Black Studies

The central mission of the Black Studies discipline is to prepare students to critically understand and interpret complex global histories, cultures, and societies of Africana people, which includes continental and diasporic Africans. We situate this knowledge within an interdisciplinary general discourse that teaches us about the totality of human experiences involving universal struggles for valued collective and individual identities. Students will employ research, methodology and theories drawn out of the collective Black experience to address relevant issues on behalf of global African communities and the whole of humanity.

Other Program Related Information

Fast Track

The Master of Science in urban studies program has developed a Fast Track program for highly qualified and motivated students providing the opportunity to complete a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in an accelerated time frame. With Fast Track, students may count up to nine (9) graduate hours toward the completion of their undergraduate program as well as the graduate degree program.

Program Specifics:

  • This program is available for undergraduate students pursuing any of the following who wish to pursue a MS in urban studies:
    • BS in emergency management
    • BS in black studies
    • Bachelor of Multidisciplinary Studies.
  • Students must be within at least 30 undergraduate credits yet to complete their undergraduate degree. Exceptional students who do not meet this requirement may be considered.
  • Students must have a minimum undergraduate GPA of 3.5.
  • Students must complete the Fast Track Approval form and obtain all signatures and submit to the Office of Graduate Studies prior to first enrollment in a graduate course
  • Students will work with their undergraduate advisor to register for the graduate courses.
  • Students must consult with the urban studies advisor prior to enrollment in one of the courses listed below.
  • A minimum cumulative GPA of 3.5 is required to remain in good standing.
  • Students remain undergraduates until they meet all the requirements for the undergraduate degree and are eligible for all rights and privileges granted undergraduate status including financial aid.
  • Near the end of the undergraduate program, formal application to the MS in urban studies program is required. The application fee will be waived, the applicant will need to contact the Office of Graduate Studies for a fee waiver code.
    • Admission to Fast Track does NOT guarantee admission to the graduate program. 
    • For this program, if students maintain at least a grade of B+ in courses taken, they will be recommended for admission to the MS in urban studies.
    • The admit term must be after the completion term of the undergraduate degree.

The following courses may be taken under the Fast Track program

·        BLST 8886:Seminar on Black Leadership

·        UBNS 8000:Seminar in Urban Studies

·        UBNS 8060:Introduction to Urban Planning

·        UBNS 8020:Race, Ethnicity and American Urban Culture**

·        UBNS 8200:Community Organizing and Development**

                ·        PA 8010:The Public Economy (Must have completed or be concurrently enrolled in UBNS 8000)

Other Information

All coursework taken for the Black Studies major or minor must be completed with a minimum grade of "C-" or better. Credits not considered applicable toward the completion of the Black Studies major or minor include those graded less than "C-", "I" (incomplete), "AU" (audit), "CR/NC" (credit/no-credit), or "S/U" (satisfactory/unsatisfactory).

Contact Information

184 Arts and Sciences Hall
Phone 402.554.2412
Fax 402.554.3883
Email: unoblackstudies@unomaha.edu
Facebook: facebook.com/unoblackstudies

Website

Degrees Offered

Writing in the Discipline

All students are required to take a writing in the discipline course within their major. For the Black Studies major, this is BLST 3700 or another approved course.

Minors Offered

The central mission of the UNO Black Studies discipline is to prepare students to critically understand and interpret the complex histories, societies, and cultures of African people across the globe, and to employ theoretical and methodological tools drawn out of the collective Black experience in addressing relevant natural and social global issues on behalf of humanity. We situate this knowledge within a general discourse concerning what it teaches us about the totality of the human experience.

  • Business, Entrepreneurship, Marketing
  • Cultural Resources Manager
  • Education
  • Government
  • Law & Criminal Justice
  • Literature
  • Media & Journalism
  • Medicine & Health
  • Performing Arts & Entertainment
  • Politics
  • Professor
  • Religion
  • Social & Community Services
  • Visual & Decorative Arts

BLST 1000  INTRODUCTION TO BLACK STUDIES (3 credits)

BLST 1000 provides students with an overview of African culture and history and the black Diaspora. A key component of this course is to interrogate the meanings and dimensions of slavery and colonialism, and their continuing political, social and cultural implications. Approaches essentially include historical examination of African and African American societies and cultures from pre-colonial and slavery periods to the present.

