Grand Challenges: Africa Through Language and Area Studies (ATLAS)

ATLAS Team Announces 2026 Annual Conference
March 31-April 1, 2026 

ATLAS Team Announces Call for Proposals for ATLAS Annual Conference Scheduled for Feb. 27 - March 1, 2025
September 26, 2024

See More ATLAS News

March 31-April 1 2026 
ATLAS Annual Conference 
H.J. Patterson Hall, Rooms 2124 & 2130
University of Maryland, College Park Campus 

September 21, 2026
ATLAS Speaker Series: “Black and African Representation and Identities in the Arts and Other Cultural Spaces”
1:30-3:30 PM | H.J. Patterson, 2124 and 2130
Join us for a roundtable discussion in which faculty from across the College of Arts and Humanities will discuss and explore Black and African representation and identities in the arts and other spaces of cultural production. 

October 2, 2026
ATLAS Film Screening: The Waste Commons
2:00-4:00 PM, Ulrich Recital Hall (1121 Tawes)
Join us for a film screening of The Waste Commons, which explores the lives and livelihoods affected by the closure of Dakar's Mbeubeuss dump, one of Africa's largest open-air waste sites. The film will be followed by a discussion with the director. Learn more about this event here.

October 6, 2026
4:00-5:00 PM, Virtual
ATLAS Event: "Bridging the Historical Narrative: From the Middle Passage to Current Community Connections"
Bringing together historical research, genealogy, and community action, this presentation explores the history, heritage, and ongoing preservation of Prince George’s County’s African American communities. The Bowie Ancestors Project and the Friends of Historic Mt. Nebo Preservation Corporation (FOHMN-PC), share their experiences connecting generations of an African American community in Prince George’s County from the Transatlantic slave trade to present-day historic preservation and community building efforts. Learn more about this event and register here.
 

See previous ATLAS events

The Africa Through Language and Area Studies (ATLAS) serves as a nexus for the study of African languages, history, contemporary issues, and research at the University of Maryland with the goal of increasing the understanding of the African continent and its growing global influence. Through a website that acts as a virtual hub, ATLAS seeks to centralize all courses, events, and student groups that focus on Africa and the African diaspora, as well as showcase relevant research and scholarship throughout campus. The website is intended to be a platform where the campus community can come together to find and share information encompassing all UMD activities related to African studies.

ATLAS also hosts a monthly speaker series and an annual conference on the study of Africa and its diaspora, bringing together interested faculty, staff, and students and attracting African thought leaders and scholars to engage with the UMD community. By celebrating the diversity and contributions of the many UMD faculty and students working on topics related to Africa, ATLAS seeks to reduce disparities in representation, increase the prominence of African and African American topics of study, encourage more scholarship on Africa, and foster community across different departments and fields of study.