Department of Black Studies
Division of Social Sciences
South Hall 3631
Telephone: (805) 893-3800
Undergraduate Advisor (805) 893-7624
E-mail: blstadvisor@blackstudies.ucsb.edu
Website: www.blackstudies.ucsb.edu (will open in a new browser window)
Department Chair: Claudine Michel
Contents:
Jude G. Akudinobi, Ph.D., University of Southern California, Lecturer (cinema-television, critical studies)
Ingrid Banks, Ph.D., UC Berkeley, Associate Professor (race, gender, culture, qualitative methods, popular culture)
Douglas H. Daniels, Ph.D., UC Berkeley, Professor (American and Afro-American history)
Jane M. Duran, Ph.D., Rutgers University, Lecturer (philosophy and social theory)
Gaye Theresa Johnson, Ph.D., University of Minnesota, Assistant Professor (race and racism, 20th-century U.S. history, popular music, cultural politics)
George Lipsitz, Ph.D., University of Wisconsin, Professor (race, culture and social identities, 20th-century U.S. history, urban history and culture, social movements)
Otis F. Madison, C. Phil., UC Santa Barbara, Lecturer (Afro-American politics)
Christopher McAuley, Ph.D., University of Michigan, Associate Professor (political economy)
Claudine Michel, Ph.D., UC Santa Barbara, Professor (multicultural/comparative education, cross-cultural psychology, religion)
Cedric J. Robinson, Ph.D., Stanford University, Professor (political theory, popular culture and ideology)
Earl L. Stewart, D.M.A., University of Texas, Associate Professor (Afro-American music)
Roberto Strongman, Ph.D., UC San Diego, Assistant Professor (comparative Carribean cultural studies, literature and religion of the Afro-Americas, gender and sexuality studies)
Clyde Woods, Ph.D., UCLA, Assistant Professor (urban and rural development, race and public policy, Southern studies, Los Angles studies, blues and hip hop culture)
James D. Smith, Ph.D., University of Oregon, Professor Emeritus (Art Studio)
Gérard G. Pigeon, Ph.D., UC Santa Barbara, Professor Emeritus (French, Francophone Caribbean and African literatures and cultures, racial representations in colonial societies)
Eileen Boris, Ph.D. (Women’s Studies)
Jon Cruz, Ph.D. (Sociology)
G. Reginald Daniel, Ph.D. (Sociology)
Anna Everett, Ph.D. (Film Studies)
Diane Fujino, Ph.D. (Asian-American Studies)
Nikki Jones, Ph.D. (Sociology)
Stephan Miescher, Ph.D. (History)
Darieck Scott, Ph.D. (English))
Mireille Miller-Young, Ph.D. (Women’s Studies)
Sylvester Ogbechie, Ph.D (History of Art and Architecture)
Melvin L. Oliver, Ph.D. (Sociology)
Christopher Parker, Ph.D. (Political Science)
F. Winddance Twine, Ph.D. (Sociology)
Howard Winant, Ph.D. (Sociology)
The Department of Black Studies is an interdisciplinary undergraduate program that seeks to increase the awareness and understanding of the Black experience through an examination of its historical and contemporary manifestations in various African, U.S., Caribbean, and Latin American societies. Black Studies employs multiple theoretical and methodological approaches from a variety of disciplines to introduce students to history, literature, cinema, religion, the arts, and the social sciences while examining the dynamics of race, class, gender, sexuality, culture, politics, and economics.
In both research and teaching, faculty in the Department of Black Studies engage the influences and intersections of Africa and the African Diaspora on the formation and future of the modern world. Individual and collaborative research projects include critical inquiries into race and racism, the socialization of children, popular culture and media, the representation of Blacks in national, colonial, and postcolonial globalized cultures, the conflicting iconography of Black women, gender and sexuality, Afro-American religious expressions, the intellectual interventions of Black social critics and activists, aesthetics theory and praxis in Black literature and music, the histories and ethno-musical structures of musical forms in Africa and the Western hemisphere, Creoleness, and Black social movements in the Caribbean, Africa, and the Americas.
