplines, including history, literature, linguistics, anthropology, sociology, psychology, political science, economics, music, art, film, communications, and religion. While encouraging comparative analysis of the diverse cultural and social traditions derived from Africa, courses also bring attention to current theories, methodologies, and research on race, cultural identity, socioeconomic class, gender, and sexuality in relation to African, African American, and Afro-Caribbean experiences. In addition to exploring the historical cultures of Africa and its Diaspora, students also have opportunities to study contemporary issues treated in such professional fields as public policy, urban planning, education, environmental studies, information technology, and health sciences. 

The South African Initiatives Office

The South African Initiatives Office (SAIO) was established  in the honor of Charles D. and Christella D. Moody in 1996. The purpose of SAIO is to fund scholarly travel, research and exchanges between the University of Michigan and countries in Africa, especially South Africa. Since its inception, numerous students and faculty have taken advantage of this program. The SAIO contributes to the support and growth of African Studies within DAAS in many ways, including helping to fund visiting scholars from South Africa and other countries through the UMAPS-Moody Scholars program administered by the African Studies Center. It also assists U-M faculty and students (both graduate and undergraduate) to travel to southern Africa for the purposes of research, creative collaborations, internship opportunities and/or community-based or experiential learning projects.

DAAS currently administers two grants from SAIO that are of interest to graduate students: the SAIO Graduate Fellowship for incoming graduate students from Africa, and SAIO Research Grants (including the Moody Fellowship) for U-M graduate students wishing to pursue research or internships in Africa, especially South Africa