The Africana Studies Center
The Africana Studies Center is located at 7 Haviland Street, in room 106, on the Boston campus. The center is a physical and soon-to-be digital space for students, staff, faculty, global artists, and researchers to enrich, support, and expand relationships to Black creative expression (with a particular emphasis on music, dance, and theater).
The Africana Studies Center nurtures and mentors leaders in creative performance, socially responsible research and scholarship, and innovative modes of expression and entrepreneurship. The center produces and supports student-curated exhibits and faculty-led programming and events, in partnership with other academic departments, Student Enrollment and Engagement, and Berklee's libraries and archives.
Treshor Webster, Program Manager
Born in New Orleans, Louisiana, Treshor Webster is a multi-genre vocalist and all-around creative. As a recent 2023 graduate of the Boston Conservatory at Berklee, Treshor seeks to make a difference in the world of art. With a B.M. in Vocal Performance and a minor in Creative Entrepreneurship, Treshor's passion for the arts knows no bounds. Beyond her talent, Treshor has also proven herself to be a leader and advocate. Treshor aims to continue her journey as a vocal performer while also making her mark in arts administration as an advocate for young artists. As Program Manager of Africana Studies, Treshor’s vision for the Africana Studies Center is to create a space for students to come together and make memories, while preparing them for post-graduate life.
Afro Unity Retreat
The Afro Unity Retreat is a convening of Black student leaders across the College and Conservatory. Led by Africana Studies Program Manager Treshor Webster, it's designed to facilitate connection, enforce community, share resources, and improve sustainability overall. We invite student leaders from the Black Scholars Initiative (BSI), Black Student Alliance (BSA), Black Student Union (BSU), Berklee Caribbean Club (BCC), African Student Association (ASA), and the Student Government Association (SGA). Since the retreat began in the Fall of 2024, it has continued to grow and expand, with the addition of more student groups and resources.
AfroRoots
AfroRoots is an intimate concert series that takes place bi-monthly in the Africana Studies Center, featuring performances in music and theater. Students prepare a 20-minute set of songs and repertoire that spans the African Diaspora, showcasing a profound sense of Black creative expression and Black excellence. If you would like to see any of our previous AfroRoots, please visit our YouTube channel(Opens in a new window).
Jabulani
Jabulani is a Zulu word that means "rejoice." For the first time, the newly formed Africana Studies Division will produce and host this rite of passage ceremony. It serves to honor the journeys and achievements of each graduating student of African descent through a community celebration. All Berklee College of Music and Boston Conservatory at Berklee graduating students of African, Afro-Caribbean, Afro-Latinx, and Black African American descent are invited to register and attend the celebration.
Black Alumni Weekend
Throughout the history of Berklee, the presence, rich contributions, and dynamic impact of Afro-diasporic (Black) students has remained foundational, treasured, and vital to our global reach and our phenomenal legacy. In partnership with the Office of Alumni Affairs, the newly formed Africana Studies Division will welcome our Afro-diasporic alumni from across all of our learning environments (Berklee College of Music, Boston Conservatory at Berklee, Berklee Online, Berklee Valencia, and Berklee NYC) to the Boston campus for our second-annual Black Alumni Weekend. We are so excited to convene with the goal of initiating an annual opportunity to celebrate one another, network, jam, and visit with former professors and staff—all while witnessing the exponential fruit of generations of student, staff, and faculty advocacy and activism.