The Critical Race, Gender, and Culture Studies Collaborative (CRGC) is a vibrant and inclusive community of faculty and students that explores diverse voices, histories, and experiences through socially engaged scholarship.

The collaborative houses six interdisciplinary programs that offer bachelor's degrees, minors, and certificates:

African American and African Diaspora Studies

(major, minor)

American Studies

(major, minor)

Arab World Studies

(major, minor, undergraduate certificate)

Asian Studies

(major, minor, undergraduate certificate, graduate certificate)

Multi-Ethnic Studies

(minor, undergraduate certificate)

Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies

(major, minor, undergraduate certificates, graduate certificate)

Our courses discuss race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, class, culture, religion, and more from a critical perspective. We encourage our students to research complex problems and explore interdisciplinary interests.

Collaborative faculty members are distinguished teachers and researchers from a number of departments in the College of Arts and Sciences, and from other schools at the university. Our professors work closely with DC community leaders and institutions to bring real-world learning experiences into the classroom. Many of our students complement coursework with internship and employment opportunities in DC's political, social, and cultural institutions, and some students study abroad to gain an international perspective on their areas of interest.

Our flexible curriculum teaches students to become critical thinkers, innovative researchers, and skilled communicators. Our alumni enter the workforce with a social awareness that serves them well in the increasingly diversified workplaces of our globalized economy. In gaining a deeper understanding of their world and themselves, our students are prepared for a wide range of careers in communications, education, the arts, the non-profit sector, and government and public policy agencies.

Events at AU

 

September 26

Is Justice Possible? Arab and Muslim Americans in the Age of Trump Martin Luther King: A Global Vision for Justice.
Please join us for a panel discussion featuring Dr. Elizabeth Thompson (Professor in SIS and History), Dr. Irene Calis (Professor in Arab World Studies) & Robert McCaw (Director of Government Affairs with CAIR). Moderated by Dr. Martyn Oliver, Director of Arab World Studies in the CRGC.

Wednesday 26 September 2018, 3:30 pm McDowell Formal Lounge

September 28

Young Iranian Girls Aspiration for Rights Exhibit and Film Screening
 

October 23

Voices of Youth: Challenges and Resilience in the Immigrant Community

This panel, moderated by Angela Gonzalez, AU alumna, will give students at AU the chance to hear directly from local young people about their experiences as recent immigrants from Central America and Mexico. These youth, in their teens and early 20s, will share powerful stories about what motivated them to leave their countries, their journey to the US, why they came to the DMV area, what their educational path has been like, and how their past or current legal status has impacted that experience. They will also share what gives them strength and what social programs have helped them in their path to leadership and/or activism. The moderator has worked with the immigrant community for many years and most recently the Latin American Youth Center; she brings her insights to this discussion.

Tuesday October 23rd, 2018, 6 pm - 8 pm McDowell Formal Lounge