Africana study is a multidisciplinary field based on the experience of both Africans and people of African descent within North America. The introduction of Black studies in the 1960s was influenced by the demands of Civil Rights and Black movements (Anderson & Stewart, 2007). During this period, college and university student activists sought to incorporate Black people’s history into the curriculum. While the emergence of black studies was as a result of collective efforts of U.S. students, their demands through strikes and movements were made based on various reasons.
The Civil Rights and Black Power Movements in this era fought for the introduction of Africana studies to end racial discrimination and limit the Eurocentric-based curriculum. Due to the initial dominance of white supremacy, African American students faced much racism in higher learning institutions. However, the discrimination forced them to embrace their African origin and Black culture (Anderson & Stewart, 2007). Consequently, this led to the concern about excluding African-American history and culture in the schools’ curriculum. For instance, according to (Bates & Meraji, 2019), the San Francisco State University (SFSU) students engaged in numerous strikes seeking to have Black studies introduced. In addition, the Black Student Union at the university developed a political statement to justify Africana studies. This document was later used to develop Black studies departments in other major universities.
The fight to introduce Africana studies was also aimed at promoting diversity and enhancing the development of Black scholars. The university and college student activists demanded the transformation of the higher learning institution. These students sought to address the lack of diversity among the students and faculty within the schools. Through the movements, these activists questioned the undiversified social structures of the academic industry. Throughout the 1960s, organizations like the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) pushed for diversity to enhance equality (Alfred, 2021). For instance, several North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University students segregated at Woolworth’s lunch counter, demanding service (Alfred, 2021). Similarly, 40 Black students at the Cathedral of learning conducted a sit-in at the computer center, demanding improvements in Black life within the institution (Sabrowsky, 2019). Consequently, more student activists on the Oakland campus continued to protest, demanding better treatment.
The Civil Rights and Black Student Movements in the 1960s also saw the omission of African-American studies in the curriculum, contributing to the United States’ socioeconomic disparities. Looking at society, the students were unsatisfied with the socioeconomic inequalities in the community. The San Francisco State University students questioned the higher institutions’ role in helping minorities based on education. In this aspect, the Black Students Union, SNCC organizations organized strikes based on various issues affecting various campus student groups. Similarly, students from the University of Minnesota demanded the establishment of Black studies and the development of a Martin Luther King Jr. scholarship (Sabrowsky, 2019). However, after dissatisfaction with the meeting with the university president, they took over the administration in Morill hall. As a result of these actions, the institute established a department for African studies and introduced funding for Black students.
In conclusion, the introduction of Africana studies was based on a series of demands to achieve diversity and equality in higher-learning institutions. The student activists and civil rights movements hoped to curb racial discrimination in colleges and universities. They also questioned the institutions’ curriculum’s role in assisting the underprivileged based on their education and economic status. Through these actions, Black studies were introduced to most institutions.
References
Alfred, M. V. (2021). Race and the politics of exclusion: The socio‐historical contexts of Black brutality and the emergence of the Black Lives Matter movement. New Directions for Adult and Continuing Education, 2021(170), 9-19. Web.
Anderson, T., & Stewart, J. B. (2007). Introduction to African American studies: Transdisciplinary approaches and implications. Black Classic Press.
Bates, K. G., & Meraji, S. M. (2019). The student strike that changed higher ed forever. Code Switch. Web.
Sabrowsky, H. (2019). Examining the lasting legacy of the Morrill Hall takeover. The Minnesota Daily. Web.