BA in African American Studies in Evanston United States | Northwestern University

Examining the worldwide Black experience has a rich and celebrated legacy. Rooted in diverse academic disciplines, this area of study provides fresh perspectives on humanity. By employing empirical data, varied techniques, and scholarly frameworks, it fosters profound connections with African diaspora communities across the Americas, Caribbean, Africa, Europe, and beyond. This naturally requires an enriched comprehension of local, national, transnational, diasporic, and worldwide interactions, along with their historical contexts and convergences.

This discipline has produced compelling discoveries while establishing solid theoretical and evidence-based frameworks for methodically investigating African-descended communities in the U.S. and globally. Such research enhances our grasp of regional, national, cross-border, diasporic, and international relationships, their historical developments, and points of connection. Since its inception, the field has maintained an interdisciplinary approach, synthesizing multiple academic viewpoints to illuminate Black life, particularly within the United States. The Black Studies Department embodies these enduring principles and academic excellence, offering courses that enable students to meaningfully engage with the multifaceted nature of the Black experience.

Through comparative courses examining Black communities worldwide, the Department equips students to critically assess how concepts of identity, race, and racism evolve across different eras and locations. This comprehensive approach to studying the Black experience represents a defining characteristic of the Department, setting it apart from comparable programs at other institutions.