Western Journal of Black Studies * vol. 34, no. 2 * Summer 2010

Editors: Mark Christian & Stephanie Evans

PDF of Mark Chrisian's Introduction ~ PDF of Stephanie Evans's Conclusion

The primary objective of this edited volume is to focus on the state and future of graduate studies in Black/Africana doctoral programs. Our aim as editors is to bring together key scholars in the field who broadly represent the philosophical and pedagogical scope in the existing PhD offering institutions: Temple University, University of California-Berkeley, University of Massachusetts-Amherst, Harvard University, Yale, Northwestern and Michigan State as well as forge dialogue with "programs on the horizon.". As of 2010, Brown University has approved a PhD program in Africana Studies, and since the 2007 beginning of this project, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Indiana University and University of Pennsylvania have also begun doctoral programs. This discussion is essential at this unprecedented time of growth.

In the autumn of 2005 the editors produced a symposium and a survey relating to Black Studies in the academy.  Mark Christian organized the symposium at Miami University (Ohio), while Stephanie Evans conducted a survey of the graduate coordinators at Temple, UMass, UC-Berkeley, Michigan State, Harvard, and Northwestern to inquire about the history and state of doctoral programs in Black Studies.

Dr. Christian’s work led to him editing a special issue on the symposium papers for Sage’s the Journal of Black Studies (Vol. 36 (5) May 2006).  In her survey, Dr Evans asked quantitative questions regarding the make-up of graduate populations and qualitative questions about the comprehensive examination. The results were published in an article titled "The State and Future of the PhD in Black Studies: Assessing the Role of the Comprehensive Examination" appearing in the Southern Conference on African American Studies' GRIOT (May 2006).

After we had both contemplated our similar interests in mapping out the future of Black Studies in the academy, the editors decided to develop a research project together that could encompass our collective vision. Having considered the faculty perspective in Black Studies, we have continued to gather research on the future of the stated PhD programs with an emphasis on the views and aspirations of their graduate students. Overall, our intention is to provide a comprehensive look at the existing Black Studies PhD programs that will be accessible in one volume and to point to resources and considerations of interest for developing programs.

Mark Christian, Ph.D.  
Associate Professor 
Black World Studies & Sociology        
Miami University (Ohio)
Email: christm3@muohio.edu

Stephanie Y. Evans, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
African American Studies/Women Studies
University of Florida
Col. Allan R. and Margaret G. Crow Term Professor, 2010-11
Email: contact@professorevans.com  

http://www.wsu.edu/~wjbs/current.html

1. Introduction to Special Issue: Africana Studies in the 21st Century and Beyond ~ Mark Christian, Miami University of Ohio

Part I: Department Chair and Faculty Perspectives

2. Graduate Studies in Africology: Challenges and Prospects ~ Molefi Kete Asante, Temple University

3. Naming and Defining: A Critical Link~ Ama MazamaTemple University

4. Historical Context and Development at MSU ~ Denise Troutman, Michigan State University

5. Origins of African American Studies at UC-Berkeley ~ Ula Taylor, University of California, Berkeley

Part II: Graduate Student Perspectives

6. Fikira (Reflections): A Comparative Retrospective of Two Graduate School Experiences ~ Kefentse Chike, Michigan State University Temple University

7. Black Studies: Challenges and Critical Debates ~ Mary Phillips, Michigan State University

8. Between Activism and Academia: Black Studies Legacies at Yale ~ Shana L. Redmond, Yale University

9. Our Future: Actualizing the Interdisciplinary and Community Aspects of Black Studies ~ Efua Akoma & Lawrence Johnson, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Part III: On the Horizon

10. Africana Studies and the Production of Future Scholars ~ Terry Kershaw, Virginia Tech University (now University of Cincinnati)

