BA in Black Studies in Santa Barbara United States | University of California, Santa Barbara

Established in 1969 amid student demonstrations, UCSB Black Studies became the inaugural Black Studies Department within the University of California system. Student organizers saw this discipline as both a vital outlet for Black cultural expression and a cornerstone of the broader Black liberation struggle, asserting that Black studies fulfills both personal and collective necessities that are fundamentally interconnected. The UCSB Black Studies program emphasizes academic excellence alongside its commitment to social equity. Enrolled students engage with professors across diverse fields such as History, Sociology, Anthropology, Psychology, Political Science, Performance Studies, and Comparative Literature. Our curriculum pursues intersectional equity by analyzing how factors like gender, sexuality, economic status, faith, citizenship, and ability influence Black communities worldwide. This academic unit unites researchers investigating Black experiences across the Americas, Caribbean, Europe, and Africa, cultivating a global perspective on race, geography, gender identity, and liberation.