Distribution: Social Science General Education course and U.S. Diversity General Education course

BLST 1050  CLASSICAL AFRICAN CIVILIZATIONS (3 credits)

Classical African Civilization is an introductory survey of the civilizations of Africa and African people prior to 1500 C.E., with emphasis on the evolution of the peoples and nations, their civilizations, and the rise and fall of indigenous states. In particular, this course will cover the classical civilizations of Kemet (Ancient Egypt), Nubia, Axum, Carthage, Ghana, Mali, and Songhay. (Cross-listed with HIST 1050)

Distribution: Global Diversity General Education course

BLST 1950  BLACK WOMEN IN AMERICA (3 credits)

This course will examine how Black women in America have evolved politically, economically, and socially under oppressive conditions of slavery, the Reconstruction Era, Jim Crow, and through the Civil Rights, Black Lives Matter, and "Me Too" Movements. The underlying themes of this course are the impact of gender and race on Black women, with an emphasis of how gender and race are fueled by white supremacy, patriarchy, colonialism, capitalism, and imperialism. (Cross-listed with WGST 1950)

Distribution: U.S. Diversity General Education course

BLST 2100  BLACK AMERICAN CULTURE (3 credits)

The course surveys the cultural forms, expressions, and patterns developed by African Americans, as well as the social contexts of their development. The course will introduce students to the cultural life of African Americans, and how that life has influenced the nature of the community, and its triumphs and tragedies in the larger socio-political context of U.S. American culture.

Distribution: U.S. Diversity General Education course

BLST 2110  CRITICAL ISSUES IN BLACK EDUCATION (3 credits)

Critical Issues in Black Education is an undergraduate course which provides students with foundational knowledge of the historical, legal, social, political, and economic conditions influencing pedagogical and epistemological experiences that impact educational opportunities of Black students.

Distribution: U.S. Diversity General Education course

BLST 2120  HISTORY OF MODERN AFRICA (3 credits)

This course covers the era of the beginning, development and decline of European colonialism in Africa. The movement for decolonization, the emergence of independent sovereign nations and the strategic role that Africa plays in the forum of industrialized and developed nations is investigated. It examines the impact of European cultures and forced labor on traditional Africa, and the struggle for a resolution of the conflict between the three major traditions on the continent - Western and Indigenous. Religious indigenous practices are also considered, along with Christian and Islamic cultures. (Cross-listed with HIST 2920).

BLST 2130  AFRICAN POLITICS (3 credits)

African Politics examines the socio-cultural and economic environments which characterize political life in contemporary Africa. This course examines contemporary African politics and government in post-independence Africa, and the pre-colonial political and economic systems which influence contemporary African politics. The course assesses the various approaches used to study the political development of the African continent; examines the processes, features, and institutions of the African states; addresses key and persistent issues about African politics; and examines dimensions of social change and political reform. (Cross-listed with PSCI 2130).

Distribution: Global Diversity General Education course

BLST 2240  READINGS OF AFRICAN AMERICAN WRITERS (3 credits)

Readings of African American Writers will cover an anthology of writings by African American authors from poetry to novels. This course seeks to Improve students' abilities to read critically, to write analytically, and to substantially increase student knowledge of Black literary traditions and authors. Students taking this course will examine more than two centuries of writings by Black authors, from the colonial era to contemporary times, and will learn about the African experience in America through literature.

Prerequisite(s): ENGL 1150 or permission of Instructor

BLST 2260  BLACK SHORT STORY (3 credits)

A study of short stories written by black American authors as literature and as experience. The course explains and defines cultural terms and practices, and attempts to prepare students for multicultural living. (Cross-listed with ENGL 2260.)

Prerequisite(s): ENGL 1150, ENGL 1154, or permission of instructor.

Distribution: U.S. Diversity General Education course and Humanities and Fine Arts General Education course

BLST 2350  AFRICAN AMERICAN LITERATURE 1746-1939 (3 credits)

This course traces the development of black literature from 1746 to 1939. Included will be a study of multiple genres including: poetry, short story, novel, drama, and nonfiction. Trends to be studied will include early black writers, neoclassic and romantic traditions, and the Harlem Renaissance and Depression era schools of thought. (Cross-listed with ENGL 2350).

Prerequisite(s): ENGL 1160 or permission.

