The Best Classes in African American Studies
Introduction to Black Culture
What better way to learn about the African-American culture than to study it first hand. This program offers an overview of the basic areas of Black culture, which include history, religion, social organization, politics, economics, psychology, and creative production, with a survey of the key concepts and fundamental literature in each area. This is a great program to consider.
Introduction to African American Studies
This class focuses on the many facets of the Black experience in the United States and also the discipline of pursuing an educational career in African American Studies.
Women of Color
This course examines the similarities and differences of American women through the understandings of their life experiences. Their differences are analyzed by the conduct of their race, class, and ethnicity. Their similarities are analyzed among diverse groups of women in order to better understand the complexity of their lives.
American Political Institutions: A Black Perspective
This is an assessment of the improvement and dynamics of American political institutions and political processes as they relate to the experiences of African-Americans. An excellent African-American studies course to consider furthering your educational understanding of why and how African-American’s relate and feel about politics.
Introduction to Pan-Africanism
This course is an examination of the origin and expansion of the Pan-African Movement from the nineteenth century to the present time. This class includes a vital evaluation of major Pan-African ideologists and practitioners. Also included are the successes and failures of the Organization of African Unity from 1963 to the present. This class is strongly recommended for all PAS majors and minors.
Classical African Civilization
Classical African Civilization evaluates the various societies of Africa; covering a period from the origin of humankind in East Africa to the great Zulu Kingdom led by Chaka Zulu in the 19th century. In addition to describing the leadership, histories, and achievements of African figures like Imhotep, Zoser, Ahknaten, Muhammed, and Chaka. The class focuses on understanding the cultures, technologies, and social organization of these individual societies.
Economics of the African-American Community I
This class is an introduction to the operation of the U.S. economy with special emphasis on the interrelationships between producers, consumers and governmental apparatus in the African American communities. The focus of this course will be on the economic position and economic needs of the African American community within this system.
Race and Critical Thinking
This course is an introduction to the essential of deductive logic as a facet of Critical Reasoning, and the practical usage of those concepts while discussing, analyzing, and critiquing ideas on race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation and other pertinent issues of modern society.
Consumer Behavior in the Afro-American Community
This course is aimed at the development of tools and concepts necessary for the rational provision of consumer resources. The emphasis is on significant consumer decisions that face African-Americans. Government functions that can affect consumers will be evaluated in the context of possible impact on personal decision-making.
Psychological Environment of the African-American
This course focuses on the study of contemporary American society and how it has effects on the African-American community from the perspective of basic psychological concepts and theories.
Social Environment of the African-American
This class focuses on the study of the modern American society and its effects on the African-American community from the perspective of basic sociological concepts and theories.
Elements of the Human Geography of the African-American
This course focuses on the geography of the African-American. Including their customs, economics, social and political adjustments.
Traditional African Cultures
This course is a comprehensive overview of the African societies and cultures from the earliest era up to the twentieth century. This class demonstrates case studies in ethnology, kinship and marriage, economic and political institutions, religion and philosophy, the arts, and the interaction between the traditional African and non-African cultures.
African-American Literature to 1930
This class offers an evaluation of the literature written by African-Americans from 1770 to 1930. The student will analyze their literary development within a historical context to gain insight into the fullness of the impact of America on African-American life. The course includes writings of enslaved Africans and freed people. Some of the most profound writings include: the novels and poetry of the post-Emancipation period, the writings of the period 1920-1930 referred to as the Harlem Renaissance, and the work of writers in the Caribbean and in South America from the time of the Haitian Revolution.
African American Literature Since 1930
This course is an introduction to major African American authors from 1930 to the present. The work of Richard Wright, Margaret Walker, Gwendolyn Brooks, Ralph Ellison, John Killens, James Baldwin and LeRoi Jones will be studied as well as the works of writers who help form the Black Arts Movement, which flourished during the 1970’s. The course will focus on comprehending the fundamentals of African American life through an examination of the literature.
Introduction to African-American Drama
A chronological survey of the major works of representative African American dramatists from 1925 to the present, with an emphasis on their techniques, their thoughts, and on the cultural environment in which the works are produced.
African-American History to 1865
This is an excellent course to consider when A survey course examining the themes and issues in the history of the African peoples in America up to 1865. (Meets Title V requirements in American History, Institutions and Ideals.)
African-American History since 1865
This is a survey course in African-American history covering the period 1865 to the present. This course includes the Reconstruction era, post-reconstruction, the Negro Renaissance, The Civil Rights Movement, and Black Nationalism.
History of Caribbean Societies Since 1830’s
This course is for students who want to achieve an historical understanding of the political, social and economic developments of the Caribbean Islands after the 1830’s. The general focus of this course will be centered on post-emancipation colonialism and the development of a particular form of neo-colonialism that manifested itself after sovereignty.
African Religion in the New World
This course is an examination of the religions practiced by Africans once they were removed from their homeland in Africa. This course will be prominent on the importance of religion to the development of African culture in the new world.
Contemporary Issues in the African-American Community
This class offers an in-depth exploration of the cultural, social, political, and economic issues in the African-American community. It will Provide insight on the fact these issues affect the Black individual and family in their relations with majority American society.
Black Psychology
This course is an examination of the major theories and research by African-American scholars addressing the expansion of a Black Psychology. Comparisons and contrasts are made with “Traditional” Psychology.
If you would like to pursue an education in African-American Studies, you will find that it offers a broad curriculum dedicated to the study of Black life from1350 to the present in the Americas and throughout the African Diaspora. Its objectives are to encourage all students and faculty to examine the African-American experience and to assist in a cultural and intellectual atmosphere that will be encouraging to such studies as well as to develop a program of research and understanding.
I hope that God-willing this information will benefit you.
