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Program Overview
The Black Studies program at Fairfield University is designed to provide students with a comprehensive study of the origins and experiences of people of African descent, including African Americans, Afro Caribbeans, Afro Asians, Afro Latinos, and Afro Europeans. The interdisciplinary field explores Africa and the African Diaspora (the global dispersion of people of African ancestry), including the Americas, Britain, and Europe, and introduces students to the field by exploring the social, political, and economic roots of contemporary problems by examining them in the context of the wider world.
As an interdisciplinary program, Black Studies is devoted to scholarship on the histories, political and cultural movements, institution-building, and identities of people of African ancestry. It includes the exploration of the rich cultural heritage, legacy of resistance to oppressive structures, and unique perspectives on human rights supplied by peoples of African descent. The Black Studies curriculum includes courses in the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences to provide students with an understanding of the far-reaching impacts of race and ethnicity across continents. By engaging in a comparative and theoretical examination of Africa and the African Diaspora, students will be equipped to undertake an interdisciplinary scholarly analysis of various complex global questions.
The Black Studies minor also helps prepare students for life in an increasingly multi-ethnic and global society by providing them with the opportunity to build on skills needed for professional careers in community service, education, government, law, and private industry.
Explore the Black Studies Program
Requirements
For a 15-credit minor in Black studies, students must complete the following:
- BLST 1101: Black Lives Matter
- Four (4) Black Studies elective courses drawn from the sciences, social sciences, and humanities. The four courses must represent at least two different disciplines. At least two must be "focus" courses; the other two may be "component" courses.
Anthropology
| ANTH 1115 | Cultures of Africa |
Black Studies
| BLST 4999 | Independent Study/Research in Black Studies |
Communication
| COMM 3245 | Identities, Discourse, and Social Change |
| COMM 3344 | Interracial Communication |
English
| ENGL 1140 | Caribbean Literature: History, Culture, and Identity |
| ENGL 1330 | African American Literary Tradition |
| ENGL 2062 | The Harlem Renaissance |
| ENGL 2063 | African American Women Writers |
| ENGL 2064 | African American Fiction, 1940 to Present |
| ENGL 3036 | Seminar on Toni Morrison |
History
| HIST 2220 | Ancient African Civilizations |
| HIST 2262 | African-American History, 1619 to 1865 |
| HIST 2263 | Inventing Themselves: African-American Women in U.S. History |
| HIST 2264 | African-American History, 1865 to Present |
Philosophy
| PHIL 3360 | Critical Race Theory |
Politics
| POLI 2252 | African Politics |
Religious Studies
| RLST 2662 | Afro-Caribbean and African American Religions: Shout, O Children! |
Sociology
| SOCI 2110 | Race, Cities, and Poverty |
| SOCI 2300 | Sociology of Education |
Visual and Performing Arts
| AHST 1165 | The Black Experience: African-American Art and Criticism in the 20th and 21st Centuries |
| FTMA 2204 | African American Cinema |
| MUSC 1101 | The History of Jazz |
| MUSC 1112 | The Music of Black Americans |
| MUSC 2201 | Hip-Hop and Its Antecedents |
Biology
| BI 1071 | Identity and the Human Genome |
English
| ENGL 1310 | Contemporary Women Writers of Color |
| ENGL 3075 | Caribbean Women Writers |
| ENGL 3076 | Global Women's Fiction |
History
| HIST 2239 | 20th Century United States |
| HIST 2242 | Immigration, Race, and Ethnicity in U.S. History |
Philosophy
| PHIL 2260 | Social and Political Philosophy |
Politics
| POLI 2108 | Political Parties and Interest Groups |
| POLI 2336 | Politics of Race, Class, and Gender |
Religious Studies
| RLST 2235 | Liberation Theology |
Sociology
| SOCI 1135 | Race, Gender, and Ethnic Relations |
| SOCI 1140 | Urban/Suburban Sociology: NYC |
| SOCI 1150 | Introduction to International Migration |
Visual and Performing Arts
| AHST 1103 | Art of Africa, the Caribbean, and the Americas |
| MUSC 1122 | World Music History and Ensemble |
| MUSC 1132 | Critical Issues in American Popular Music: Blues to Hip Hop |
More About Black Studies
Life After Fairfield
Life After Fairfield
A concentration in Black Studies provides the foundation through which you can guide your personal and professional ambitions, and assists you in understanding the compartmentalized and often disconnected areas of focus within Western education.
In a world that is increasingly more conscious about the value of multiculturalism, the Black Studies perspective makes a graduate a more attractive candidate to perspective employers. In fact, Black Studies minors can be found in a variety of professions and occupational areas, including:
- Education
- Journalism
- Law
- Business Management
- Government
- City Planning
- International Relations
- Psychology
- Public Health
- Visual and Performing Arts
- Social Work
Learn how Fairfield's Career Services can support your post-graduate goals, and how our tight-knit alumni network can build career and mentoring opportunities that last a lifetime.
Diversity and Inclusive Excellence
Diversity and Inclusive Excellence
As a Jesuit, Catholic university, Fairfield is dedicated to diversity and inclusion; to radical hospitality in service of racial, social, and economic justice.
