Black Studies
Charise Cheney, Department Head
541-346-0900
541-346-0904 fax
104 Alder Building
5268 University of Oregon
Eugene, Oregon 97403-5268
Born out of the Black freedom struggle of the 1960s and 1970s, Black studies is a political and an intellectual project, through which scholarly inquiry serves as a path to the empowerment and liberation of people of African descent socially, politically, and spiritually. The Black studies minor also honors centuries-long histories of Black thought, from pre-colonial, thriving African civilizations through the anti-slavery abolition movement to the prison abolition movement, from decades of Race Men to Black feminism and Black Queer studies, from the African continent to the Americas to the Caribbean and all throughout the Diaspora.
Black studies spans centuries, crosses oceans, and is shaped by multiple geographies and cultural practices. Students can immerse themselves in histories of African and African-descended people rooted in and routed through the Atlantic slave trade, colonialism, and imperialism across the Diaspora.
Black Studies Minor Requirements
Courses used to fulfill the minor requirements must be taken for a letter grade and passed with a grade of C- or better.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Core Course: | 4 | |
| Introduction to Black Studies | ||
| Lower Division - At least 12 credits from the following: 1 | 12 | |
| Introduction to African American Literature | ||
| African American History | ||
| African American History | ||
| Upper Division - At least 12 credits from the following: 2 | 12 | |
| African American Writers | ||
| Race and Popular Culture: [Topic] | ||
| Social Equity and Criminal Justice | ||
| Black Sexual Politics | ||
| Race, Literature, and Culture: [Topic] | ||
| Race and Incarceration | ||
| French Survey of Francophone Literature | ||
| African Contemporary Issues and Concerns | ||
| The Global Story of Race | ||
| Precolonial Africa | ||
| Colonial and Postcolonial Africa | ||
| Society and Culture in Modern Africa: [Topic] | ||
| African American History to 1877: [Topic] | ||
| African American History since 1877: [Topic] | ||
| Hip-Hop History, Culture, Aesthetics | ||
| Survey of African Music | ||
| Musical Instruments of the World | ||
| Popular Musics in the African Diaspora | ||
| African Philosophy | ||
| Black Lives Matter and American Democracy | ||
| Total Credits | 28 | |
- 1
Following the successful completion of their gateway course and meeting with an advisor, students can decide if they want lower-division work in a combination of Anthropology, English, History, IRES, and WGSS lower-division courses.
- 2
Consult with your advisor to discuss upper-division coursework.
Residency Requirements
20 of 28 credits must be taken in-residence, including all upper-division credits.