Resources and Opportunities
The Africana Studies department is committed to supporting students through accessible resources and meaningful opportunities. This page features scholarships, student organizations and services that foster learning, connection and success.
Scholarships
Africana Studies, San Francisco State University, and our donors work together to make education affordable for our students by offering scholarship opportunities in order to aid the experience in pursuing a degree. Learn more about current funding opportunities below.
This scholarship is intended to provide financial support to students majoring or minoring in Africana Studies.
Joseph L. White, Ph.D. (1932-2017) graduated from San Francisco State University in 1954 with a bachelor’s degree in psychology, followed by a master’s degree in 1958. In 1961, he was the first African American to earn a Ph.D. in clinical psychology and developmental psychology from Michigan State University and one of five African Americans in the country to hold a doctorate in psychology. He returned to San Francisco State University in 1968 as a faculty member and an administrator, and he was influential in establishing the University’s Africana Studies Department (originally, known as the Black Studies Program) during the 1968 strike.
At the height of the civil rights movement, Dr. White emerged as a powerful voice of change: challenging psychologists to understand better the unique experiences of ethnic minorities. In 1968, he helped found the Association of Black Psychologists and his seminal article in Ebony magazine in 1970 laid the foundations of Black psychology, which introduced Black perspectives into mainstream psychology. Learn more about Joseph L. White.
This scholarship honors Joseph L. White and his accomplishments. Read more about the creation of this endowed scholarship.
Dr. J.E. "Penny" Saffold served as vice president for Student Affairs since 1994 and dean of students since 1984. In addition to enriching the student experience outside the classroom, she directed a broad range of offices and departments on campus: undergraduate admissions, enrollment management, financial aid, registrar, student health, University housing, educational opportunity programs, disability programs and resource center, athletics and University Police among others.
Dr. Saffold dedicated her career to developing leaders and making student experience at SF State rich and rewarding for everyone, and this award commemorates her exceptional work.
Black Unity Center
The Black Unity Center (BUC) is a welcoming space for all students. The BUC builds community and supports Black student success, academic excellence and personal growth. The center offers social and educational events, study space, workshops and snacks, plus referrals to campus resources and student organizations.
Learn more about the Black Unity Center
Student Organizations
Get involved! There are many related clubs on campus to check out:
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Africana Resources
The J. Paul Leonard Library fosters student success and social justice by organizing and providing equitable access to diverse information resources; maintaining welcoming and inclusive spaces; delivering user-centered library support and research expertise that empower underserved learners; and equipping the SFSU community with tools to pursue their academic, professional, and personal goals.
Explore Africana Studies resources from the J. Paul Leonard Library.
Journals
Africana Studies has published two student-run journals: the annual Africana Studies Journal and the Imhotep Journal. For more information, please contact afrs@sfsu.edu.