BLST 2360  AFRICAN AMERICAN LITERATURE 1940-PRESENT (3 credits)

This course traces the development of the literary contribution that black Americans have made from 1940 to the present. The course will study multiple genres including: poetry, short story, novel, drama, and nonfiction. Trends to be studied include an evolution in resistance in writing, a movement toward literary assimilation in the 1940s-1950s, and the subsequent movement toward "Black Arts" from the 1960s to the present. (Cross-listed with ENGL 2360).

Prerequisite(s): ENGL 1160 or instructor permission

BLST 2410  AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY I: 1619-1865 (3 credits)

The course examines the history of the earliest Africans in the Americas and briefly examines traditional African societies. It covers the transatlantic slave trade and its effects on Europe, Africa and the Americas, and analyzes the development of Afro-American culture and the struggle for freedom. (Cross-listed with HIST 2040)

Distribution: Humanities and Fine Arts General Education course and U.S. Diversity General Education course

BLST 2420  AFRICAN-AMERICAN HISTORY II: 1865-1954 (3 credits)

A survey of Afro-American history from the Civil War to the present. Covers Reconstruction and its overthrow, including the new methods of control which replaced slavery. Discusses the development of black ideologies and institutions. Traces urban migration and its impact on black society and culture. Follows black progress through World War II, the 1954 Supreme Court Decision, and rising militancy. (Cross-listed with HIST 2050)

Distribution: Humanities and Fine Arts General Education course and U.S. Diversity General Education course

BLST 2430  AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY III: 1954-PRESENT DAY (3 credits)

This course is divided into three main parts: the Civil Rights Phase (1954-1963), during which the dominant mood was optimism over the possibilities of integration; the Black Power Phase (1963-1974), and the Pragmatist Phase (1972-present), characterized by attempts to preserve and maintain gains already won. (Cross-listed with HIST 2060)

Distribution: Humanities and Fine Arts General Education course and U.S. Diversity General Education course

BLST 2510  MUSIC AND THE BLACK EXPERIENCE (3 credits)

Music and the Black Experience will provide students with historical and cultural knowledge of African Americans in the American music entertainment industry; the cultural influences of West African music traditions in African American music; and the American socio-political experiences that influenced music genres unique to Black people. Students will explore how West African music traditions survived and evolved through American slavery, reconstruction, the Civil Rights era, and into the 21st century; and how Black musical artists challenged racial discrimination in the music industry to create distinct music genres culturally unique to Black people. Overall, students taking this course will gain an understanding of the cultural role of music throughout the Black experience in America, and an appreciation for African American musical artists and composers who influenced all popular American music genres, from Spirituals to Broadway. (Cross-listed with MUS 2510).

Distribution: Humanities and Fine Arts General Education course and U.S. Diversity General Education course

BLST 2520  HIP HOP MUSIC & AFRICAN AMERICAN URBAN CULTURE (3 credits)

Hip-Hop Music and African American Urban Culture will provide students with a survey of the relationship between African Americans, music, and pop culture. In this course, students will discuss the historical role of African American musicians from the early 1900s that directly influenced contemporary Rap & Hip Hop genres; they will explore the politics of Rap and the links between incarceration and Hip Hop culture; and they will gain an overall understanding of the influence of African American culture on Rap and all other American music genres.

BLST 2540  INTRODUCTION TO EGYPTIAN HIEROGLYPHS (3 credits)

Introduction to Egyptian Hieroglyphics will provide students with fundamental elements of Kemetic (ancient Egyptian) grammar, vocabulary, transliteration, and translation. Egyptian hieroglyphs, classically referred to as the "medu netcher," is the oldest written language on the African continent. Students will embark on an examination of primary texts which reveal important features of classical Egyptian culture and civilization. By studying this ancient African language, students will gain historical knowledge of the ancient cultures of Kemet and other classical Nile Valley civilizations. (Cross-listed with HIST 2540).

BLST 2550  AFRICAN AMERICAN ECONOMICS AND CONSUMERISM (3 credits)

This course traces the evolution of African American business and economic development systems in the U.S. and will examine historical economic and political influences which impact African American business communities. Students will be exposed to various aspects of African American business and economics, including Black entrepreneurship and Black owned businesses before, during, and after slavery; an analysis of the role of Black churches in African-American communities; and the impact of modern economic and political systems on African American business communities. (Cross-listed with ENTR 2550).