The department offers a major leading to the B.A. degree. The Black Studies major is the foundation of an excellent liberal arts education, laying the groundwork for careers in education, social sciences, and public policy. Students are also well prepared to do graduate work in law, ethnic studies, or allied areas in the social sciences, humanities, and the arts. The faculty is available to students who are pursuing graduate degrees in other departments on topics in Black Studies.
Students with a bachelor’s degree in Black Studies who are interested in pursuing a California Teaching Credential should contact the advisor in the Graduate School of Education.
Students majoring in Black Studies are encouraged to consult with the department’s undergraduate advisor.
Undergraduate Program
Bachelor of Arts - Black Studies
Preparation for the major. Required: Black Studies 1, 3, 4, 7; two lower-division courses from among Black Studies 5, 6, 14, 15, 36, 38A, 38B, 45, 50, 55, 58, 60A, 60B, Comparative Literature 33, History 49A-B.
Upper-division major. Thirty-six units of upper-division Black Studies courses are required. Four units from (a) Culture and Representation (Black Studies 126, 130A, 130B, 138, 142, 152, 153, 161, 162, 170, 171, 172); 4 units from (b) Politics and Social Policy (Black Studies 100, 102, 103, 104, 118, 122, 124, 128, 129, 131, 137E, 160, 169AR-BR-CR, 174); 4 units from (c) Gender and Sexuality (Black Studies 106, 125, 127, 133, 136); (d) Senior Seminar (Black Studies 190); (e) 20 units from upper-division electives in Black Studies. Up to 12 units of closely related fields outside the major may be applied by petition.
All courses to be applied to the minor must be completed on a letter-grade basis, including both courses offered in Black Studies and those offered by other departments and applied to the minor.
Preparation for the minor. Black Studies 1 and 3, 4 or 7.
Upper-division minor. Twenty units, distributed as follows: Four units from (a) Culture and Representation (Black Studies 126, 130A, 130B, 138, 142, 152, 153, 161, 162, 170, 171, 172); 4 units from (b) Politics and Social Policy (Black Studies 100, 102, 103, 104, 118, 122, 124, 128, 129, 131, 137E, 160, 169AR-BR-CR, 174); 4 units from (c) Gender and Sexuality (Black Studies 106, 125, 127, 133, 136); (d) one upper-division seminar (193 AA-ZZ); (e) one upper-division elective Black Studies course.
Note: Substitutions and waivers are subject to approval by the chair of the department. Please see "Academic Minors" for special conditions governing minors in the College of Letters and Science.
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Black Studies Courses
1. Introduction to Afro-American Studies
(4) Banks, Johnson, Lipsitz, Woods
Historical and current social conditions of Black people in the United States. Topics include slavery, emancipation, reconstruction, and urban Black migration, with particular consideration given to the black church and the black family as bearers and creators of Afro-American culture.
3. Introduction to African Studies
(4) Daniels
Not open for credit to students who have completed Black Studies 1C.
A survey of the subject matter, themes, and methods of African studies. While briefly surveying the prehistory and early states of Africa, the course focuses on the culture and society of the colonial and independence eras.
4. Critical Introduction to Race and Racism
(4) Banks, Johnson, Michel
Examines historical and contemporary manifestations of racism and anti-racism, as well as theoretical approaches to understand the social, cultural, political and economic aspects of race.
5. Blacks and Western Civilization
(4) Robinson, McAuley
An interdisciplinary analysis of the effects of Africa on Western Civilization, specifically the politics, economics, and cultures of Europe, the Caribbean, and North America.
6. The Civil Rights Movement
(4) Banks, Johnson, Lipsitz, Woods
History of the modern civil rights movement, its organization and ideology from its origins in the post-reconstruction era, to its triumphs with the end of legal racial segregation, and its recognition in the civil rights legislation in the 1960s.
7. Introduction to Caribbean Studies
(4) McAuley, Strongman
A survey of the culture and society of the Caribbean. After surveying Amerindian communities and examining the impact of the Atlantic slave trade, focus will be on slavery, emancipation, African and Creole cultures, and the issues accompanying an independent nationhood status.
14. The History of Jazz
(4) Daniels, Johnson, Lipsitz, Woods
Not open for credit to students who have completed Black Studies 114.
