The African American and Africana Studies Program

African American and Africana Studies Minor: Requirement Description

“African American and Africana Studies” is the minor requirement description written by the office of the Registrar and published in the 2004-2005 Ursinus College Course Catalog. The African American and Africana Studies program allows students to study the experiences of people in the African Diaspora (i.e. The United States, Latin America, and Africa). In order to attain the minor, students must take two classes: Issues in African American and Africana Studies and Readings in African American and Africana Studies. The minor requires 4 additional electives that span across 11 different departments. While this is the first catalog to include the African American Africana Studies minor, several of the courses have been offered in years prior. No more than 2 courses from a single department will be counted towards the minor.

ANTH212: Peoples of Africa

The text focuses on a new course offered during the 200-2004 course catalog as part of the new African American and Africana Studies program. The course focuses on the diverse cultures and experiences within that of the African continent. It also studies the continent's culture in the context of colonization, economics, and migration. The course is taught by Dr. Oboler. The course is offered by the Anthropology department and the African American and Africana studies program.

Race and Gender in American Economy 

“Race and Gender in the American Economy” is a course description published by the office of the registrar at Ursinus College in the 2002-2003 Ursinus College Course Catalogue. This is the first year that the course is offered under the instruction of Dr. Michelle McLennan. Topics include affirmative action, wage differentials, and occupational segregation as they apply to racial minorities and women. This course goes on to become the only class from the Business and Economics department to qualify as an elective for the African American and Africana Studies minor. In the 2006-2007 academic year, Dr. Vanglider takes over the instruction of the course which continues to be offered in the 2011-2013 course catalog.

Gender, Race and Work

“Gender, Race and Work” is a course description published by the office of the registrar at Ursinus College in the 2002-2003 Ursinus College Course Catalogue. This is the first year the course is offered under the instruction of Ms.Maggie Ussery. The course investigates the intersection of race, class, gender and work and their impact on women’s experiences in the United States. This course continues to be offered until the 2007-2008 school year although Ms. Ussery’s final year of instruction is in the 2006-2007 academic year.

PHIL225: African American Religious Experiences

RELS-225: African American Religious Experience

These documents were pulled from the 2003-2004 course catalog and the 2019-2020 course catalog. PHIL-225 was a course offered as part of the new African American and Africana Studies program. The course focuses on historical and theological context to Black bodies in America. The course is taught by Rev. Charles Rice. The course is offered by the Philosophy department and the African American and Africana studies program. RELS-225 has the same course description, but the course falls under a different department. The course is offered by the Religious Studies Department and the African American and Africana studies program. RELS-255 is taught by unnamed faculty.

In March 2012, during Ursinus College's spring break, eight students of Chaplain, Reverend Charles Rice's African American Religious Experience class, traveled to Alabama for a civil rights trip. The elective class's small size allowed for deep interactions between students during reflections and discussions. The trip included visits to the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute, Kelly Ingram Park and a meeting with J.D. and Gwen Appling, civil rights leaders. After visiting Selma, the National Voting Rights Museum /Slavery and Civil War Museum a sophomore named Tyrell Martin reflected on his experience. He spoke of the life-changing impact the trip had on him and the realization it brought him of the privilege of people today. During reflection one evening, the students shared a sense of responsibility to share what they learned on behalf of equality. The trip was a living history experience for all involved.

SOC-258 African American Experience

SOC-258 African American Experiences

These documents were pulled from both the 2016-2017 and 2017-2018 course catalogs. Both are the course, SOC-258. The first course, African American Experience focuses on the historical and contextual context of the experience of African Americans in the United States. The second course, African American Experiences focuses on similar contexts but adds the further context of the multitude of interesting experiences and identities of African Americas. The change in the title and description of the course reflects the concept that the experience of African Americans in the United States is one that cannot be defined by one experience, but instead a complex intersection of a multitude of institutions and identities.

SOC-255 American Ethnic Groups

SOC-255 Race and Ethnic Relations

These documents were pulled from both the 2016-2017 and 2017-2018 course catalogs. Both are the course, SOC-255. The first course, American Ethnic Groups focuses on the political, social, and economic context of ethnic groups in the United States. This course description forgoes the relation between race and ethnicity. The second course, Race and Ethnic Relations focuses on the same institutions but recognizes the complexity of the interaction between ethnicity and race. The change in the course title and description reflect the recognition of the social consequences of race and ethnicity are deeply intertwined. 

