BLACK STUDIES (Minor)

Black Studies is the interdisciplinary study and research of Black cultures around the World. The program develops students’ awareness of political and sociological issues related to Black experiences from their historical beginnings to popular culture and beyond. It is hoped that students taking courses in the Minor will gain a greater understanding of the experiences and contributions of African peoples around the world, as they fight against intolerance and enrich their environments. Students may obtain a minor in Black Studies in conjunction with a major in any area of study.

Program Learning Outcomes

1. Examine the multiple constructions of culture and identity in black communities;

2. Identify the social construction of race and the historical/ political/ sociological/ economic/ cultural causes of inequality and oppression;

3. Articulate ways black inequality intersects with other forms of oppression/s such as gender, sexuality, and class

4. Critically examine the different ways Black peoples have been (mis)represented in specific cultural forms.

5. Examine – through practice and theory – the artistic contributions of the African Diaspora to the world with particular attention to origins, historical development, appropriation, and contemporary applications;

6. Describe the role of black activists and/or black social movements in effecting social change around the world