Distribution: U.S. Diversity General Education course

BLST 2700  AFRICAN PHILOSOPHY (3 credits)

This course explores ancient, traditional and contemporary philosophical/theological concepts and doctrines of Africans through an investigation of their cosmological, metaphysical, ontological and ethical world views.

BLST 2710  AFRICANA SOCIAL & POLITICAL THOUGHT (3 credits)

Africana Social and Political Thought presents a survey of the basic elements of African-centered theories of knowledge and ways of being across time and throughout the African Diaspora. In this course, students will examine the Africana worldview through a broad multidisciplinary survey of African-centered social and political ideas. Students will critically compare and contrast classical European-centered and African-centered theories, with a focus on the significance of relational difference in understanding Africana worldviews.

BLST 2730  THE BLACK SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCE (3 credits)

The Black Spiritual Experience course examines the trajectory of early African religions and philosophies, and their syncretization with European settler religions in America that have been practiced and embraced by Blacks in the U.S. since slavery. Students will survey the historical development of the Black church in America, and the emergence of liberation and Black theologies to combat white supremacy, oppression, and exploitation. This course will explore the cultural importance of music, dance, and art in worship and Black spiritual expressions; the role of religion and theology in empowering and uplifting African Americans, particularly during the Black Power and Civil Rights movements; the political impact of Black religious institutions in the long fight against systemic racism, racial violence, police brutality, and voter suppression in America; and the challenges of inclusion, equity, and intersectionality within the Black church around issues of gender, class, and sexual orientation. (Cross-listed with RELI 2730).

Distribution: U.S. Diversity General Education course

BLST 3000  SURVEY OF BLACK EDUCATION (3 credits)

History of black education starting from its early origins in Timbuktu, Egypt and Ethiopia through the American black experience. Impact on western civilization. Black colleges and universities: the black scholar and the community. Contributions of black scholars to general knowledge. Myth of black intellectual inferiority. From interest to disenchantment. Role of educational institutions in American society. Proposed models for coping with urban education.

Prerequisite(s): BLST 1000 or permission of instructor.

BLST 3030  GEOGRAPHY OF AFRICA (3 credits)

This course is about the human geography of Africa. It offers an overview of the geography, economics, politics, history, oral and written literature, art, anthropology and sociology of the African continent, with particular focus on sub-Saharan Africa. The course attempts to dispel myths and stereotypes about the African continent and facilitates an understanding of the dynamics that shaped and continue to shape African systems and people. Students taking Geography of Africa will engage in a comprehensive and systematic survey of the environments, natural resources, populations, their cultures, and histories of the geographic regions of Africa and their development. (Cross-listed with GEOG 3030).

Prerequisite(s): Junior Standing or Instructor Permission

BLST 3120  THE AFRICAN AMERICAN EXPERIENCE IN POLITICS (3 credits)

This course will provide a historical and contemporary survey of the African American political experience in the United States, from the passage of the 15th Amendment in the late 1800s, to the 1965 Voting Rights Act, and continuing into the 21st century. Students will examine the evolution of the Black political experience, with emphasis on the fight against enslavement, segregation, lynchings and mass incarceration, and the long struggle of African Americans against institutional and structural racism in the American political system. (Cross-listed with PSCI 3120).

Prerequisite(s): BLST 1000

Distribution: U.S. Diversity General Education course

BLST 3250  RACE, PSYCHOLOGY & CULTURAL DIFFERENCE (3 credits)

Race, Psychology & Cultural Difference is an introductory course that teaches students the psychology behind prejudice, stereotyping, and implicit bias when encountering racial and cultural difference, with particular focus on African Americans. In this course, students will explore concepts of racial and cultural difference, examine fundamental psychological concepts relative to racial and cultural prejudice and stigmas, and discuss cognitive processes of categorization and stereotyping that shape perceptions of racial and cultural difference. Overall, students will explore a conceptual framework for understanding race, psychology, and cultural difference and will learn psychological well-being strategies and approaches for mindfulness, self-regulation, and self-affirmation as challenges to racial and cultural prejudice, stereotyping, and implicit bias. (Cross-listed with PSYC 3250).

