African American Studies

Students who seek a minor in African American studies add a multicultural dimension to their education by examining the African American experience. Your courses will broaden your understanding of issues that confront African Americans and will help you understand, work with and empower diverse communities. Courses provide insight into the histories, contributions, social/cultural developments, intellectual and creative expressions and present circumstances of African Americans in the United States and abroad.

Program Requirements Department of Ethnic and Women Studies Ethnic and Women's Studies Scholarships

Program Highlights

• Opportunity for comparative analysis of race and ethnicity in South Africa and the United States through a study of developments in race relations in post-apartheid South Africa and in the post-Civil Rights era of the United States.
• Short-term, spring break trip to historic sites in South Africa examines South Africa-U.S. race relations.
• Opportunities for global and comparative analysis between ethnic minority groups, indigenous communities, and their relations in their ancestral homelands.
• Easy translation to a variety of fields such as education, law, mass communication, nonprofit work, sciences, art, business, social work and psychology.

Program Distinctions

• Award-winning annual Power in Diversity Leadership Conference empowers student and campus leaders to use leadership and mentoring skills for cultural change and social justice.
• Diversity and Equity Award for Multicultural Student Services' 25-year-old Advanced Preparation Program (APP) from Minnesota State Colleges and Universities.
• Accomplished faculty: Social historian Christopher Lehman is the author of four books that drew national reviews and media coverage: "Slavery in the Upper Mississippi Valley, 1787-1865," "A Critical History of Soul Train on Television," "The Colored Cartoon: Black Representation in American Animated Short Films" and "American Animated Cartoons of the Vietnam Era."