Essence Learning Community

Essence is a home and a Learning Community sponsored by the Department of African American Studies at UW-Madison that welcomes students interested in learning about the Black diaspora. This cohort has the opportunity to enroll in an Introduction to African American Studies (AFROAMER101) seminar section reserved for Essence residents in Witte Hall. Through community-building events and academic programming, Essence bolsters a sense of belonging on campus.

AFROAMER101 — Introduction to African American Studies (3 credits)

Instructor: Dr. Jessica Lee Stovall

Spring 2026 | W 2:25 – 5:00 PM

Delve into the origins of African American Studies as an academic discipline and examine how African Americans have contributed to the understanding of the African American experience, both historically and in the present day. Each week will cover a different topic of African American studies, including topics like Black feminism, Afropessimism, Afrofuturism, colorism, and Black ontological possibility. Together, we will analyze the current struggles of the Black community for freedom, justice, and humanity.

At the end of this course, students will be able to:

Describe and critically assess seminal texts in African American thought.
Recognize the significant contributions that African American people have made to the social, political, and economic development of the United States.
Identify strengths and weaknesses of various frameworks for addressing antiblackness and achieving racial equity.
Apply concepts and knowledge from the course to systemic inequities and current events
Reflect on African American Studies in relation to their own lives.

In recognition of students’ diverse academic interests and commitments, this course fulfills the ethnic studies requirements.

How to Join

All items must be completed by your due date (May 1 for most admitted students). You can be assigned to any learning/theme community even if you did not preference it.

Sign your University Residence Halls contract and submit your advance payment in My UW Housing.
Rank the Essence Learning Community first when you submit your hall preferences in My UW Housing.
Prioritize learning communities over residence halls when you submit your hall preferences in My UW Housing.
Complete and submit the Essence Learning Community application/agreement in My UW Housing.
Indicate if you want a random or preferred roommate in My UW Housing, and create/join a roommate group if you have a preferred roommate(s).
You and your preferred roommates must choose Essence Learning Community as your number one choice.

Programming

Community Goals

Engage students in learning about the Black diaspora
Create opportunities for connection through shared interests
Create an environment that prioritizes a sense of belonging
Connect students to campus resources and leadership opportunities

Events & Activities

The Essence floor holds a number of events that add to its enriching floor setting. We kick off the semester with the an convocation where residents are invited to a celebration and presentation led by our faculty director, Dr. Jessica Lee Stovall. As the Essence Floor is hosted by the African American Studies Department, students will be able to participate in the Department’s Night at the Theater, guest lectures, and community building events.

Examples of typical or past Essence programs:

Opening ice cream social
Breakfast & bingo
Peer mentor meet & greet
Guest speakers
Trips to the movies

Resources

Department of African American Studies

Committed to bringing academic research to the broadest possible audience, the Department of African American Studies at UW–Madison believes the deepest understanding of the complex reality of race in America requires a truly interdisciplinary approach. Within and beyond the walls of the university, our studies draw on history, literature, the social sciences, and the arts.

Black Cultural Center

The Black Cultural Center welcomes all students. It focuses on the experience of Black students (including African-American, Caribbean, Afro-Latine, and African Diaspora) by facilitating opportunities for academic and social support through co-curricular programming, and community building.

Certificate of African American Studies

The Certificate Program in the Department of African American Studies will introduce students enrolled in degree programs in other majors to new knowledge, technologies, analyses, and interpretations of African-American, African diaspora and African subjects, communities, and institutions.

The SoulFolk Collective

The SoulFolk Collective, a research lab within the Department of African American Studies, engages in multidisciplinary research that prioritizes Black-affirming methodologies to amplify the voices, stories, and lived realities of Black communities.