Prairie View A&M University now offers students an African American studies major and minor program. The program launched after a $1M contribution was made to the Enhancing the Humanities initiative at Prairie View, an anonymous donation and grants. The program carries out the vision of President Ruth J. Simmons as she prioritized creating this African American studies program.
“A part of the HBCU experience for many students is a journey to self-identification, Blackness, and trying to understand the Black experience better,” said Jeanelle Hope, director and associate professor of African American Studies. “This provides students with the language to understand the world around them and an opportunity to engage critical theories, concepts, and methods that seek to make sense of the Black experience and amplify our narratives.”
Beginning with the fall semester of 2022, the African American studies program will prepare students for careers in social justice spaces, culture and diversity. Hope explains that “African American studies differ from other disciplines because it’s about our lives experience, so it feels familiar. There’s a lot that students don’t know about the Black experience across the diaspora, history, space and time.”
There are several HBCUs with African American studies programs. Morehouse College, Howard University, Florida A&M University, and Morgan State University are just a few on the list with this program available. Other universities like Yale, the University of California-Los Angeles, and the University of Florida established this program also offer African American studies. The first African American studies program was established at San Francisco State College in 1968. The school is now known as San Francisco State University.