A survey of the historical origins and development of jazz, beginning with the West African heritage and the Afro-American folk tradition, and examining the social and cultural context of this twentieth-century music.
15. The Psychology of Blacks
(4) Michel
Examines manifestations of various psychological characteristics of people of African decent, their cultural and behavioral norms, including the way that issues of race, class, gender and sexuality affect their cognitive, social, and emotional development. Connections between Africa, the Caribbean, and Afro-America are explored.
33. Major Works of African Literatures
(4) Strongman, Akudinobi
Same course as Comparative Literature 33.
An introduction to the diverse literary traditions of Africa through an examination of selected works. Regional focus on North, West, East, Central, and South Africa varies.
36. Afro-American Oral Traditions
(4) Michel, Daniels
The Roots and contemporary manifestations of oral traditions of Afro-Americans and Caribbean cultures are examined as expressed in oral narratives and non-verbal modes of communications.
38A. Introduction to Afro-American Literature (Part I)
(4) Strongman, Duran
Afro-American literature from colonial times through the Harlem renaissance.
38B. Introduction to Afro-American Literature (Part II)
(4) Strongman, Duran
Afro-American literature from the 1930s to the present.
45. Black Arts Expressions
(4) Lipsitz, Stewart, Woods
Not open for credit to students who have completed Black Studies 145.
A comparative examination of the traditions of African American music, literature, dance, folklore, cinema, the visual arts, and musical theatre. No prior musical background is required, though some musicological concepts and nomenclature are employed.
50. Blacks in the Media
(4) Lipsitz, Madison
The development of black stereotypes. Studying literature, comic books, comic strips, cartoons, music, theater, cinema, broadcasting, and television, students will analyze the mythical imageries which have created stereotypes.
55. Race and Space
(4) Lipsitz
A study of urban spatial relations, housing discrimination, environmental racism, school segregation, urban renewal, and city planning from the nineteeth century to the present.
58. Education and Inequality
(4) Lipsitz
The role of education in the racialization of opportunities and life chances in U.S. society with special emphasis on the origins, implementation, and legacy of the Supreme Court’s decision in Brown vs. Board of Education.
60A. Survey of Afro-American Religious Traditions
(4) Strongman
Same course as Religious Studies 61A.
A historical examination, beginning with West African heritage, of Afro-American religious leaders and organizations in the United States during slavery and until the end of the nineteenth century.
60B. Religion in Black America (Part II)
(4) Strongman
Same course as Religious Studies 61B.
A historical survey of major black religious figures, organizations, movements, philosophies, and issues. Emphasis on contemporary religious phenomena in the black religious community of the United States during the twentieth century.
90. Sophomore Seminar
(4) Staff
Prerequisite: sophomore standing.
A research and/or writing seminar which focuses on major themes in Black Studies.
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100. Africa and United States Policy
(4) McAuley
Prerequisite: upper-division standing.
Post-World War II Africa and United States foreign policy. Special attention will be devoted to southern Africa and parallels between social movements in that part of the world and the United States civil rights movement.
102. Black Radicals and the Radical Tradition
(4) Daniels, Johnson, Lipsitz, Woods
Prerequisite: upper-division standing.
This course examines the tradition of radical thought and the relevance of this thought to the needs and interests of the black community.
103. The Politics of Black Liberation - The Sixties
(4) Daniels, Johnson, Lipsitz, Woods
Prerequisite: upper-division standing.
The origins of various Black liberation organizations and their ideologies and strategies in the 1960s. Study of grass roots organizations and their struggles sheds light on the developments that occurred when this movement encountered the intransigence of entrenched American racism.
104. Black Marxism
(4) Lipsitz, McAuley, Robinson
Prerequisites: Black Studies 3 or 4 or 5; upper-division standing.
A theoretical explication and critique of the diverse Marxian analyses developed in Africa and the African Diaspora from the early 20th century. The course traces and analyzes the divergences of Black Marxisms from Western Marxism.
106. Women and Politics of the Body
(4) Banks
Prerequisite: upper-division standing.
Examines the relationship between race and gender in the construction of bodily politics that include perceptions of beauty and femininity. In understanding how race and gender matter in conceptualizations of beauty, this course centers black women’s bodies as important sites of resistance.
