1.1 What Is African American Studies?

African American Studies is an interdisciplinary field that examines the experiences, cultures, and contributions of people of African descent. It integrates diverse academic disciplines to provide a comprehensive understanding of the Black experience in the US and across the African diaspora.

The field emerged in the 1960s during the Black Power movement, influenced by scholars like W.E.B. Du Bois and Carter G. Woodson. It continues to evolve, addressing current issues facing Black communities and providing a framework for understanding ongoing struggles for racial justice and equality.

Features of African American studies

Interdisciplinary approach and analysis

• Integrates diverse fields of study (history, literature, sociology, psychology, economics) to provide a comprehensive understanding of the Black experience in the US and across the African diaspora
• Applies rigorous scholarly inquiry methods to critically examine the lives, cultures, and contributions of people of African descent
• Traces its roots to Black artistic, intellectual, and political movements that existed long before it became a formalized academic discipline (Harlem Renaissance, Civil Rights Movement)
• Offers a unique perspective for understanding contemporary Black freedom struggles within academia and beyond
• Explores the evolution of ideas about Africa's history and its ongoing connections to African diaspora communities worldwide
  • Examines how these ideas have shaped the identities and experiences of people of African descent

Origins and contemporary relevance

• Emerged as a distinct field of study in the 1960s and 1970s during the Black Power movement
  • Influenced by the work of pioneering scholars such as W.E.B. Du Bois, Carter G. Woodson, and John Hope Franklin
• Continues to evolve and expand its scope to address current issues facing Black communities (police brutality, mass incarceration, health disparities)
• Provides a framework for understanding the ongoing struggle for racial justice and equality in the US and globally

African history and diaspora

• Studies the history and cultures of Africa and its diaspora communities in the Americas, Europe, and beyond
• Examines the impact of the transatlantic slave trade on African societies and the development of African diaspora cultures
• Explores the role of Africa and its diaspora in shaping global history, politics, and culture
  • Investigates the contributions of Africans and their descendants to fields such as art, music, literature, science, and technology
• Analyzes the ongoing connections and exchanges between Africa and its diaspora communities
  • Looks at how these connections have influenced the development of Black identities and cultures worldwide

Incorporation into US universities

Civil rights and education

• Black students entered predominantly white colleges and universities in unprecedented numbers during the late 1960s and early 1970s
  • This influx was a direct result of the gains made by the Civil Rights Movement in desegregating higher education
• Black students faced significant challenges and barriers on these campuses, including discrimination, isolation, and a lack of support services
• Advocated for the creation of Black Studies programs and departments to address their unique needs and interests

Black campus movement

• A series of student-led protests that swept across hundreds of colleges and universities nationwide from 1965 to 1972
• Involved hundreds of thousands of Black students, as well as Latino, Asian, and white allies
• Demanded greater opportunities to study the history and experiences of Black people in the US and beyond
  • Called for the creation of Black Studies programs and departments, as well as the hiring of more Black faculty and administrators
• Also advocated for increased support services for Black students, including financial aid, counseling, and cultural centers
• Played a key role in the establishment of African American Studies as a distinct academic field

Early Africa and diaspora

Africa's ancestral significance

• Africa is the birthplace of all human life and the ancestral homeland of African Americans
  • The earliest human fossils, dating back over 300,000 years, have been found in Africa (Ethiopia, Morocco)
• African American Studies examines the development of early African societies and their contributions to human civilization
  • Studies innovations in fields such as art, architecture, technology, politics, religion, and music
• Recognizes that these early African achievements have had a profound impact on the experiences and identities of African Americans
  • Helps to foster a sense of pride and connection to a rich cultural heritage

Dispelling misconceptions of Africa

• Challenges long-held Western stereotypes of early Africa as a primitive, uncivilized, and historically unknowable continent
• Uses interdisciplinary research methods to document the complexity and diversity of early African societies
  • Draws on evidence from fields such as archaeology, linguistics, and oral history to reconstruct Africa's past
• Demonstrates that early African societies were highly sophisticated and globally connected long before the transatlantic slave trade
  • Provides examples of early African kingdoms and empires that had extensive trade networks and diplomatic relations with other parts of the world (Ghana, Mali, Songhai)
• Highlights the enduring contributions of early African societies to human knowledge and culture
  • Points to African innovations in fields such as mathematics, astronomy, medicine, and metallurgy that have had a lasting impact on the world

Required Sources

Photo of Black Student Union Strike for Black Studies at San Francisco State College, 1968

The 1968 Black Student Union strike at San Francisco State College represented a watershed moment in the struggle for academic representation and racial equity in higher education. This student-led movement demanded the establishment of a Black Studies department, challenging the Eurocentric curriculum and institutional racism prevalent in American universities.

The strike's success catalyzed the development of African American Studies programs nationwide, fundamentally altering the landscape of academia. It empowered Black students to assert their right to culturally relevant education and paved the way for increased diversity in faculty, administration, and course offerings across U.S. colleges and universities.

Schedule of Courses for Black and Puerto Rican Studies, Hunter College, 1972

The 1972 course schedule for Black and Puerto Rican Studies at Hunter College represents a significant milestone in the development of ethnic studies programs in American higher education. This document reflects the growing recognition of the importance of diverse perspectives and experiences in academic curricula during the early 1970s.

The inclusion of both Black and Puerto Rican studies in a single department highlights the intersectionality of racial and ethnic experiences in urban settings like New York City. This interdisciplinary approach laid the groundwork for more comprehensive ethnic studies programs and fostered greater understanding between different marginalized communities in academia and beyond.

Program for the First National Council for Black Studies Annual Conference, 1975

The First National Council for Black Studies Annual Conference in 1975 represented a watershed moment in the development of African American Studies as an academic discipline. This gathering brought together scholars, educators, and activists to establish frameworks and standards for the emerging field, fostering collaboration and intellectual exchange.

The conference program signified the growing institutionalization and professionalization of Black Studies in higher education. It highlighted key debates, research areas, and pedagogical approaches that would shape the discipline's future, while also emphasizing the field's commitment to both rigorous scholarship and community engagement.