An Introduction to Black Studies

by Eric R. Jackson

Overview

For years, the American public education system has neglected to fully examine and discuss the rich history of people of African descent, who have played a pivotal role in the transformation of the United States. The establishment of Black studies departments and programs represented a major victory for higher education and a vindication of Black scholars such as W. E. B. Du Bois and Nathan Huggins. This emerging field sought to address omissions from numerous disciplines as well as myriad distortions, stereotypes, and myths.

In An Introduction to Black Studies, Eric R. Jackson demonstrates the continuing need for Black studies, also known as African American studies, in university curricula. Jackson connects the growth and impact of Black studies to the broader context of social justice movements, emphasizing the historical and contemporary demand for the discipline. This book features seventeen chapters that focus on the primary eight disciplines of Black studies: history, sociology, psychology, religion, feminism, education, political science, and the arts. Each chapter includes a biographical vignette of an important figure in African American history, such as Frederick Douglass, Louis Armstrong, and Madam C. J. Walker, as well as student learning objectives that provide a starting point for educators. This valuable work speaks to the strength and rigor of the field, its importance to the formal educational process, and its relevance to the United States and the world.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781985902794
Publisher:	University Press of Kentucky
Publication date:	02/04/2025
Pages:	296
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x (d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Eric R. Jackson is professor of history and associate dean in the College of Arts and Sciences at Northern Kentucky University. The former director of the Black Studies program at NKU, he has published reviews and articles in a number of journals, including the Journal of African American History, the Journal of Negro Education, International Journal on World Peace, and Journal of Pan African Studies. He is coauthor of Cincinnati's Underground Railroad and Unique Challenges in Urban Schools: The Involvement of African American Parents.

Table of Contents

1. The Nature, Scope, and Construction of Black Studies
2. The Origin and Development of Black Studies as a Field of Analysis
3. The History of African Americans in the United States: From Enslavement to the Civil War
4. African Americans in the United States from the Civil War to the Present
5. African Americans and Education
6. African Americans at Home and Abroad: Racial Construction and Resistance
7. African American Religious Traditions: The Origin and Development of a Black Liberation Theology from the Colonial Era to Reconstruction
8. African American Religious Traditions: Reconstruction to the Present
9. Black Feminism: The Construction and Development of Black Feminist Thought
10. The African American Experience from a Sociological Perspective: Black American Identity and Culture
11. The African American Experience from a Sociological Perspective: The Black Family
12. Black Psychology: The Origin, Nature, and Development of an African-Centered Worldview
13. Black Psychology: Current Psychological Approaches
14. African Americans and Politics: From the Colonial Period To the 1930s
15. African Americans and Politics: From Black Empowerment to the Criminal Justice System
16. The Creative Expressions of African Americans: The Origins, Development, and Impact of African American Music
17. The Creative Expressions of African Americans: African American Performance and Visual Art

Editorial Reviews

Jackson affirms the intellectual, spiritual, artistic, and cultural diversity as well as the innovation and genius of Black folks, in ways that honor them. This book is remarkably balanced and amplifies marginal voices and perspectives often ignored in other texts. The real merit of An Introduction to Black Studies, though, is that it draws a direct connection between previous historical eras and the modern Black experience in the United States, underscoring the continuity of thought and action and resilience across generations.

Nikki M. Taylor

A compelling, brilliant treatment of the history of Black studies in the United States. Eric Jackson has accomplished what few scholars achieve in such a work: a concisely crafted historical narrative that incorporates clear context and powerful analysis for each historical period in the Black studies movement. Appealing to a broad academic audience, An Introduction to Black Studies is essential for emergent and established scholars alike.

Nathan Long

Jackson offers a fresh interpretation of the field of Black studies with a definite history foundation. Written with contemporary audiences in mind, this work begins with a history of the discipline which is central to the understanding of the subject. Using an inclusive look at the intellectual, cultural, social, political nature of African American people, this book is well-conceived and well-written. An Introduction to Black Studies is a welcome addition to the list of survey texts for Black studies.

Tara Y. White

A compelling, brilliant treatment of the history of Black Studies in the US, Dr. Eric Jackson has accomplished what few scholars achieve in such a work: a concisely crafted historical narrative that incorporates clear context and powerful analysis for each historical period in the Black studies movement. Appealing to a broad academic audience, An Introduction to Black Studies is essential for emergent and established scholars alike.

Dr. Nathan Long

Jackson affirms the intellectual, spiritual, artistic, and cultural diversity, innovation, and genius of black folks, in ways that honor them. This book is remarkably balanced and amplifies marginal voices and perspectives often ignored in other texts. The real merit of An Introduction to Black Studies, though, is that it draws a direct connection between previous historical eras and the modern black experience in the U.S., underscoring the continuity of thought and action and resilience across generations.   

Dr. Nikki M. Taylor