The authors discuss how high school students participated in a unit in which they learned about African American history in a 1:1 computer classroom--in particular, how they were able to use digital history to learn about a variety of African American leaders who are not frequently covered in the traditional American History textbook. In addition,…

In this article, the author discusses how she uses film and new media to "teach students to comprehend the complex historical, social, political, and cultural dimensions of the African American experience." The author uses D.W. Griffith's 1915 "Birth of a Nation," a number of "Blaxploitation" films, YouTube videos,…

In preparation for the Black History Month in February 2008, the author profiles Dr. Carter G. Woodson (1875-1950) who is considered the Father of Black History in America. He was one of the first Black Americans to receive a Ph.D. from Harvard University, but he left his career as a professor to research and write about the history of African…

This article describes how Dr. Ben Vinson III, the new director of the Center for Africana Studies at Johns Hopkins University and a specialist in Latin American history, is strengthening the center's internationalist orientation. While it took more than three decades for Johns Hopkins University to approve a Black studies program in its arts and…

The origins of African-American studies are shrouded in a hazy collective memory, and it is becoming increasingly clear that before the field can move into the future, it is necessary to clear up some continuing confusion about why and how it began. Clarifying its beginnings has significant implications for how people think about not just a…

Describes the black intellectual tradition behind the concept of African American studies, which is descriptive, corrective, and prescriptive. Explains that black studies has always been a critical body of scholarship seeking over time to dismantle powerful racist intellectual categories and white supremacy itself. Describes the history and…

Examines possibilities for the future of black studies, highlighting Detroit as a focal point for historical analysis. Discusses the development of the Department of Africana Studies at Wayne State University, examining historical events that directly relate to discussions about the future of black studies. Investigates why black studies is so…

Describes the Black Saga Competition, an academic quiz that tests 4th-8th graders' knowledge of African American history from the 1500s to the present. The key goal of the competition, which is designed to appeal to students of all races, is to bring African American history into the mainstream curriculum and help students understand that this is…

Because federal construction sites must now undergo archaeological analysis, an unprecedented number of discoveries are being made about African American history, pointing up the lack of cultural diversity in anthropologists. Efforts are being made to recruit minority students into the field and provide adequate support for their progress. (MSE)

Discusses how Afrocentricity entered the picture in the western world. Afrocentricity seeks to obliterate the mental, physical, cultural, and economic dislocation of African people by thrusting Africans as centered, healthy human beings in the context of African thought. Examines Eurocentric approaches (dialectical materialism, structuralism, and…

"Twelve Years a Slave" is a script intended to go with accompanying audio cassettes. It was developed for Voices of Liberty (a project of New Faces of Liberty) and was produced by the San Francisco Study Center as one of their "Cutting Edge Curriculum Materials." The story told by the script is excerpted from the 1989 edition…

Suggests that black studies has developed important models for examining how theory, praxis, and community service might be integrated, noting that this represents an important contribution to scholarship in this society, and emphasizing the fact that black studies is a critical field for understanding the nature and development of U.S. society…

Outlines the concurrent development of Black music and Black dance in the United States, and describes the interaction of the two genres throughout their mutually dependent evolutions. Traces the histories of the dances of African American culture, known collectively as "jazz dance," in relation to ragtime, jazz, and the blues. (AF)

Describes an Internet assignment where students perform their own searches in order to locate three primary sources from the time period 1776 to 1800 that deal with African Americans in the United States. Discusses the assignment in detail and provides resources for evaluating Internet sites and a list of websites and secondary sources. (CMK)

In 1996, Northampton Community College (Pennsylvania) participated in the Exploring America's Communities project sponsored by the American Association of Community Colleges. The project works to strengthen the teaching and learning of American history, literature, and culture at U.S. community colleges. One of the major goals of the project is…