About the Africana Center
For general questions, email africana@tufts.edu.
Founded in 1969, the Africana Center was developed in recognition of the realities of the needs and concerns of the students of African descent on a predominately white campus. The Center works to enhance the academic mission of the university by ensuring that students of African descent have access to a variety of academic, cultural and student resources that encourages them to have a successful Tufts experience and prepares them to be leaders for a wide range of professional experiences. In addition, the Center works to ensure that students have access to all necessary resources, advises the administrative and academic offices of the university on such issues and advocates proactively for students.
The second and third floors of the Africana Center serve as a living and learning space (Capen House) for twelve undergraduates who reside in the house during the academic year. These students are selected each year to live in the dorm and work as a community to complete individual and group projects which celebrate the rich cultural heritage of people of African descent.
Our Staff
Katrina Moore
MEd, Director
Katrina Moore is an accomplished manager with a solid track record of results-based performance and a deep commitment to the personal and professional career development of underrepresented minority college age students.
As Director of the Africana Center at Tufts University, Katrina serves as a campus resource and educates the community on emerging issues regarding students of African descent. She is responsible for establishing the Center's vision and advocates on behalf of students in cases of intolerance and/or discrimination. She works closely with students and student organizations to develop effective programs and initiatives to enhance the co-curricular experience of students and build leadership skills. A sought-after campus leader, Katrina participates in committee assignments, both within the Student Life division and the broader Tufts community.
Before joining Tufts, Katrina was an INROADS Client Manager responsible for developing and advising minority college students for success in the corporate work environment. In this role, she applied her deep commitment to the development of underrepresented minority college students by developing strong relationships and serving as their advisor for success in the corporate work environment. Through her mentorship, she helped sponsoring companies gain access to diverse talent to help them meet their business objectives. She is a strong program developer and has founded and led the implementation of community and youth programs and events that honor the work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and that have become a twenty-eight year MetroWest community tradition. These programs include the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Breakfast celebration in Framingham MA and the MLK Youth Conference for students in grades 1 - 12.
Katrina received her BA and MEd degrees from North Carolina Central University in Durham, North Carolina.
Kella Narki Merlain-Moffatt
MA, Associate Center Director
Kella will be responsible for the development and implementation of community engagement programs that uplift students of African descent and their many intersecting identities. Kella will develop goals, strategies, and infrastructure to support and advance programs that promote scholarship and leadership within an affirming campus climate including the SQUAD Pre-Orientation and Peer Leader Programs, First Year Orientation Retreat and Open House events, Black Legacy Month programming, and Black Graduation. She will also work closely with student-facing resources and departments including other identity-based resources, Residential Life and Learning, Student Affairs Office, Counseling and Mental Health Services, Career Center, Global Education, Financial Aid, Tufts University faculty, the CARE office, and other departments within and beyond the DSDI Division.
Kella comes to us from Marymount Manhattan College’s Intercultural Center (MMC) where she moved from Program Coordinator to Assistant Director to Interim Director. Through these roles, she supported marginalized communities through program management and advocacy.
Prior to her time at MMC she served as the Program Administrator at the Africana Center and led the strategic planning for the development and implementation of the first virtual SQUAD Pre-Orientation program and training for peer leaders. And she cultivated collaboration with student organizations within the Africana Advisory Alliance to streamline communication and understand the needs of the student leaders. These experiences enabled her to foster an environment where students felt seen and were welcomed into the Black Jumbo community with warmth. As a Tufts Admissions Counselor, she established an inaugural Muslim student life panel for 1,000+ Muslim students and families, contributing to 35% increase in applications and spearheaded an Africana student life panel for 2,000+ Black students and families, contributing to 39% increase in Black applicants.
Kella earned her Masters of Arts – International Educational Development from Teachers College, Columbia University and Bachelor’s degree, International Relations, and Africana Studies from Tufts University.
Jefferson Agyapong
Administrative Coordinator
Jefferson Agyapong has joined us as the Africana Center Administrative Coordinator and will be responsible for providing comprehensive administrative support. He will provide detailed and complex administrative support for the major processes in the Africana Center, including carefully monitoring budget accounts, uploading financial data, and executing authorized financial transactions. He will also be responsible for gathering data, conducting research, and drafting reports and other complex documents and materials, including proofreading and editing, and designing layout and graphics for brochures and presentations as needed. Jefferson will plan and coordinate meetings and special events, including contacting speakers, designing promotional materials, and coordinating support for speakers and presenters.
He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications with a double minor in Journalism and African and African Diaspora Studies from Boston College. Jefferson comes to us with a background in using CRM systems, managing student interns, planning/implementing theme-based programming, and collecting/analyzing data regarding innovative programs and services.
Precious Chika Musa
MFA, Program Coordinator and Facilitator of Black Women’s Collective
Precious Chika Musa is a first-generation Nigerian American Black girl. She graduated from Smith College with her B.A. in English and Africana Studies with a Poetry Concentration and earned her MFA in Writing from Washington University in St. Louis. Precious’ writing engages the inner life of the body, fugitivity, and belonging. Her poems appear in Tupelo Quarterly, West Trestle Review, Black Perspectives, and elsewhere. As a way to begin answering questions around Black grief and joy formed during undergrad, Precious developed, curated, and launched Listen, Look: A Reconciliatory Journey Through Black Grief and Joy: a multi-media installation featuring Black St. Louis artists. The installation brought her closer to her love for visual storytelling, and she’s been immersed in the visual world ever since. She currently serves as Program Coordinator for the Africana Center at Tufts University.
Alonso Nichols
Facilitators of Black Myn's Group
Robert Ofoedu
Facilitator