Prerequisite(s): Sophomore standing or permission of instructor

BLST 3410  LAW AND THE BLACK COMMUNITY (3 credits)

Law and the Black Community provides an in-depth examination of the racialized American legal process as it pertains to and affects African Americans in the U.S. From the formation of the U.S. Constitution to present day, this course analyzes intersections of race, law, politics and culture, and explores the administration of justice and Black experiences through a critical legal perspective. (Cross-listed with CRCJ 3410, PSCI 3410).

Prerequisite(s): BLST 1000 OR CRCJ 1010 OR Junior standing OR instructor permission.

Distribution: U.S. Diversity General Education course

BLST 3450  AFRICAN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT (3 credits)

African Economic Development critically examines historical, political, and socioeconomic forces that have shaped African economies. Students taking this course will learn about the evolution of the modern economic systems, methods of production, distribution and exchange which affect African economies. The course examines the historical impact of colonialism, capitalism, and imperialism on the displacement of ancient trade routes and markets throughout the African continent; the historical impact of these foreign colonial states and tools on the development of contemporary African private sectors, economic institutions, and global competition; and contemporary strategies of economic development, regional cooperation, and international trade, particularly as they affect Sub-Saharan Africa. (Cross-listed with PSCI 3450).

Prerequisite(s): junior standing or permission of instructor

BLST 3510  CULTURAL COMMUNICATION IN AFRICAN-AMERICAN CINEMA (3 credits)

This course examines ways in which cultural identity is communicated through African-American cinema, defined as movies with predominantly African American filmmakers, producers, and/or actors. Cultural communication is integrated with historical, political, and social motivation for African-American cinema. (Cross-listed with CMST 3510)

Prerequisite(s): Not open to non-degree graduate students.

Distribution: U.S. Diversity General Education course

BLST 3700  CRITICAL WRITING FOR CULTURAL STUDIES (3 credits)

Critical Writing for Cultural Studies (BLST 3700) is a Writing in the Disciplines (WID) course that prepares undergraduate students, whose fields of interest include any area of humanities and/or social sciences, for the specific writing styles and research methodologies expected in cultural studies disciplines. This preparation includes instruction in resource evaluation, organization strategies, sentence style and vocabulary, documentation styles, and revision strategies.

Prerequisite(s): ENGL 1164 or by permission of the instructor.

Distribution: Writing in the Discipline Single Course

BLST 3970  INTERNSHIP IN BLACK STUDIES (1-3 credits)

A department-supervised project involving part-time employment or service with a community agency, business, non-profit organization, university or other educational unit, or another appropriate organization or setting. Students will gain relevant practical experience and will integrate theory, concepts, and empirical knowledge from their classrooms with their work in the internship setting. Permission of department head and/or Internship Coordinator and completion of an internship project form required.

Prerequisite(s): Completion of BLST 1000, enrollment either as a BLST major or minor or as a BGS concentration in BLST, permission of Department Head and/or Internship Coordinator and completion of an internship project form.

BLST 3980  SPECIAL TOPICS IN BLACK STUDIES (3 credits)

Special Topics in Black Studies will cover courses on a particular or specific topic, not otherwise specifically covered in the courses of the BLST curriculum, using the theoretical and methodological tools of the discipline of Black Studies. The course will trace the historical evolution of that topic from its points of origin into the present, presenting a survey of the Black Studies discipline and research concerning a specific topic. Students will read works about and within the topic area, situating it within its economic, political, and social contexts as they relate to the Black Studies discipline and Africana communities. The content of this course will change periodically. Each time this course is offered it will focus, in detail and in depth, on some aspect of the Black experience, such as language and dialect, historiography and historicity, theology and religion, musicology, literature, etc.

Prerequisite(s): Junior standing or permission of instructor.

BLST 3990  COMMUNITY STUDY PROJECT (3 credits)

The Community Study Project course is designed to teach interdisciplinary students to synthesize, apply, and integrate Black Studies research methods and tools with compatible disciplines and research areas to develop local, community-based research projects. Students taking this course will learn to identify and assess a local community's needs and assets; to collect, analyze, and present data about that community that is both participatory and inclusive of the community; and to identify strengths, limitations, and challenges when conducting research in local, urban communities. Research projects may be individual or in groups and may involve public or private community service organizations.

Prerequisite(s): Junior or senior standing or permission of instructor.

