Mission of Journal
Siyabonana: The Journal of Africana Studies is an open access online peer-reviewed academic journal that publishes original research and creative intellectual work on key issues within the discipline of Africana Studies and across the global African world. Pan-African in scope, the journal publishes research articles, essays, commentaries, book reviews, interviews, and other creative work that utilizes African-centered theories, methodologies, and approaches to not only examine critical issues, but also to present solutions within all areas of Africana Studies, including the humanities, arts, and sciences. It simultaneously provides intellectual space for discourse about community social justice activist work and liberation struggles on the continent and within African world communities. Accepting intellectual and creative work from diverse scholars, activists, writers, and artists who resemble the Editorial Board’s diverse training and scholarship, The Journal of Africana Studies intentionally positions itself as an inclusive and affirming discipline-based African-centered entity. Timely and radical intellectual research and creative pieces on the prison industrial complex; Africana/Black digital humanities; Africana genders and sexualities and Africana queer theory; the Black radical tradition; political prisoners; Africana/Black Psychology; mental health, nutrition, and holistic health; the African/Black Aesthetic; Africana spiritual philosophy; Black liberation theology; and Afrofuturism are, therefore, also welcome.
About the Special Issue
We invite papers for a Summer 2025 special issue on African-centered/Africana Psychology. Africana Psychology critically investigates and interrogates the life-worlds of people of African descent from an African-centered perspective. This special edition seeks articles that address issues of identity, education, health, clinical/counseling, criminal justice, sexuality, sexism, gender, methodology, racism/oppression, religion/spirituality and intellectual history. We also welcome book reviews of recent and new publications within the domain of African-centered/Africana Psychology. Suggested article topics include, but are not limited to, the following:
The rationale for African-centered Psychology
Definitions and conceptual models/orientations in African-centered Psychology
History of the development of African-centered Psychology
African-centered Psychology in literature
The relationship between African spirituality/philosophy and African-centered Psychology
The utilization of African-centered psychology with any of the bodies of knowledge in Black Studies
The relationship between history and cultural personality
Psychological intervention and clinical treatment
Media images and Africana identity
Popular culture and Africana psychology
Intelligence testing with Black populations
The psychology of Africana leadership
Educating African-centered psychologists
The social viability/liberatory aspects of African-centered Psychology
The future scope and directions of Africana Psychology.
We encourage longer essays and research articles, as well as oral histories, institutional reports, book reviews, commentaries, artwork, and creative works such as poetry, short stories, and narratives. Essays, research articles, reports, and oral histories/interviews should not exceed 10,000 words; review essays, film reviews, and commentaries should not exceed 3,000 words; and book reviews should not exceed 1500 words. The length and medium of all creative work will be determined on a case-by-case basis.
Special Issue Editor
DeReef F. Jamison is a Teaching Professor of African American Studies at Florida State University, and serves on the Editorial Board of The Journal of Africana Studies. He received a B.S. in Psychology from Bowie State University; a M.S. in Community Psychology from Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University; and a Ph.D. in African American Studies from Temple University. His research attempts to demonstrate the connections between Africana Intellectual History and social science that are often seen as disconnected. In particular, he examines how historical figures in the Africana intellectual tradition explore the notion of Cultural Consciousness. Jamison’s research interests include Africana Intellectual History; the intellectual history and Diasporic connections of Africana Psychology; and the Psychology of race and racism. He has published articles and essays in The Journal of African American Studies; The Journal of Black Studies; Race, Gender and Class; The Griot; Africology: the Journal of Pan African Studies; The Western Journal of Black Studies; The Journal of Black Psychology; and The Black Scholar.
For inquiries, please contact DeReef Jamison at: joafst@gmail.com.
Submission Guidelines
For this special issue, the editors are asking for authors to submit a 250- 300 word abstract for initial consideration before submitting a longer work. The abstract should include the tentative title, author(s), affiliation(s), type of submission, detailed summary of the proposed submission, and representative sources. Abstracts are due no later than July 31, 2024, and decisions on acceptance will occur no later than August 15, 2024. The selection criteria will involve: relevance to theme, clarity of paper, intellectual significance, and originality.
Once abstracts are accepted by the editors, completed submissions are due no later than December 1, 2024, and should adhere to the guidelines stated above including a title page with title of submission and type of submission (research article, interview etc.), name of author(s), affiliation(s), and email(s).
Manuscripts should be submitted as a Microsoft Word document, double spaced, written in Times New Roman, size 12 font, and adhere to the most recent edition of the Chicago Manual of Style, APA Publication Manual, or MLA Handbook in terms of format and citation. The final paper submission should not exceed 25 pages via MS word.
Submission Timeline:
Abstracts Due: July 31, 2024
Notification of Acceptance: August 15, 2024
Completed Submissions Due: December 1, 2024
Publication: Summer 2025
All abstracts and submissions should be uploaded to the submissions page on the journal website at https://www.journalofafricanastudies.com/submissions.
