Development of African American Studies

Scholars have dedicated their time and attention to furthering the discipline of African American Studies and can define the field with many different definitions. Through looking at the origins and development in the study we can see how it became a legitimate academic field. As we study the writings of the African American intellect, it will fully explain the importance of the discipline. Their work will justify the study of cultural and historical experiences of Africans living in Africa or the African Diaspora. When examining the scholar’s arguments we can develop our own intellectually informed rationalization of the field of African American Studies.

The intellectual development of …show more content…

The strides and developments in African Studies have influenced other ethnic groups. Chicano Studies is an academic discipline dealing with the study of Mexico. It has become a choice of study in universities in California. Like African American Studies it was a struggle to create and is known by different names such as, Latino Studies, Mexican American Studies, and Latin American Studies. (Chicano) Another ethnic study is Native American Studies or American Indian Studies, which is an interdisciplinary academic field that examines the history, culture, politics, issues and contemporary experience of Native people in North America. (Native) Many other ethnic studies from large cultural groups in the United States are becoming offered in schools. Having ethnic studies allows for the opportunity for students of these ethnicities to be able to learn about the orgins and historic releventacy of a culture.

The students in San Francisco achieved their goal and other academic institutions began offering African American Studies. Many criticisms and concerns encircled the development of the discipline. Advocates for the field created academic and social objectives that would help dismiss the concerns. The most important of these objectives would be the Black Experience. The experience refers to looking through history at all that Africans have encountered, what has transpired, and the contributions that the Black communities have made which we deserve to