118. Comparative Rebellion
(4) Johnson
Examines key events in Brown/Black resistance and rebellion in the U. S. and the Borderlands. Using primary and secondary sources, the course emphasizes parallel rebellions, transnational revolutionary thought, and cross-racial alliances.
122. The Education of Black Children
(4) Michel
Prerequisite: upper-division standing.
Explores the effects of social, political, and economic forces on the history of Black education. Examines ways of challenging the impacts of race, class, gender, and language in the educational achievement of Black children. Focuses on anti-bias/multicultural curricula in urban settings. Fieldwork required.
124. Housing, Inheritance, and Race
(4) Lipsitz
Prerequisite: upper-division standing.
Housing discrimination systematically skews opportunities and life changes in the United States across racial lines. This course examines the origins and evolution of fair housing laws, and the role that housing plays in asset accumulation, inheritance, and wealth.
125. Queer Black Studies
(4) Strongman
Prerequisite: upper-division standing.
An exploration of the intersection of Black Studies and Queer Studies form various theoretical, literary, historical, and multi-media perspectives. Cultural producers studied include: Audre Lorde, Marlon Riggs, Bayard Rustin, and Bruce Nugent.
126. Comparative Black Literatures
(4) Strongman
Prerequisite: upper-division standing.
Same course as Comparative Literature 126.
Using a social constructist approach to race, this course examines the multiple ways in which racial discourses operate in global literary cultures. Emphasizes that blackness need not be a homogenous concept in order to continue to be a powerful agent in our postmodern world.
127. Black Women Writers
(4) Strongman
Prerequisite: upper-division standing.
Examines the significance of race, class, gender, sexuality, and place as experienced and articulated in the literature of black women of the African diaspora.
128. The Black Experience in Southern California
(4) Johnson, Woods
Prerequisite: upper-division standing.
An interdisciplinary examination of the history, culture, economic conditions, policy debates, and social movements of Blacks in Southern California from 1781 to the present. Music, literature, film, autobiography, and social theory are used to analyze the processes of regional and racial transformation.
129. The Urban Dilemma
(4) Woods
Prerequisite: upper-division standing.
Examines the evolution of African American urban communities, research, and public policy. Focuses on theoretical and historiographical debates: social organization; conditions; daily life; culture; social movements; sustainable development; and class, gender; race relations. Analysis of current policy debates and community initiatives.
130A. Negritude and African Literature
(4) Strongman
Prerequisite: upper-division standing.
Recommended preparation: Black Studies 3 or 7.
History of Francophone West Indian and African literature from the 1920s through the 1950s. Writers studied include Aime and Suzanne Cesaire, Leon Gontran Damas, Leopold Sedar Senghor, and Jane and Paulette Nardal.
130B. French African Literature
(4) Strongman
Prerequisite: upper-division standing.
Recommended preparation: Black Studies 3 or 7.
A study of theoretical and literary discourses of decolonization that appeared simultaneously in Africa and the West Indies after the second World War. Writers studied include Mongo Beti, Camara Laye, Aime Cesaire, Ferdinand Oyono, Miriam Warner-Viegyra, Maryse Conde, and Simone Schwartz-Bart.
131. Race and Public Policy
(4) Woods
Prerequisite: upper-division standing.
Provides a theoretical overview of the role of race and ethnicity in local, national, and international public policy debates. Examines critical case studies of several policies: regional development, social welfare, environment, criminal justice, etc. Student policy projects with fieldwork component.
133. Gender and Sexuality in Black Studies
(4) Strongman, Banks
Prerequisite: upper-division standing.
Examines the intersection of gender, sexuality, race, and class in creating disadvantage and advantage. In examining how racism, sexism, and heterosexism shape black life chances in a 21st century context, this course focuses on systems of oppression that exist within and outside black communities.
136. Black Feminist Thought
(4) Banks
Prerequisite: upper-division standing.
Examines past and contemporary scholarship in black feminist thought. By examining the intervention of black feminist thought within mainstream feminist theory and the field of black studies, this course presents a critical examination of the theoretical and practical contributions of black feminist scholars.