11. Conclusion:  Next Steps in Africana Studies: Beyond the 21st Century ~ Stephanie Y. Evans, University of Florida

CONTRIBUTOR BIOS

Editors 

Mark Christian            christm3@muohio.edu Miami University in Ohio  

Dr. Mark Christianis Associate Professor in Black World Studies and Sociology at Miami University (Ohio).  A native of Liverpool, England, he has published numerous articles on Black British and African American experiences in the key journals in the field and beyond, including:  Journal of Black Studies, Western Journal of Black Studies, Community Development Journal, Africalogical Perspectives and Journal of Pan-African Studies.  Dr. Christian is a senior Fulbright recipient and major contributor to the first Encyclopedia of Black Studies (Sage 2005) with four essay contributions. He is also a key contributor to the Handbook of Black Studies (Sage, 2006)  The author/editor of three books to date, his latest edited volume is entitled Black Identity in the 20th Century: Expressions of the US and UK African Diaspora.  Recently nominated to the Board of the National Council for Black Studies (NCBS), Dr. Christian is regarded highly by his fellow peers in the field of Black Studies.  Indeed his recent stint as special guest editor for the topic “The State of Black Studies in the Academy” (May 2006) confirms his status in the field.

Stephanie Y. Evans      drevans@ufl.edu University of Florida

Dr. Stephanie Y. Evans is Associate Professor in African American Studies and Women’s Studies at the University of Florida. She is the author of African Americans and Community Engagement in Higher Education (2009), Black Women in the Ivory Tower, 1850-1954: An Intellectual History (2007), and "The State and Future of the Ph.D. in Black Studies: Assessing the Role of the Comprehensive Examination" in the Griot (2006). In May 2003, she received her Ph.D. in Afro-American Studies with a concentration in History and Politics from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst with a Graduate Certificate in Feminist Studies. Her research, teaching, and service portfolio is available online at www.ProfessorEvans.com 

Faculty Authors

Molefi Kete Asante      masante@temple.edu Temple University

Dr. Molefi Kete Asante is Professor, Department of African American Studies at Temple University. Asante has published 66 books, among the most recent are An Afrocentric Manifesto (2008), and The History of Africa: The Quest for Eternal Harmony (2007 At Temple University he created the first Ph.D. Program in African American Studies in 1987. He has directed more than 130 Ph.D. dissertations. Dr. Asante is the founding editor of the Journal of Black Studies (1969).

Terry Kershaw            tkershaw@vt.edu Virginia Tech University

Dr. Terry Kershaw is Director of Africana Studies and the Race and Social Policy Research Center and Associate Professor of Sociology at Virginia Tech University. He is a Board Member of the National Council For Black Studies and Co-Editor of the Journal of Black Studies. His publications include “The Black Studies Paradigm: The Making of Scholar-Activists” in Afrocentricity and Philosophy edited by James Conyers (2003).

Ama Mazama            mcerol@temple.edu Temple University

Dr. Ama Mazama is Associate Professor of African American Studies at Temple University. Regarded as one of the leading Afrocentric theorists, she has published eight books and more than 50 articles. Her works include, The Afrocentric Paradigm (2003) and L' Impératif Afrocentrique(2003).  Furthermore, she is the co-editor of The Encyclopedia of Black Studies (2005) and of the Encyclopedia of African Religion (2008) Dr. Mazama is the Associate Editor of the Journal of Black Studies. She received her Ph.D. from the University of La Sorbonne, Paris III, where she studied African Caribbean languages. Her work has been published internationally, in Africa, the Caribbean, Canada, Europe and the United States. She was also initiated as a Mambo in Haiti.

Ula Taylor       uyt@berkeley.edu University of California, Berkeley

Ula Y. Taylor is an Associate Professor in the Department of African American Studies at the University of California, Berkeley.  She is the author of The Veiled Garvey: the Life and Times of Amy Jacques Garvey (2002) and Panther: a History of the Black Panther Party and the Story behind the Film (1995). Taylor's essays on Black Feminism and Nationalism have appeared in the Journal of Women's History, Black Scholar, Race &Society, and Feminist Studies.

Denise Troutman         denise.troutman@gmail.com Michigan State University

Dr. Denise Troutman is Associate Professor in Writing, Rhetoric, and American Cultures and in the Linguistics Program at Michigan State University. She is winner of the 2001-2002 Fulbright Award and her publications include Centering Ourselves: African American Feminist and Womanist Studies in Discourse (2001) and Sociocultural and Historical Contexts of African American English (2001).

