Black Studies Minor: Northern Kentucky University, Greater Cincinnati Region

Program Type: Undergraduate

Minor Requirement: View Requirements

Department: History

The Black Studies (BLS) Program examines, from an interdisciplinary perspective, the experiences of people of African descent by engaging students in a process of investigating the multiple cultural identities that comprise the category African American.

We offer a Black Studies minor that encourages students to explore the pioneering, complex, and distinctively African American contribution to the realities of Africans in the Diaspora. We engage students in the seven core areas of Black Studies: black history, black sociology, black religion, black economics, black politics, black psychology, and the humanities (black literature, art, and music).

Program Contacts

Rebekah Richardson
Lecturer and Academic Advisor
859-572-5374
richardsor5@nku.edu

Students in the Spotlight

Alisha Burnett

Graduating Year: 2022

Education: Major in History and Minor in Black Studies

"After taking a course on the history of the United States through 1877, I felt an inner calling guiding me to attain more. In the spring of 2021, I enrolled in "History of the Underground Railroad," with Dr. Eric Jackson, who is an outstanding role model and professor. That course was an eye-opening experience that allowed me to further grapple with the complex ways the past is still shaping the present. My knowledge on both African American historical figures and White abolitionists who contributed to this fight for freedom expanded drastically."

Career: Digital Specialist at the Boone County Public Library and researcher at The Reckoning, a non-profit focused on examining the legacy of slavery in America and creating ways for communities to engage in information through research projects, media productions, educational curricula, online content, and other means.

Plans to further her education with a Master's in Public History at Northern and then achieve a position as a Museum Director, where she can demonstrate her passion for Black History awoken through my courses here at NKU.

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Find Your Passions & Build Your Future

Community Engagement: The department practices social activism and implements transdisciplinary pedagogy that connects students with the community both on and off campus, thereby preparing you for life after college.
Interdisciplinary Courses: Students are able to advance their analysis of and critical thinking about the central role that race plays in our world through courses like Race, Gender, and Crime, and Culture and Communication.
Career Preparation: The Black Studies Minor provides career preparation through courses and internships that assist students in diverse careers such as policy analyst, community organizer, diversity coordinator, lobbyist, and so many more.