Interdisciplinary Studies (INTDS) 210, "Introduction to Black Studies"

INTDS 210 is a required foundation course for any student wishing to take a minor (or self-designed major) in Black Studies. Students who are not Black Studies minors are welcome to take the course as an elective. It is offered every Spring.

Course Description

An overview of the field of Black Studies as the academic outgrowth of the Civil Rights and Black Power movements of the sixties and seventies. Students will engage the interdisciplinarity of Black Studies by exploring the intersections among music, visual arts, theater, cinema, literature, history, religion and politics in black culture and experience in the U.S. Controversies in the field will be examined, as will the continuing impact of racism on black communities and strategic debates within anti-racist movements. Students will develop an appreciation for the ways in which Black Studies provides a unique tool to enrich their understanding of race and racism in the world in which they live.

Course Objectives

The course serves as a cornerstone for the Black Studies Minor. Goals are to prepare students to make connections among other courses they take in the minor, to provide a rationale and historical base for Black Studies, and to model some of the rich interdisciplinary work that has been done in the field. A larger objective is to make it clear that scholarly work on race contributes importantly to the vision of a just society.

Past INTDS 210 Syllabi

• INTDS 210, Spring 2005
• INTDS 210, Spring 2006
• INTDS 210, Spring 2007
• INTDS 210, Spring 2008
• INTDS 210 will next be offered in AY 2009-2010