Banned Scholars Project

In Defense of Black Studies Small Grants Program

About the Program

The In Defense of Black Studies Small Grants Program is accepting applications from undergraduate and graduate students, faculty, and staff at UC Berkeley conducting projects that affirm and model the significance of Black study in light of the recently reinvigorated attacks against it. These grants of up to $1,000 will support research, teaching, curriculum development, and related projects drawing on our theme. We welcome proposals from across campus that are collaborative, and we are particularly interested in funding public scholarship efforts. Some examples might...

Announcing the In Defense of Black Studies Small Grants Program

August 21, 2025
Barbara Montano

The Banned Scholars Project in the Department of African American Studies at UC Berkeley is pleased to announce the In Defense of Black Studies Small Grants Program. The program will accept applications from undergraduate and graduate students, faculty, and staff at UC Berkeley conducting projects that affirm and model the significance of Black study in light of the recently reinvigorated attacks against it. These grants of up to $1,000 will support research, teaching, curriculum development, and related projects...

Banned Scholars Project

Housed in the Department of African American Studies and funded by generous grants from the Mellon Foundation and the Spencer Foundation, the Banned Scholars Project highlights threats to academic freedom, freedom of speech, and the teaching of race and gender around the country. The initiative defends public education and the teaching of social movements dedicated to justice and liberation through week-long residencies with scholars facing political persecution, public events and conversations, and a partnership with the African American Studies Department at Berkeley High School.

Defending Public Education in California: A Convening

May 3, 2025
Barbara Montano

Saturday, May 3, 2025

6:00 - 8:00 pm

Berkeley High School

The Banned Scholars Project in African American Studies at UC Berkeley and the African American Studies Department of Berkeley High School present a community convening about defending public education from kindergarten to college in the face of the current crisis. We invite Bay Area educators, students, and community members to join the conversation on how to resist the ongoing attacks and build collective resilience. Together, we will imagine new ways to strengthen support for public education in Berkeley and...

https://events.berkeley.edu/africam/event/296883-defending-public-education-in-c…

Organize, Fight, Win: Beyond the Election Cycle

February 13, 2025
Barbara Montano

Thursday, February 13, 2025

6:30 - 8:30 pm

EastSide Cultural Center, 2277 International Blvd., Oakland, CA

The Banned Scholars Project and the EastSide Arts Alliance present a roundtable discussion with scholars and activists Charisse Burden-Stelly, Jodi Dean, Tongo Eisen-Martin, Rupa Marya, and Steven Osuna about building power, countering repression, and organizing beyond the election cycle.

Dr. Charisse Burden-Stelly is an Associate Professor of African American Studies at...

https://events.berkeley.edu/africam/event/283400-organize-fight-win-beyond-the-e…

Organize, Fight, Win: Combatting Repression, Building Power

February 11, 2025
Barbara Montano

Tuesday, February 11, 2025

12:00 - 2:00 pm

820 Social Sciences Building, Berkeley, CA

Scholars Charisse Burden-Stelly and Jodi Dean discuss their co-edited work, Organize, Fight, Win: Black Communist Women’s Political Writing, and Dean’s forthcoming Capital’s Grave: Neofeudalism. The talk will explore the links between anti-Black, anti-communist, and anti-Palestinian repression and responses to repression in the current authoritarian crisis. Pegasus Books will be tabling at the event...

https://events.berkeley.edu/africam/event/283399-organize-fight-win-combatting-r…

Holding Ideas Hostage: Resisting Book Bans and Literary Censorship

March 15, 2025
Barbara Montano

Saturday, March 15, 2025

2:00 - 4:00 pm

African American Museum and Library at Oakland, 659 14th Street, Oakland, CA

Join the Banned Scholars Project in African American Studies and the African American Museum and Library at Oakland for a roundtable discussion about the battle against literary censorship with writers, editors, librarians, advocates, and creative intellectuals.

Read more about banned books from our banned books resource...

https://events.berkeley.edu/africam/event/291382-holding-ideas-hostage-resisting…

Black Underground Scholars at Berkeley

February 28, 2025
Barbara Montano

Friday, February 28, 2025

5:30 - 7:00 pm

Anchor House, UC Berkeley

We are thrilled to invite you to a pivotal event hosted by The Black Underground Scholars and the African American Studies Department as we culminate Black History Month with a powerful discussion on the experiences of being super marginalized at the world’s #1 public university.

As Black previously incarcerated students, we represent just 10 out of 40,000 students on the UC Berkeley campus. This is not a reflection of our capabilities but rather a testament to the systemic barriers that have...

https://events.berkeley.edu/africam/event/290602-black-underground-scholars-at-b…

Banned Scholars Project Announces February Residency

January 30, 2025
Barbara Montano

The Banned Scholars Project is pleased to announce our third residency in February 2025, featuring two scholar-activists, Charisse Burden-Stelly, Associate Professor of African American Studies at Wayne State University, and Jodi Dean, Professor of Politics at Hobart and William Smith Colleges. Housed in the Department of African American Studies and funded by generous grants from the Mellon and Spencer Foundations, the Banned Scholars Project highlights threats to academic freedom, freedom of speech, and the teaching of race and gender around the country. The initiative defends public...

Children of the Plantationocene

April 16, 2024

Alisha Gaines, a professor of English at Florida State University

Location: 820 Social Sciences Building, Social Science Matrix at UC Berkeley

Join the Department of African American Studies for a talk from our first...