Black Studies, now celebrating its 40th year as a university discipline, is a 21st Century field of study gaining in prestige. There are 250 universities with Black Studies departments and programs, a number of departments that offer Masters degree, and eight universities that offer Ph. D's in Africana/Africology/Black Studies. The Ph.D programs are institutionalized at prestigious universities nationwide, with the first being established at Temple University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The others are at Harvard University, Yale University, the University of California-Berkeley, the University of Massachusetts-Amherst, Michigan State University, Northwestern University in Illinois and the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
Black Studies offers a multi-disciplinary major devoted to the exploration and analysis of the history and culture of African people in the United States, Caribbean, and Africa. It seeks to define the Black experience from an African and Afro-American centered perspective rather than Euro-centric perspective, to illuminate the contribution of African people to world culture and to correct a traditional approach to the study of world history that has tended to bypass the Black Diaspora experience.
Black Studies at New Paltz (Established 1969)
The Department of Black Studies at New Paltz seeks:
- To provide an accurate and thorough treatment of the history of people of African ancestry.
- To examine the impact of current economic, social, and political forces that shape the Black experience.
- To contribute to a basic understanding of the unique issues people of African ancestry face in the modern world.
- To provide an opportunity to study in depth and breadth the artistic expression of people of African ancestry.
- To afford an opportunity for research and creative activity in Black Studies on campus and in the community.
- To foster marketable skills in speaking, writing, and analysis.
Careers in Black Studies
In addition to providing a heightened sense of awareness about the people of
African descent and their contributions to world civilizations, a Black Studies
major has practical applications. It may be utilized as the foundation
for graduate studies in all areas of social sciences, including history, sociology,
political science and the study of law; it provides a background for students
interested in the field of social welfare as a vocation it provides added dimension
for those seeking careers in government and foreign services. The Black Studies
B-2 and 1-6 curricula lead to careers in teaching.
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How to Contact the Department:
Department of Black Studies
Office: Faculty Office Building West 2
State University of New York at New Paltz
1 Hawk Drive.
New Paltz, NY 12561
Phone: (845) 257-2760
Fax: (845) 257-2768
