Editor’s Note: As headquarters for the National Council for Black Studies, the University of Delaware is leading a nationwide effort to expand the NCBS Honor Society to include university chapters. NCBS Executive Director and UD Professor Alicia Fontnette spearheaded this initiative with an inaugural cohort of 10 Blue Hen undergraduates. “As we continue to grow, I’m excited that UD will be pioneering many of the initiatives for chapters worldwide, from community service projects to research opportunities,” Fontnette said. 

Students were selected for their commitment to Africana studies, community service and academic rigor (all must maintain a minimum 3.0 GPA). The following Q&A is part of a larger series spotlighting these charter members.

As a history and Japanese double major from Reston, Virginia, Alenoush Davis came to the University of Delaware to learn Japanese and take advantage of UD’s many study abroad opportunities.

She also found a passion for Africana studies, which “completely changed the way that I thought about studying history, as well as the way I thought about race as a concept.” 

Here, Davis shares more about her experience as a student and NCBS Honor Society member. 

How did you discover Africana studies?

I've always been interested in Black history, and I decided to add an Africana studies minor to my degree after taking a sociology class called Race in Society my freshman year.

What has been your favorite Africana studies course?  

My favorite class has been Black Women's history to 1865, taught by Professor Katherine Benjamin-Golden. That was the first history class that focused exclusively on Black women. Not only is Professor Benjamin-Golden amazing, she also leads you through the unique challenges of studying Black women. For example, we don't know a lot about the lives of Black women during the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade, as the only mentions of these women are of inventory on slave ships. This makes the telling of their stories and their experiences difficult because of the blank spaces we have where their lives should have been. 

What was the most surprising or interesting thing you learned? 

Before I took this class, I hadn't thought of historical research as an effort to read between the lines, but because of this class, I now have a passion to find the hidden stories in history. 

What’s something you wish more people knew? 

Black history is American history, and it should be treated with the same respect. 

Why did you want to join the NCBS Honor Society?

Some of the most intelligent people I have ever met have been a part of Africana studies. I wanted to give myself every opportunity to learn from all of these amazing people. 

What are your plans after graduation?

I plan to participate in the Japan Exchange and Teaching Program, teaching English in elementary schools for a few years. I hope my experiences in the Africana studies department will give me the tools to be a true representative of the U.S. while I am there. My dream job would probably be a material historian — someone who studies history through the objects that people have left behind.