BLST 4030  AFRICANA RELIGIONS (3 credits)

An introduction to religions in Africa and the diaspora, including African Traditional Religions, Christianity, Islam, and Afro-Caribbean religious traditions, using anthropological, historical, and other academic approaches to the study of religious and spiritual traditions. In particular, students will learn about the role of spirits, ancestors, witches, and other invisible agents in ideas and practices regarding health and healing. Finally, the class will examine the complex inter-relationships between religious ideas and practices and contemporary post-colonial political-economic realities, including the consequences of genocide and other human rights violations and the role of religious communities in social and economic development. (Cross-listed with RELI 8036, RELI 4030, BLST 8036).

BLST 4120  BLACK WOMEN LEADERS IN LIBERATION MOVEMENTS (3 credits)

This course studies scholarship on race, gender, and leadership with a specific focus on African and African descended women's roles in liberation movements in the U.S. and worldwide. Especial focus will be on the use of their personal narratives to analyze the wide range of ideas in the conception and execution of leadership. (Cross-listed with WGST 4120, BLST 8126).

Prerequisite(s): Junior standing or permission of instructor.

BLST 4150  AFRICAN AMERICAN PSYCHOLOGY (3 credits)

African American Psychology traces the psychological history of Africans and African Americans from self-attributes and identity, through race and racism, to cognition, learning, and language. This course will review concepts relevant to understanding the psychology of African Americans, methodological and research issues, and best practices. (Cross-listed with BLST 8156, PSYC 4150, PSYC 8156).

Prerequisite(s): BLST 1000 and Junior standing or Instructor permission

Distribution: U.S. Diversity General Education course

BLST 4210  THE HARLEM RENAISSANCE (3 credits)

"The Harlem Renaissance" was the name given to the explosion in cultural, artistic, and social awareness that occurred primarily in Harlem, an area of New York City, between the end of World War I and the middle of the 1930s. This course will familiarize students with the general characteristics of African American literature produced during this period and its relation to African American literature and American literature writ large. The selected texts and writers will provide particular insight into the historical experiences of African Americans in the U.S. primarily between the two world wars and inform the subsequent cultural production of African Americans in later years.(Cross-listed with ENGL 8216, ENGL 4210, BLST 8216).

Prerequisite(s): ENGL 1150 or ENGL 1160, ENGL 2410 recommended

BLST 4220  PAN AFRICANISM & BLACK LIBERATION (3 credits)

The Pan-Africanism and Black Liberation course will expose students to the historical origins and development of Pan-Africanism, and the connection to global Black liberation movements. In this course, students will learn about the origin of Pan-Africanism, including major Pan-African leaders and historical events; the definitions of Pan-Africanism, Black Nationalism, Ethiopianism, and Negritude; and the commonalities and linkages between African continental and disasporic Pan-African liberation movements. Students will critically examine the differences between Pan-Africanism as an ideological, political, and cultural movement, and will explore the evolution of Pan-African ideology and philosophy in the 21st century. (Cross-listed with BLST 8226)

Prerequisite(s): Junior or senior standing or permission of instructor

BLST 4260  WOMEN OF COLOR WRITERS (3 credits)

Women of Color Writers is designed to introduce students to the multicultural, literary experience and contributions of women of color writers. The course will elucidate the multi-ethnic and feminist/womanist perspectives reflected in literary works by examining the themes, motifs and idioms used to portray woman. The course examines critically the implications and conceptual grounds of literary study which have been based almost entirely on male literary experiences. (Cross-listed with BLST 8266)

Prerequisite(s): Black studies major or permission of instructor.

BLST 4350  THE BLACK ATLANTIC (3 credits)

This course examines the cultural and ethnic history of Black people who comprised "The Black Atlantic." The course is organized historically and begins with a brief overview of the European slave trade on the West African Coast in the 15th century. From there, we look critically at the arrival of Africans to the New World, examine varieties of slavery and freedom in the Americas, and conclude with slave revolts and emancipation activism in the 18th and 19th century. We will use the Haitian Revolution (in which Haiti became the first country to be founded by formerly enslaved people) as a special case study, a conduit for our exploration of this socio-cultural, economic, and Diasporic space. (Cross-listed with BLST 8356, HIST 4080, HIST 8086).

