Black Studies

Overview

Black Studies at Occidental College is a transnational and interdisciplinary study of the history, scholarship, arts and culture of people of the African diaspora. As a heterogeneous and diverse discipline, Black Studies encourages rigorous critical contemplation and debate. It engages with and expands upon the vibrant intellectual tradition of critical engagement already established at the college. Students of Black Studies learn to examine the world and their local communities with an eye to black people's important and sometimes overlooked contributions, and to understand the ways the experiences of people of African descent have shaped and continue to inform campaigns for human rights.

Courses draw from faculty expertise in the fields of Politics, International Relations, English, American Studies, History, Philosophy, Media Studies, Cultural Studies, and others. The program explores the conditions and experiences of race in the twenty-first century through a historical study of the enduring traditions of scholarship, activism, and community throughout the African diaspora. Students participate in intersectional analysis of black populations, paying close attention to how class, location, gender, sexuality, have shaped black identities, cultural productions and forms of political engagement both past and present.

Students who major in Black Studies will:

• Learn about the history and contemporary culture of people in African descent across the diaspora, including the development of foundational ideas and documents for our contemporary understanding of social justice and human rights;
• Engage in interdisciplinary and intersectional analysis of black communities in the U.S. and abroad, both past and present;
• Contribute to longstanding discussions about the enduring effects of slavery and colonization, the place of race in conceptions of citizenship and justice, the centrality of people of African descent to major developments (social, artistic, political, and scientific) throughout the world;
• Experience black communities outside the United States through study abroad;
• Have the opportunity to get involved in the local community through community-based partnerships in Los Angeles and surrounding communities;
• Graduate prepared for careers in law, medicine, education, entertainment, international business, and several others that involve communicating with and understanding people across difference and within specific communities.

Requirements

Major

Core Courses

Interdisciplinary Electives

There are three Interdisciplinary clusters: expressive forms, historical perspectives, and politics and theory. Students are expected to complete six courses (24 units) across these interdisciplinary clusters, with a minimum of two courses (8 units) in each of the three interdisciplinary clusters.

Expressive Forms

Historical Perspectives

Politics and Theory

Additional Electives

Students must take two additional electives chosen from the list of approved electives below, or any of the interdisciplinary clusters.

Honors in the Major

To be eligible for honors, a student must have at least a 3.25 GPA overall and a 3.5 GPA in the major. Additionally, the student will be required to enroll in the senior seminar (currently BLST 490) in their senior year and complete a 40-page paper on a topic relevant to Black Studies. The paper must earn a grade of A- or above which is to be determined by the adviser in consultation with readers and the department chair.

Minor

The Black Studies minor is a five-course, 20-unit program consisting of one required core class (BLST 101); one elective from each interdisciplinary cluster (expressive forms, historical perspectives, and politics and theory (three courses /12 units); and one additional elective chosen from the approved Black Studies courses.

Required Core Course

Expressive Forms

One course from this category.

Historical Perspectives

One course from this category.

Politics and Theory

One course from this category.

Additional Electives

One course either from this category or the above categories.

Second-Stage Writing Proficiency

The Second-Stage Writing Requirement may be fulfilled in one of two ways:

Option 1

Option 2

A student may complete the Second-Stage Writing Requirement in Black Studies by submitting to the chair a portfolio consisting of fifteen pages of writing submitted as a final assignment in a 300-level Black Studies designated course or a course approved by the adviser in which the student has composed a final assignment addressed specifically to the topic of Black Studies. The portfolio may include more than one essay if a single essay is less than fifteen pages in length. The portfolio will be assessed by the adviser in consultation with the chair.

In order to successfully pass the Second-Stage Writing Requirement, submitted essays must exhibit evidence of the following: 

• Correct use of the conventions of American academic prose including grammar, punctuation, syntax, and vocabulary
• Proper citation formatting in MLA or Chicago Manual Style, preferably
• Construction of a compelling and clear thesis or argument
• Persuasive use of evidence (secondary sources, data, etc.) to support the thesis and related claims
• Organization of the essay as a whole into a logical sequence with smooth transitions

Essays submitted as part of a portfolio will be assessed against these criteria and graded Acceptable/Unacceptable.

The course or portfolio must be completed by the end of the spring semester during the student's junior year.

Should a student not successfully complete the writing requirement by the end of their Junior year Spring semester, they will be required to submit a revised essay/portfolio to the adviser no later than the fourth week of their senior year fall semester.

Comprehensive Requirement

Students are expected to enroll in the senior seminar (BLST 490) in their senior year in order to develop the work for their comprehensive project. Students will complete their comprehensive requirement by submitting a 25-page paper on a topic relevant to Black Studies.

Advising Information

Although students are encouraged to take BLST 101 before enrolling in higher-level BLST courses, first-year students are welcome to enroll in any 100- or 200-level BLST course. As an interdisciplinary field, there is no structured path for completion of the Black Studies major or minor. After taking BLST 101, students must complete courses in each of the three clusters that comprise the major/minor: Expressive Forms, Historical Perspectives, and Politics and Theory.

Placement Information

No placement exams are specifically required for the Black Studies major.

Sample 4-Year Plan

Transfer Credit Policies

The Black Studies Program accepts online courses for general elective credit, but will not accept online courses for major or minor credit. No more than two courses taken outside the college (including but not limited to study abroad) may count toward the major. These may only fulfill the elective requirement. No more than one course taken outside the college (including but not limited to study abroad) may count toward the minor. Transfer students should consult with their adviser and the department chair on how work completed prior to matriculating at Occidental may be counted toward the major or minor. Students should reference the Transfer Credit section for more details.

Courses

Black Studies Courses

Faculty

Tenure and Tenure Track Faculty

Erica Ball, chair
Mary Jane Hewitt Department Chair in Black Studies
B.A., Wesleyan University; M.A., Ph.D., The Graduate Center, City University of New York

James Ford III

Associate Professor, English and Black Studies

B.A., Morehouse College; M.A., Ph.D., University of Notre Dame 

Michael W. Murphy

Assistant Professor
B.A., University of San Diego; M.A., Ph.D., Brown University

Yumi Pak
Associate Professor
B.A., University of California, Santa Cruz; M.A., Ph.D., University of California, San Diego

Other faculty associated with the Black Studies department can be viewed here.