African American Studies, Minor (305)
Department website: http://www.wku.edu/afam
Program Coordinator
Andrew J. Rosa, andrew.rosa@wku.edu, (270) 745-3841
The minor in African American Studies compresses the unique and diverse experiences of African Americans into a manageable and definable programs of study that acknowledges the interconnectedness of these experiences with the peoples of Africa and the African Diaspora. Viewed from multidisciplinary and cross-disciplinary perspectives, courses in the African American studies minor provide the opportunity for students to study, analyze and develop a comprehensive understanding of the African American experience in ways that both link and differentiate past and present circumstances in the African Diaspora. A diaspora approach to the study of the African American experience is concerned with the following two issues: 1) the way in which African cultural, social, religious, and political forms influence African descended persons and communities, and how such forms changed through interaction with non-African cultures; and 2) comparisons and correspondence among communities of African descended people who are geographically separated and/or culturally distinct.
A person who completes the African American Studies minor will have enlarged perspectives and increased awareness of the diversity of experience within African American cultures; these are skills well suited for advanced study at the undergraduate and graduate levels, and for jobs in governmental departments and agencies and with private organizations. In fulfilling the minimum requirements for a minor, the student normally should not include more than six hours of electives with any one course prefix.
Honors Program
The African American Studies Program participates in the Dixie and Peter Mahurin Honors College. Honors courses allow students of exceptional academic abilities to investigate the African American experience in a more in-depth manner and to discuss contemporary issues in small group settings. Honors courses encourage the development of critical thinking skills and analytical writing. Students also have an opportunity to assist faculty with research, present papers at regional and national conferences, and/or engage in self-designed research projects. African American Studies minors in the Dixie and Peter Mahurin Honors College can complete their honors thesis on a topic in consultation with an advisor. For further information on honors courses and opportunities, contact Andrew J. Rosa, (270) 745-3841.
Program Requirements (21 hours)
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| AFAM 190 | African American Experience | 3 |
| AFAM 343 | Communities of Struggle | 3 |
| AFAM 353 | Radical Blackness | 3 |
| Restricted Electives from the following categories: 1 | ||
| History: | 3 | |
| History of Africa Before 1500 | ||
| Blacks in American History Since 1877 | ||
| Blacks in the American South | ||
| Cultural Studies: | 3 | |
| African American Literature | ||
| Advanced Intercultural Communication | ||
| Cultural Connections and Diversity | ||
| Global Christianity | ||
| Electives: 2 | 6 | |
| African American Seminar | ||
| Introduction to Social Justice | ||
| Race, Class, and Crime | ||
| Postcolonial Studies | ||
| Health Disparities and Health Equity | ||
| Minority Politics | ||
| Islam | ||
| Islam in America: Hope & Hip Hop | ||
| Race and Ethnic Relations | ||
| Social Institutions: Race, Class, and Gender | ||
| Peoples and Cultures of the Caribbean | ||
| African-American Music | ||
| Peoples and Cultures of the Caribbean | ||
| African-American Folklore | ||
| African-American Music | ||
| Total Hours | 21 | |
| 1 | No more than 6 hours of electives with any one course prefix. |
| 2 | Additional courses may be approved by the advisor. |