For nearly 150 years, Prairie View A&M University has produced top leaders in the arts and sciences, education, agriculture, engineering and nursing. Now, thanks to a $1 million initiative, Enhancing the Humanities at PVAMU, students have the option to major or minor in African American studies (AAS).
Funded in part by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, an anonymous contribution, and a matching grant, the new Bachelor of Arts in AAS Program will prepare the emerging generation of leaders to communicate effectively, think critically, research and examine any field of work through a comprehensive cultural lens.
“African American studies differs from other disciplines because it’s about our lived experience, so it feels familiar. But there’s a lot that students don’t know about the Black experience across the diaspora, history, space and time,” said Director and Associate Professor of AAS Jeanelle Hope, Ph.D.
Providing a Framework for Understanding Black Thought
The long-awaited program for PVAMU is a vision of President Ruth J. Simmons. Simmons has made it a priority to establish an AAS program at PVAMU. Given the University’s legacy and contributions to history and research, she believed that PVAMU was long overdue for a discipline that analyzed the social, economic, cultural, political and historical issues that impact Africans and African descendants from every corner of the diaspora.
“We’ve got to claim responsibility and not leave it to others to interpret us, who we are, where we come from and what we’ve produced,” she said during a recent event.
The African American journey in the United States, for over 400 years, has been one of pain, joy, achievement, triumph, excellence, trauma and progress. It’s an experience that goes beyond the borders of the U.S. and encompasses Black and Brown people throughout the diaspora, including Africa, the Caribbean and Latin America.
“A part of the HBCU experience for many students is a journey to self-identification, Blackness, and trying to understand the Black experience better,” said Hope. Hope joins PVAMU with an extensive background in studying and providing instruction on the history of Black social movements, political thought, and solidarity. “It [African American Studies] provides students with the language to understand the world around them and an opportunity to engage key theories, concepts and methods that seek to make sense of the Black experience and amplify our narratives.”
Reframing Freedom and Citizenship for the Next Generation
PVAMU isn’t alone. Many historically Black colleges and universities don’t have an AAS program due to a shortage of funding and a shift in education toward science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). In 2020, over 1,200 graduates earned a degree in African American and Black studies, with the top producing universities being Yale, the University of Florida, and the University of California-Los Angeles[1]. Only a handful of HBCUs have AAS programs, including Morehouse College and Howard, Florida A&M, Morgan State, and Claflin Universities, to name a few. Spelman College has an African Diaspora studies program.
Sophomore biology major Jalen Elrod attended a majority white high school and was shocked to discover that PVAMU didn’t have an AAS program when she first enrolled. “It’s significant that Black students learn about our history at our HBCUs because it’s often bent and changed to fit other narratives in today’s social climate,” she said.
Elrod aspires to become an orthopedic surgeon and believes studying AAS will help her understand the health care system’s racial disparities.
African American Studies Remains a Relevant Discipline
Critics argue that African American studies programs are dated and not competitive for the workforce. But scholars and employers find that such programs equip students with the skills to create inclusive technology, policies and opportunities sensitive to historical and present-day inequities.
The interdisciplinary study infuses content throughout the University’s liberal arts and STEM-focused courses, making the curriculum relevant to students across disciplines. For instance, students can major in African American studies and concentrate on health care or engineering. Degree holders aren’t limited to a career in academia or the social sciences but can pursue business, entertainment, science or technology.
When policymakers, teachers, engineers, law enforcement and health care workers understand the cultural and historical nuances, they can make better decisions about the care and well-being of the communities they serve.
“Our students will be skilled to have conversations about diversity, equity, inclusion and justice in collegial ways that interrogate how their future workplaces might proliferate anti-Blackness or micro-aggressions,” said Hope.
Students will be able to theoretically examine classrooms, court systems and corporations to identify systemic barriers and culturally relevant solutions.
Is the PVAMU AAS Program for You?
Dr. Hope expects the program to attract students interested in culture, history and social justice but believes every student could benefit from taking an AAS course.
Students work with a select cohort of distinguished PVAMU faculty, including Drs. Ronald E. Goodwin, Melanye Price, Malachi Crawford and Marco Robinson. Classroom lectures will push the limits of traditional instruction and require that students dig deep to embrace the content on a personal and professional level. Each student will also be able to engage in a practical or capstone experience through the University’s partner organizations and sponsors.
“I encourage students to take the AFAM 1301: Race Class and Gender in America course. It’s an intro class that gives students the language, vocabulary and framework to enter various sectors, whether government, non-profit, education or the sciences, to ask critical questions that get to the root of biases,” Hope said.
To prepare, students should come open-minded, vulnerable, and ready to have deeply critical and invaluable discussions.
The Future Looks Promising for AAS Faculty and Students
AAS faculty and staff hope more students will major in the discipline and look forward to increasing visibility on campus and in the community.
Hope envisions the program expanding to include more staff who are passionate about the field and HBCUs. With PVAMU celebrating the launch of the new initiative on the heels of the recent Carnegie R2 designation achievement, the second highest research ranking, Hope is optimistic about the future of a master’s and doctorate offering.
Information Courtesy of Prairie View A&M University