138. African Religions in the Americas
(4) Michel, Strongman
Prerequisite: upper-division standing.
Same course as Religious Studies 156.
A study of Neo-African religions in the Americas, with special emphasis on Haitian Vodou. Beliefs, myths, philosophical perspectives, moral order, rituals and practices as well as social and political dynamics are examined in various contemporary religious communities. Women’s roles and sexuality issues are also explored.
142. Music in Afro-American Cultures: U.S.A.
(4) Stewart, Woods
Prerequisite: upper-division standing.
Introduction to the music of Afro-Americans in the U.S.A. from the antebellum era to the present, including folk, religious, popular, and classical music forms. The sociology of black music in America forms the basis for lectures and discussions.
152. Music of the African Diaspora
(4) Stewart
Prerequisite: upper-division standing.
A survey of select African derived musical traditions from the Caribbean, North and South America, and Africa.
153. Black Popular Music in America
(4) Johnson, Lipsitz, Stewart, Woods
Prerequisite: upper-division standing.
A critical survey of African American popular styles since 1950. The course is style specific, but also addresses the music’s relationship to other aspects of popular culture.
160. Analyses of Racism and Social Policy in the United States
(4) Madison
Prerequisites: Black Studies 1 or 4; upper-division standing.
In-depth analysis of the history, ideological, and scientific origins of racism in the United States from the nineteenth century. The effects of institutional racism on social policy, desegregation, integration, and affirmative action programs are also examined.
161. “Third World” Cinema
(4) Robinson, Akudinobi
Prerequisite: Film Studies 46 or upper-division standing.
Same course as Film Studies 161.
Studies representative films from Africa, Asia, and Latin America from the 1950s to the present. Explores the socio-cultural and aesthetic dimensions of these cinemas (which have emerged as the “other” of Hollywood and European cinema).
162. African Cinema
(4) akudinobi
Prerequisite: upper-division standing.
Critical perspectives on African cinema from its inception to the present. Production contexts, aesthetic/narrative strategies, ideological/representational concerns will be examined along with issues of authorship, culture, gender, identity, post-coloniality, etc.
169AR-BR-CR. Afro-American History
(4-4-4) daniels, johnson
Prerequisite: Black Studies 1 or 5 or History 17A or 17B or 17C or upper-division standing.
Same course as History 169AR-BR-CR.
Influence/experience of Africans/African Americans in United States history.
AR. Origins and development of slavery and racism in British Colonies.
BR. Nineteenth-century expansion of slavery, Anti-slavery, Civil War, Reconstruction and development of segregation.
CR. Twentieth-century New South, urban migration and desegregation.
170. Afro-Americans in the American Cinema
(4) Robinson
Prerequisite: upper-division standing.
An examination of the representation of Afro-Americans in the Hollywood feature film, from 1915 to the present. The course explores the relationship between screen icons and the racial attitudes held by black and white Americans.
171. Africa in Film
(4) Akudinobi
Prerequisite: upper-division standing.
The purpose of this course is to provide an understanding of African cultures, traditions, and politics as depicted by African and non-African filmmakers. Students will explore stereotypical as well as positive and romantic images of Africa. Films: semi-documentaries, documentaries, fiction.
172. Contemporary Black Cinema
(4) Robinson
Prerequisite: upper-division standing.
The course explores the new directions in Afro-American cinema with emphasis on the directors, the aesthetics and the social content of contemporary Black film. The problems of production, distribution and exhibition will be examined.
174. From Plantations to Prisons
(4) Lipsitz, Stern, Woods
Prerequisite: upper-division standing.
An introduction to the historical roots of the U.S. penal industry and current policies. Provides a structural understanding of the contemporary prison crisis and questions comtemporary notions of crime, punishment, rehabilitation, restoration and justice. Focuses on the unprecedented prison population explosion in terms of race, gender and class.
190. Senior Seminar in Black Studies
(4) Staff
Prerequisite: open to upper-division Black Studies majors only.
Designed to sharpen knowledge of major themes in Black Studies and strengthen skills in research, critical analysis, and effective writing. This course emphasizes primary research.
191AA-ZZ. Special Topics in Black Studies
(4) Staff
Prerequisite: upper-division standing.
