FALL 2025 OFFICE HOURS

MW 11:00-2:00 in Irby 101

Dr. Juan Maefield is an Assistant Professor of History at the University of Central Arkansas, where he teaches courses in African American and Africana history. His teaching includes Introduction to Africana Studies (AFAM/HIST 1330), The History of Mass Incarceration (HIST 1376), African American History Before 1868 (HIST 3353), African American History Since 1868 (HIST 3354), African American Music History (HIST 4324), Freedom’s Daughters: African American Women’s History (HIST 4324), and Civil Rights Movement History (HIST 4359).

His research examines African American religious life, with a particular focus on African American Muslims in Detroit. He has published on the experiences of African American Sunni women and continues to explore the historical and cultural impact of Islam in Black Detroit. He is also the editor of Unveiling Insights: Faculty Perspectives on Immersive Research and Study Abroad in the African Diaspora (forthcoming).

As Co-Director of Africana Studies at UCA, Dr. Maefield is dedicated to mentoring first-generation students, expanding the Africana Studies program, and fostering spaces where Black thought and community thrive. His work reflects his conviction that history, taught with honesty, has the power to transform society.

Outside the classroom, Dr. Maefield can usually be found lifting weights, rolling on the mat in jiu-jitsu, or reading a good book. He believes in balancing the mind and the body, though he admits the weights do not always listen. He enjoys cracking jokes with his students, convincing his kids that “dad strength” is real, and reminding anyone who will listen that history is best studied with equal parts evidence, empathy, and a touch of swag.