Office: Washington Square Hall 216

Telephone: 408-924-5871

Email: afam-studies@sjsu.edu

Website: www.sjsu.edu/afam

Associate Professors

Travis D. Boyce, Chair
Akilah R. Carter-Francique

Assistant Professors

Jalylah Burrell
Michael Fisher
Wendy Thompson Taiwo

Overview

An indispensable part of the mission of a metropolitan university, the Department of African American Studies provides a comprehensive liberal arts education by training our students to appreciate diversity and multicultural American society. Our unique interdisciplinary curriculum focuses on the areas of: crime/justice, politics, urbanization, religion, history, sociology/welfare, psychology, African history/politics, gender equality, aesthetics and general education courses. Our upper division courses cover such topics as the Harlem Renaissance, African American women in history, and black images in American film and television. Our faculty contributes to scholarship in the field, and we are intellectually and professionally linked to local and national African American communities through our membership and support of professional associations such as the National Council of Black Studies.

Programs

• African American Studies, BA

• African American Studies Minor
• African Studies Minor
• Black Women’s Studies Minor
• Comparative U.S. Race and Ethnic Relations Minor

Spartan Accelerated Graduate Education (SAGE) Programs    programs are combined bachelor’s and master’s programs at SJSU (per University Policy F19-1). Sometimes they may also satisfy the requirements for a credential. Students in these programs pursue a bachelor’s and master’s degree simultaneously. These program allow students to earn graduate credit while in their junior and/or senior year, reducing the number of semesters required for completion of a master’s degree.

• African American Studies BA + Minor in U.S. History + Single Subject Credential in Social Science + Teaching MAT

Courses

• AFAM 2A - African Americans and the Development of America’s History and Government
• AFAM 2B - African Americans and the Development of America’s History and Government
• AFAM 22 - The Humanities in African American Culture
• AFAM 25 - The Changing Majority: Power and Ethnicity in America
• AFAM 40 - African Origins
• AFAM 100W - Writing Workshop
• AFAM 102 - African American Music
• AFAM 105 - Health, Justice, and the Black Experience
• AFAM 106 - Race and Culture in the African Diaspora
• AFAM 110 - Education of the Black Child
• AFAM 111 - African Nations: History, Politics, and Culture
• AFAM 112 - African Immigrant Communities in the U.S.
• AFAM 115 - The Black Community Past and Present
• AFAM 119 - Africana Philosophy and Culture
• AFAM 120 - Sociology of African American Communities
• AFAM 125 - The Black Family: Historical/Contemporary Realities
• AFAM 130 - Psychology of the Black Community
• AFAM 133 - Introduction to Social Issues in Planning
• AFAM 134 - The Black Civil Rights Movements
• AFAM 137 - Religion in the Black Community
• AFAM 142 - Race, Ethnicity, and the Law
• AFAM 145 - Urban Policy and Its Impact on Inner City Residents
• AFAM 151 - Race, Class and the Environment
• AFAM 152 - Black Women in the U.S.
• AFAM 155A - Triumphs and Trials of the Black Athlete in the U.S., 1850-1999
• AFAM 155B - Triumphs and Trials of the Black Athlete in the U.S., 2000-Present
• AFAM 156 - Black Women Writers: Race, Culture and Resistance
• AFAM 157 - Globalization and Technology in Youth Culture
• AFAM 158 - Race, Sport, Activism & Social Movements
• AFAM 159 - Economic Issues in the Black Community
• AFAM 160 - Blacks in U.S. Politics and Society
• AFAM 161 - Black Representations in Media and New Technology
• AFAM 162 - The Aesthetics of Hip-Hop
• AFAM 164 - Survey of Black Business Organizations
• AFAM 165 - Topics in Ethnic American Literature
• AFAM 166 - African American Women in History
• AFAM 180 - Individual Studies
• AFAM 184 - Directed Reading
• AFAM 185 - Special Topics in African American Studies
• AFAM 190 - Internship in Community Development
• AFAM 192 - International Program Studies
• AFAM 198 - Senior Seminar in African American Studies
• AFAM 298 - Special Studies
• AFRS 142 - African Politics
• AFRS 192 - International Program Studies