1.1 Origins and Development of African American Studies

African American Studies emerged from the Civil Rights and Black Power movements of the 1960s and 70s. It began with student activism demanding more diverse curricula and faculty, leading to the first Black Studies program at San Francisco State College in 1968.

The field takes an interdisciplinary approach, drawing from history, sociology, psychology, and more. It centers Afrocentric perspectives, challenging Eurocentric biases in academia and emphasizing African American experiences, culture, and contributions to global knowledge.

Origins of African American Studies

Foundational movements and events

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• Black Studies emerged as an academic field in the 1960s and 1970s, growing out of the Civil Rights Movement and the Black Power Movement
• The Civil Rights Movement (1954-1968) fought against racial discrimination and segregation, advocating for equal rights and social justice for African Americans through nonviolent resistance and civil disobedience (Montgomery Bus Boycott, March on Washington)
• The Black Power Movement (1960s-1970s) emphasized racial pride, self-determination, and political and economic empowerment for African Americans, often using more militant tactics than the Civil Rights Movement (Black Panther Party, Malcolm X)
• The San Francisco State College strike (1968-1969) was a pivotal moment in the development of Black Studies, where students demanded the creation of a Black Studies department and more diverse faculty, leading to the establishment of the first Black Studies program in the United States

Establishment of Black Studies programs

• Black Studies programs began to be established at colleges and universities across the United States in response to student activism and demands for more diverse and inclusive curricula
• These programs aimed to study the history, culture, and experiences of African Americans from an Afrocentric perspective, challenging the Eurocentric bias in traditional academic disciplines
• The establishment of Black Studies programs helped to legitimize the field as an academic discipline and paved the way for the development of African American Studies as a distinct field of study

Characteristics of African American Studies

Interdisciplinary approach

• African American Studies takes an interdisciplinary approach, drawing on theories, methods, and perspectives from a wide range of academic disciplines, including history, literature, sociology, psychology, political science, and economics
• This interdisciplinary approach allows for a more comprehensive and holistic understanding of the African American experience, examining the complex interplay of social, cultural, political, and economic factors that shape African American life
• By bringing together insights from multiple disciplines, African American Studies can provide a more nuanced and contextualized analysis of issues facing African American communities, such as racism, inequality, and social justice

Afrocentricity

• Afrocentricity is a key theoretical framework in African American Studies that centers the experiences, perspectives, and cultural values of African people and the African diaspora
• Afrocentric scholarship seeks to challenge the Eurocentric bias in traditional academic disciplines and to reinterpret history, culture, and knowledge from an African-centered perspective
• Afrocentricity emphasizes the importance of understanding African American experiences within the broader context of African history and culture, recognizing the cultural continuities and connections between African Americans and their African heritage (African philosophy, African spirituality)
• Afrocentric approaches also prioritize the agency and resilience of African American communities, highlighting their contributions to global culture and knowledge production, and their resistance to oppression and marginalization

Development of African American Studies

Institutionalization of African American Studies

• The institutionalization of African American Studies refers to the process by which the field became established as a legitimate academic discipline within colleges and universities
• This process involved the creation of dedicated departments, programs, and centers for African American Studies, as well as the development of specialized curricula, research agendas, and scholarly publications
• The institutionalization of African American Studies helped to secure funding, resources, and institutional support for the field, allowing for the expansion of research, teaching, and community engagement efforts
• As African American Studies became more institutionalized, it also gained greater visibility and influence within the academy and beyond, shaping public discourse and policy debates on issues of race, inequality, and social justice (affirmative action, reparations)
• The institutionalization of African American Studies also facilitated the professionalization of the field, with the development of graduate programs, scholarly associations, and peer-reviewed journals that helped to establish standards of excellence and rigor in research and teaching