May be repeated for credit to a maximum of 16 units provided letter designations are different (only 12 units may be applied toward the major).
Designed to broaden opportunities for students by offering varying topics related to the Black experience.
BB. The Political Uses of Race: McAuley
I. Black Philosophy and Social Theory: Duran
X. Racism, Sports and Politics: Madison
192. Community Studies and Outreach Initiatives
(1-4) Staff
Internship and/or studies in contemporary urban problems and decision-making processes as they affect the black community. For internships, students are individually assigned, instructed and supervised in fieldwork involving practical experience in decision-making unit of community liaison agencies.
193AA-ZZ. Seminars in Black Studies
(4) Staff
Prerequisites: upper-division standing and consent of instructor.
May be repeated for credit to a maximum of 12 units provided letter designations are different (only 8 units may be applied toward the major).
Seminars will focus on a specific topic chosen by the professor and will involve in-depth reading of a number of works and the writing of a paper on a subject chosen in consultation with the instructor.
A. Malcolm X and His Times: Daniels
AA. Racism, Law, and the Constitution: Madison
D. C.L.R. James and the World System: Robinson
E. Children’s Literature/Storytelling: Michel
EE. Seminar on Black Feminism: Banks
G. The Marcus Garvey Movement: Madison
GG. Masterpieces in Black Music Literature: Stewart
I. Blacks in the Military: Madison
L. History of the Black Athlete In the U.S.: Madison
O. The Black Experience Through Video Production: Michel
X. The African American Artist: Smith
Y. The Black Worker Since the Civil War: McAuley
Z. Seminar on Edwidge Danticat; Michel
195A-B-C. Honors Thesis Seminar in Black Studies
(4-4-4) Staff
Prerequisites: senior standing and consent of department.
Must have a 3.3 university grade-point average; 3.5 departmental grade-point average; A three-quarter in-progress sequence course with grades for all three quarters issued upon completion of the final quarter.
Each student, under the direction of the department chair, will identify a research topic and map out a research project with the appropriate faculty member(s). Research will begin in fall and continue more intensely during winter. Research papers will be completed in spring with a formal presentation before an audience of faculty, graduate and undergraduate students in Black studies.
197. Research Seminar
(1-8) Staff
Prerequisite: consent of department and/or instructor.
It is recommended a student have a 3.0 Grade Point Average prior to enrolling in this course.
Directed field research on a topic in Black Studies.
199. Independent Studies in Black Studies
(1-4) Staff
Prerequisites: upper-division standing; completion of two upper-division courses in Black Studies; consent of department.
Must have a minimum 3.0 grade-point average for the preceding three quarters. Students are limited to 5 units per quarter and 30 units total in all 98/99/198/199/199AA-ZZ courses combined.
199RA. Independent Research Assistance in Black Studies
(1-5) Staff
Prerequisites: upper-division standing; completion of two upper-division courses in Black Studies; consent of instructor and department.
Must have a minimum 3.0 grade-point average for the preceding three quarters. Students are limited to 5 units per quarter and 30 units total in all 98/99198/199/199AA-ZZ courses combined.
Coursework shall consist of faculty supervised research assistance.
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206. Graduate Proseminar
(4) Staff
Prerequisite: graduate standing; completion of at least 12 upper-division units related to the subject matter of the course.
Critical inquiry based on dissertation-related research addressing several issues in the curricular development of black studies: research writing, formal presentation, postdoctoral programs, revision, and journal publication process.
501. Teaching Methodology in Black Studies
(1-4) Staff
Prerequisite: appointment as T.A. in Black studies.
For graduate students who serve as teaching assistants: analyses of texts and materials; discussion of teaching techniques; conducting discussion sections; formulation of topics and questions for papers and examinations; and grading papers and examinations under supervision of instructor.
596. Directed Reading and Research
(2-5) Staff
Prerequisite: graduate standing. May be repeated for credit on approval of chair.
Individual tutorial. Plan of study must be approved by department chair.
598. Master’s Thesis Research and Preparation
(2-8) Staff
Prerequisite: consent of instructor.
To assist graduate students who are doing research or writing their dissertation in African area studies and/or Black studies.
