Image by Kelly Davidson
Dr. Bill Banfield has been named professor emeritus of Africana Studies at Berklee College of Music. Banfield was hired in 2005 as director of the college s Africana Studies initiative and as a professor in the Liberal Arts and Sciences Department. He also led the development of curricula and programming for Africana Studies beginning in 2006.
Throughout Banfield’s time at the college, he created and taught a variety of courses, including the Sociology of Black Music in American Culture and the Theology of American Popular Music. In 2010, Berklee opened the Africana Studies Center, which included a meeting room, dedicated research area, and space to house artifacts, recordings, journals, books, and exhibits.