I have taken a lot of Black Studies courses and have gained insights on cultural back grounds of minorities, especially African Americans. Coming from a Nigerian background, I always felt that I lacked the knowledge of Black America. I slowly realized that the history of Black America can be linked to the present. There were a few courses that were exceptional and stood out to me. Here is a list of Black Studies Courses that changed my perspective:
- Black Studies 4 Critical Intro to Race
- Black Studies 1 Introduction to Black Studies
- Black Studies 38A African American Literature
- Black Studies 193CW
- Black Studies 106 Women Politics of the Body
- Black Studies 124 Race, Inheritance
My perspective on the world and everything in my life has changed because of some of the Black Studies courses I have taken. The classes that I gained the most knowledge in were classes that focused on a specific topic such as Black Studies 124, 106, and 193. These classes touched on subjects that went into detailed and applied to the current state of minorities today. What makes Black Studies courses so interesting was that our perception of African Americans in the United States always seems to change when we go further into the past and present. For instance in Black Studies 124, Professor Lipsitz continuously repeated that housing discrimination is one of reasons that will not allow African Americans from accumulating wealth. In Black Studies 193CW, you learn that different ethnic groups are marginalized in different ways: economically, socially and academically. These courses have allowed me to think critically and look past the norms of society so that maybe one day, I can help alleviate the problems minorities face. The amount of information that I have accumulated over time, has always seem to change my perspective on society every quarter.
Black Studies 106 with Professor Banks really changed my perspective on politics and the importance of beauty culture. I found it interesting that we examined beauty culture as central to racial politics. Especially in relationship to African American hair culture and how black men and women were read differently which provides a gender analysis into racial politics. I also gained perspective of the "self-hatred" narrative that has become infused into discussions of hair politics within the Black community. For example the documentary "Good Hair" with Chris Rock, pivots on the self-hatred narrative.
ReplyDeleteI agree that the Black Studies Department here at UCSB has deeply impacted how I perceive the world and think critically.