Graduate Student Authors

Kefentse Chike Chikekef@msu.edu Michigan State University Temple University

Kefentse Chike is a native Detroiter and has served the Detroit community for over 20 years as a college lecturer, teacher, community activist, and African Drummer. His research interests include African and African American History and culture, African Centered Education, and African and African American Identity formation. Kefentse currently holds a Master of Arts degree in African American Studies, and is a Doctoral candidate for in African American and African Studies at Michigan State University.

Mary Phillips   phill190@msu.edu Michigan State University

Mary Frances Phillips is a Ph.D candidate in the African American and African Studies Program at Michigan State University. Her dissertation highlights women in the Black Panther Party with special attention given to Detroit, Michigan. She received her master of art degree in African American and African Studies at Ohio State University and her bachelor of science degree in heath studies at Michigan State University.

Shana L. Redmond      sredmond@college.usc.edu Yale University (Now University of Southern California)

Shana L. Redmond received her Ph.D. in the combined degree program in African American Studies and American Studies at Yale University in 2008. Her current research focuses on music and protest cultures within the African diaspora. She was a founding member of the Black Studies Graduate  Collective as well as an organizer with the federation of unions and community organizations in New Haven.

Efua Akoma    eakoma@vt.edu Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Efua Akoma is a doctoral student at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. She is pursuing her degree in Sociology with a concentration in Africana Studies. She received a M.S. degree in Educational Psychology, a B.A. in African American Studies and a B.S. in Psychology at Georgia State University. Her research interests include race and mental health, culturally relevant education, Black women in the African Diaspora and Black Nationalism.

Lawrence Johnson       lrjohnso@vt.edu Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Lawrence Johnson is a Ph.D. candidate at Virginia Tech. His interest has been primarily focused on the idea of Black leadership, specifically the effects Black leadership has had on Black communities in the past and present. Specifically, he wonders how scholars in Black Studies challenge organizations and leaders regarding public policy, direct action, and community mobilization.

RESOURCES FOR GRADUATE STUDENTS IN BLACK STUDIES

1. NCBS/Vassar PAPER: "Assessing Graduate Training in Africana Studies: Creating Community as the Interdiscipline Expands." (Evans, 2009) ~ forthcoming

2. GRIOT ARTICLE, "The State and Future of the PhD in Black Studies." (Evans, 2006)

3. JBS ARTICLE, "Black Studies in the 21st Century." (Christian, 2006)

4. TEN BST PhD PROGRAM WEBSITES (w/ 2009 statistics, graduate student profiles, and select dissertations) below Griot article ~ Ten Black Studies Program Guides

5. EDITED VOLUME BOOK COVERS: Over thirty edited volumes in Black Studies, 1969-2009 (see above)

6. BST BIBLIOGRAPHIC STUDY GUIDE: Complete table of contents for BST edited volumes (95 pages, with space to take notes)

7. BST COMPREHENSIVE CURRICULUM & SUBJECT GUIDE: Complete table of contents for BST edited volumes, categorized by 10 subject headings:

• Arts, media, and entertainment; music; dance; film/cinema; sports studies; press; communication; technology
• Black Studies: Definitions, problems, organization, institutionalization, status, assessment; intellectual traditions; theory; epistemology; Afrocentricity and Pan-Africanism; Africology
• Education and activism; campus structures; higher education; curriculum; pedagogy; scholarship; community service; leadership development; social work; civil rights; Black power
• History and geography; historiography; documentation; library; museum studies; biography; oral history; antebellum era; reconstruction; segregation; country, regional, state studies
• Literature, language, and textual readings
• Politics and economics; law; crime and punishment; welfare; class; labor; employment
• Psychology; sociology; social science
• Race; ethnicity; racism; blackness, whiteness or interracial identities
• Religion and health; theology; spirituality; natural and physical sciences
• Women, men, families; gender, and sexuality; feminism/womanism

8. e-blackstudies.org