AAAS Minor Requirements

This course details the requirements to be minor in African American & Africana Studies in the 2019-2020 course catalog. The minor requires 20 credits, 4 of which must be on AAAS-200, an introductory class. The other 16 elective credits can come for numerous different departments, and no more than 2 classes can come from one department. The AAAS program and minor aim to educate students on African American and African diasporic experiences. The current electives reflect the courses offered by the departments in the program.

AAAS-200: Issues in African American and Africana Studies

The introduction course to African American and Africana Studies is the core requirement for the AAAS minor. This course is currently taught by Dr. Patricia Lott and is offered approximately every two years. Students in the course read a variety of text highlighting views of African history and present-day African experience, and also do a digital project on Ursinus African history.

IDS-110: Race and Ethnicity in Philadelphia

Dr. Florka is an associate professor of Philosophy at Ursinus College. Dr. Florka teaches a Race and Ethnicity course in Philadelphia. The course is exploring race and ethnicity in Philadelphia through studying its history, politics, economics. Literature, geography, sociology religious diversity, etc. Students from all disciplines are invited to take this course and use some of their knowledge on the methodologies and resources of their disciplines. Students will become part of teams that will work together to find texts relating to race and ethnicity. The student with the support of the instructor will create a syllabus throughout the course. This a 4 credit course that can fulfill an AAAS  minor credit. This is a Ursinus Course that is taught through the Philadelphia Experience program.

Race and the University

This article focuses on a new course called “Race and University” taught in the Fall of 2018 started by Dr. Patricia Lott, an Assistant Professor of African American and Africana Studies. The course is described as a digital project where students create exhibits on a web- publishing platform called Omeka. These exhibits archive the history of race and racism at Ursinus College by students publishing archival evidence of racialization at Ursinus. Dr. Lott’s course focuses on institutionalized racism in American higher education, and how it has delayed marginalized groups, since the inception of the first university, from receiving higher education. The course also covers a plethora of different issues and historical moments associated with race and racism in graduate schools. This article was published on October 4^th, 2018 by the Ursinus English Department.

HEP-360: Health in the City

Health in the City (HEP-360) is a course taught in the Philadelphia Experience program. Students study how health problems and health processes interact. The location of the course is intentional, Philadelphia has a diverse population with an array of health needs. Public health practitioners from health organizations within Philadelphia participate in class meetings to provide insight on health issues that affect the communities they serve. Through the reading assignments and class, discussions students will connect theoretical frameworks of global health on practical health problems in Philadelphia. Students will conduct a case study research of Philadelphia examining the relations between illness, social inequality, and the social body.

SOC-255: Issues in American Studies

Issues in American Studies (AMST-200) is an American Studies course offered as an elective of the African American and Africana Studies (AAS) Program minor. The course is an introduction to American Studies aiming to engage students in the examination of a theme or question surrounding American society and culture. Topics vary according to the instructor but explore through readings, different disciplines.

POL-316: African American Politics in the United States

The text focuses on a Politics course offered as part of the 2019-2020 course catalog and as an elective to the AAAS minor. The course is a 300-level Politics course. This course pays attention to the political strategies used by African Americans in the struggle for political gain in the United States. Focus is given to leadership and the power of political protest. This course is taught by unknown Faculty.

HIST-228: Struggle & Triumph: Modern African American History

The text focuses on a History (HIST-228) course offered as part of the 2019-2020 course catalog and as an elective to the AAAS minor. The course is a 200-level History course. The course takes attention to African American's political, social, economic, and intellectual historical development of the United States. This historical reflection will allow for a complex understanding of today. This course is taught by Dr. Onaci.

HIST-351: Africa's Cultures of Resistance

The text focuses on a History (HIST-351) course offered as part of the 2019-2020 course catalog and as an elective to the AAAS minor. The course is a 300-level History course. The course focuses on the various mediums in African culture that continue to act as a means of resistance. Special attention is put on music. This course is taught by Dr. Onaci.