Prerequisite(s): Junior or senior standing or permission of instructor

BLST 4470  SOUTH AFRICA & THE SOCIO POLITICS OF APARTHEID (3 credits)

South Africa and the Socio Politics of Apartheid examines the lived experiences of South African people under the Apartheid system, and their long struggle against European colonial oppression and racial segregation throughout the 20th century. Students will examine the laws, tools, and strategies that developed and sustained Apartheid, and the anti-Apartheid movements and international pressure that led to its repeal and South African democratic elections. (Cross-listed with BLST 8476, PSCI 8476, PSCI 4470, SOC 8476, SOC 4470).

Prerequisite(s): Junior standing or permission of instructor

Distribution: Global Diversity General Education course

BLST 4580  COMMUNICATING RACE, ETHNICITY & IDENTITY (3 credits)

This is an undergraduate/graduate course that provides students with definitional and experiential knowledge about the origin of racial concepts, theories, and practices, definitions of ethnicity and identity, and the communicative relationship between race, ethnicity, and identity. (Cross-listed with BLST 8586, CMST 4580, CMST 8586)

Prerequisite(s): CMST 4530 or Junior standing or instructor permission; minimum cumulative GPA of 2.25.

Distribution: U.S. Diversity General Education course

BLST 4590  AFRICAN-AMERICAN POPULAR MUSIC FROM BEBOP TO HIP-HOP (3 credits)

This course is intended for music majors who wish to undertake a comprehensive survey of African-American popular music literature from c. 1900-present. The objective will be to provide the student with a broad overview with special attention given to musicians and individual works which typify a style or form. Listening assignments will be an integral part of the course, and attendance at live performances will supplement the lectures, discussions and readings. (Cross-listed with BLST 8596).

BLST 4650  SLAVERY AND RACE RELATIONS IN THE AMERICAS (3 credits)

Slavery and Race Relations in the Americas examines the historical relationship between the trans-Atlantic slave trade and American race relations, connecting the enslavement of Africans in the Americas to race relations in the Caribbean, Latin America, and the United States. (Cross-listed with BLST 8656, HIST 4070, HIST 8076, LLS 4650, LLS 8656).

Prerequisite(s): BLST 1000 and junior standing or permission of instructor

Distribution: U.S. Diversity General Education course

BLST 4710  BROWN V. BOARD OF EDUCATION (3 credits)

Brown v. Board of Education traces the educational history of African Americans from segregation to desegregation to re-segregation. This course will review the legal cases before and after the Supreme Court's Brown decision, their aftermath, and the effects on educational policies and practices. (Cross-listed with BLST 8716, PSCI 8136, PSCI 4130).

Prerequisite(s): Junior standing OR senior standing or permission of instructor.

Distribution: U.S. Diversity General Education course

BLST 4750  CRITICAL QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH METHODS (3 credits)

This online undergraduate/graduate course is a comprehensive source for foundational concepts in quantitative behavioral research. The course is designed to expose students to the role and importance of critical quantitative research of marginalized and underrepresented groups. Students will examine and gain definitional and empirical knowledge about conducting culturally relevant quantitative research and will learn both the logic behind and procedures for critical quantitative research, including research ethics, correlational and experimental designs, data collection, sampling, analysis, and reporting. (Cross-listed with BLST 8756).

Prerequisite(s): PSYC 3140 or Junior standing or instructor permission.

BLST 4880  BLACK LEADERSHIP IN AMERICA (3 credits)

Designed as a senior and graduate seminar, Black Leadership in America will examine the meaning and attributes of effective leadership strategies of African Americans, particularly as it relates to Black student leaders. The role of Black leadership will be explored using leadership and community theory, and will highlight the impact of Black culture within the broader American experience. (Cross-listed with BLST 8886).

Prerequisite(s): Senior or graduate student or instructor permission.

BLST 4900  INDEPENDENT STUDY (1-3 credits)

Individualized Study in Black Studies is a course that allows a student to register to conduct research on a particular topic, in conjunction with one or more faculty members in the department of Black Studies, using the theoretical and methodological tools of the discipline. The student will prepare and have approved by their faculty supervisor, an associated project proposal with a timetable for the research. The research deliverables may take the form of a paper, a project, a presentation, or some combination thereof. This course is designed for those students who are capable of pursuing, independently, an area of Black Studies that is not covered under the existing curriculum. The student will be supervised by a faculty member of the BLST department. All course assignments, requirements, and expectations will be clearly indicated in advance.

Prerequisite(s): Must have instructor permission