Africana Studies is a cross-disciplinary area of study that is necessarily global in scope and theoretically diverse. This minor offers students a core course to ground their pursuit of African, African American, Afro-Caribbean and Black studies in a survey of the major themes and ideas of the discipline. The remainder of the minor is flexible, allowing students to select courses that match their interests and schedules. These include courses from across campus, including performing arts, sociology, history, political science, literature, environmental science, and special topics courses.
Courses in Africana Studies will include the following learning objectives:
- Recognize and affirm the central place of Africans, African Americans, and Black people in global history and society.
- Explore the contributions of Black and African diasporic peoples to literature, politics, art, history, medicine, science, music, theater, athletics, society, and all disciplines.
- Consider the study of Blackness to be central to the intellectual and practical study of any other discipline; Africana Studies is not outside of other academic homes, but an integral part of them.
- Understand the radical and politicized origins of the Black and Africana Studies academic units, and to engage in the ongoing debate about their evolving role in higher education curricula.
- Critically engage Critical Race Theory, racism and anti-racism, colorblindness, and other theoretical apparatuses that underpin the discipline of Black and Africana studies.
- Explore the diversity of the African diaspora.
- Partner with communities, on campus and beyond campus, to create practical and synergistic applications for the material learned in the classroom.
Course Requirements
The minor requirements are intentionally flexible to meet the needs and interests of students of a variety of majors, as well as the availability of courses in any given semester.
Students who complete an Africana Studies Minor at Alfred University complete at least 18 credit hours of courses designated or approved for the minor. Additional courses may be approved by the director each semester. See the website and/or contact the director for a list of courses.
All courses used to complete a minor must have grades of "C" or better and at least half of the requirements should be completed at Alfred University.
Core Requirement
Students must take at least one of the following courses:
Elective Courses
Complete the remaining 14 credits by selecting among the following:
New courses in Africana Studies are often added as topics courses: these may be included in the minor with permission from the Director of Africana Studies or the board. Special topics classes are taught once or twice to capture a specific interest or explore a new area and may count toward the minor as electives. In the past instructors have offered special topics courses in a wide array of subject areas.