The Black Studies Reader

Book info: The Black Studies Reader (Paperback, 504 pages) – Routledge, 2004. Language: English.

Black studies emerged from the tumultuous social and civil rights movements of the 1960s and empowered African Americans to look at themselves in new ways and pass on a dignified version of Black history. However, it also enriched traditional disciplines in profound and significant ways. Proponents of Black and ethnic studies confronted the false notion that scholarly investigations were objective and unbiased explorations of the range of human knowledge, history, creativity, artistry, and scientific discovery. As they protested against hegemonic notions like universal psychology and re-evaluated canonical texts in literature, a new model of academic inquiry evolved: one committed to serving a range of populations, that critiqued traditional politics, culture, and social affairs, and worked with activist energy for the transformation of the existing social order. With an all-star cast of contributors, The Black Studies Reader takes on the history and future of this multi-faceted academic field. Topics include Black feminism, cultural politics, Black activism, lesbian and gay issues, African American literature and film, education, and religion. This authoritative collection takes a critical look at the current state of Black studies and speculates on where it may go from here. Editorial Reviews Review "A marvelous compendium featuring many of the field's most able practitioners. The sprightly essays are fresh and timely. This is black studies for the twenty-first century. The book is a must-have for courses and the scholar's bookshelf, and will appeal to a wide range of general readers." -- Brenda Gayle Plummer, University of Wisconsin, Madison About the Author

Jacqueline Bobo is Professor and Chair of the Department of Black Studies and Women's Studies Program at the University of California, Santa Barbara. Cynthia Hudley is Professor in the Gevirtz Graduate School of Education at the University of California Santa Barbara. ClaudineMichel is Professor of Black Studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara.