The Africana Studies (AFRS) major is a multidisciplinary academic major (45 units) designed for students who want to gain an understanding of the history, psychology, sociology, literature, culture and education of African-Americans and other Africans in the diaspora and the continent. The three specific options within the major enable students to concentrate their efforts on …

The Africana Studies (AFRS) major is a multidisciplinary academic major (45 units) designed for students who want to gain an understanding of the history, psychology, sociology, literature, culture and education of African-Americans and other Africans in the diaspora and the continent. The three specific options within the major enable students to concentrate their efforts on …

The Africana Studies (AFRS) major is a multidisciplinary academic major (45 units) designed for students who want to gain an understanding of the history, psychology, sociology, literature, culture and education of African-Americans and other Africans in the diaspora and the continent. The three specific options within the major enable students to concentrate their efforts on …

Students should consult an advisor to design a program that complements their major. Students may choose courses from a wide range of offerings that provide a background in several areas critical to their understanding of the African world experience.

The Department of Africana Studies is an intellectual community and academic unit committed to producing, refining and advancing the holistic knowledge of Black people in the United States, the Caribbean, Latin America, Europe and Africa from a culturally relevant perspective. Our mission is to advance and broaden ideas set forth in the department’s founding document …

This 4-Year Degree Road Map applies to the following catalog year(s): 2022 Africana Studies, B.A./African and African-American Humanities and Cultural Studies Option 2023 Africana Studies, B.A./African and African-American Humanities and Cultural Studies Option 2024 Africana Studies, B.A./African and African-American Humanities and Cultural Studies Option Refer to the Catalog Archives for General Education requirements. YEAR 1: 1st Semester …

This Transfer Degree Road Map applies to the following catalog year(s): 2024 Africana Studies, B.A./African and African-American Humanities and Cultural Studies Option 2025 Africana Studies, B.A./African and African-American Humanities and Cultural Studies Option 2026 Africana Studies, B.A./African and African-American Humanities and Cultural Studies Option The Transfer Degree Road Map on this page presumes the completion …

This 4-Year Degree Road Map applies to the following catalog year(s): 2025 Africana Studies, B.A./African and African-American Humanities and Cultural Studies Option 2026 Africana Studies, B.A./African and African-American Humanities and Cultural Studies Option YEAR 1: 1st Semester Course Units AFRS 100 (meets GE CSUN Section F Comparative Cultural Studies & GE Ethnic Studies) 3 GE …

This 4-Year Degree Road Map applies to the following catalog year(s): 2022 Africana Studies, B.A./African and African-American Social Sciences Option 2023 Africana Studies, B.A./African and African-American Social Sciences Option 2024 Africana Studies, B.A./African and African-American Social Sciences Option Refer to the Catalog Archives for General Education requirements. YEAR 1: 1st Semester Course Units AFRS 100 (meets GE …

This Transfer Degree Road Map applies to the following catalog year(s): 2024 Africana Studies, B.A./African and African-American Social Sciences Option 2025 Africana Studies, B.A./African and African-American Social Sciences Option 2026 Africana Studies, B.A./African and African-American Social Sciences Option The Transfer Degree Road Map on this page presumes the completion of lower division General Education, the …

This 4-Year Degree Road Map applies to the following catalog year(s): 2025 Africana Studies, B.A./African and African-American Social Sciences Option 2026 Africana Studies, B.A./African and African-American Social Sciences Option YEAR 1: 1st Semester Course Units AFRS 100 (meets GE CSUN Section F Comparative Cultural Studies & GE Ethnic Studies) 3 GE Basic Skills: Area 1A …

This 4-Year Degree Road Map applies to the following catalog year(s): 2022 Africana Studies, B.A./African-American Urban Education Option 2023 Africana Studies, B.A./African-American Urban Education Option 2024 Africana Studies, B.A./African-American Urban Education Option Refer to the Catalog Archives for General Education requirements. YEAR 1: 1st Semester Course Units AFRS 100 (meets GE F Comparative Cultural Studies & GE …

This Transfer Degree Road Map applies to the following catalog year(s): 2024 Africana Studies, B.A./African-American Urban Education Option 2025 Africana Studies, B.A./African-American Urban Education Option 2026 Africana Studies, B.A./African-American Urban Education Option The Transfer Degree Road Map on this page presumes the completion of lower division General Education, the United States History and Government requirements, …

This 4-Year Degree Road Map applies to the following catalog year(s): 2025 Africana Studies, B.A./African-American Urban Education Option 2026 Africana Studies, B.A./African-American Urban Education Option YEAR 1: 1st Semester Course Units AFRS 100 (meets GE CSUN Section F Comparative Cultural Studies & GE Ethnic Studies) 3 GE Basic Skills: Area 1A English Composition (Written Communication) …

1 unit University credit; No credit toward graduation. Emphasizes the development of the individual student’s writing abilities with intensive practice in basic writing skills, including grammar, usage, and other aspects of the composing process, with a focus on texts by Africana people. May be taken by students who want to improve their writing skills, whatever …

Overview of Black culture, including Black History, Black Religion, Black Politics, Black Economics, Black Psychology, Black Sociology, Black Literature, Black Dance, and more, with a survey of the key concepts and fundamental literature in each area. The discipline of Africana Studies is also presented in terms of its origins, theories, methods, methodologies, pedagogies, and philosophies. …

Prerequisite: Placement in a supported GE subarea A2 Written Communication course. Corequisite: UNIV 061. Expository prose writing, with a focus on both content and form. Specific emphases include the exercise of logical thought and clear expression, the development of effective organizational strategies and the appropriate gathering and utilization of evidence. Includes instruction on diction, syntax …

Prerequisite: Successful completion of 113A. Corequisite: UNIV 062. Expository prose writing with a focus on both content and form. Specific emphases include the exercise of logical thought and clear expression, the development of effective organizational strategies and the appropriate gathering and utilization of evidence. Includes instruction on diction, syntax and grammar, as well as the elements …

Prerequisite: Placement in a supported GE subarea A2 Written Communication course. Expository prose writing, with a focus on both content and form. Specific emphases include the exercise of logical thought and clear expression, the development of effective organizational strategies and the appropriate gathering and utilization of evidence. Includes instruction on diction, syntax and grammar, as well …

Prerequisite: 114A. Expository prose writing, with a focus on both content and form. Specific emphases include the exercise of logical thought and clear expression, the development of effective organizational strategies and the appropriate gathering and utilization of evidence. Includes instruction on diction, syntax and grammar, as well as the elements of prose style. Students receive …

Prerequisite: Multiple Measures Placement in GE-level writing. Expository prose writing with a focus on both content and form. Specific emphases include the exercise of logical thought and clear expression, the development of effective organizational strategies and the appropriate gathering and utilization of evidence. Includes instruction on diction, syntax and grammar, as well as the elements …

Prerequisite: Multiple Measures Placement in GE-level writing, or completion of 113A or 114A, or completion of the lower division writing requirement. Introduction to the study of the human communication process, with emphasis on techniques of contemporary African-American rhetoric. Includes intensive practice in public speaking, logical reasoning and critical listening. Available for General Education, Basic Skills …

Examines the development and dynamics of American political institutions and political processes as they relate to the experiences of African Americans. Available for General Education, Area 4A/B Constitution of the United States and California State and Local Government.

Students will explore a variety of historical, theoretical, and cultural approaches to studying the African Diaspora. The assigned readings cover both the geographic and conceptual nature of the African Diaspora beginning on the African continent, moving through the Americas (North, South, and the Caribbean Basin), and into Europe. It considers important issues in the construction …

Surveys the various great societies of Africa, covering a period from the origin of humankind in East Africa to the great Zulu Kingdom in the 19th century. In addition to describing the leadership, histories, and achievements of African figures like Imhotep, Zoser, Akhenaten, Muhammed, and Chaka, attention is also given to understanding the culture, technologies, …

Introduction to the operations of the U.S. economy, with special attention given to the interrelationships between producers, consumers, and governmental components. Emphasizes the economic position, economic needs, and solutions for the African American community within this system. Meets the Ethnic Studies requirement. Available for General Education, Area 4 Social and Behavioral Sciences. (E.S.)

Prerequisite: Instructor consent. Recommended Corequisite or Preparatory: Completion of the lower division writing requirement. Introduction to the basic concepts of deductive logic as a dimension of critical reasoning and the practical usage of those concepts in discussing, analyzing and critiquing ideas on race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation and other relevant issues of modern society. Available for …

Introduction to Black Psychology from an African Centered perspective is focused on, but not limited to, the psychological effects of racism and white supremacy; the criminal justice system/prison industrial complex; drug and alcohol use; the one dimensional/biased media; and the Eurocentric educational system on the Black community. Solutions such as self-knowledge, self-identity, and holistic healing …

Introduction to Black Sociology is focused on the social, cultural, and physical realities and the social, cultural, and physical environment of African Americans in contemporary American society from an African Centered perspective. Meets the Ethnic Studies requirement. Available for General Education, Area 4 Social and Behavioral Sciences. (E.S.)

This course provides a comprehensive overview of African societies and communities from the earliest times to the contemporary era. Students will study aspects of culture such as spirituality and spiritual practices; cyclical views of time and space; societal and community organization; economic distribution; family organization and kinship ties; the role of elders, ancestors, and children; …

Survey of literature produced by Black people in the Americas (North and South) and the Caribbean to 1930 through the framework of Black empowerment. The dynamics of the Black experience in the Americas and the Caribbean are explored through their historical and cultural context, including racism and the structures of white supremacy that impact the …

Survey of African American literature from 1930 to the present examined through the framework of Black empowerment. The dynamics of the African American experience are explored through their historical and cultural context, including racism and the structures of white supremacy that impact the Black experience. Meets the Ethnic Studies requirement. Available for General Education, Area …

Survey of the major works by African American dramatists from the earliest times to the present, with a particular focus on their techniques, ideas, and culture. Meets the Ethnic Studies requirement. Available for General Education, Area 3A Arts. (E.S.)

This course examines popular culture as it relates to the cultural transmission, inheritance, and complex relations between African origins and the irreversible scatterings of the African Diaspora. Specifically, we will examine the role of media, social media, and the arts in enabling, facilitating, or challenging the social constructions of Blackness in Black popular culture. The …

Survey in African American History up to 1865 including the MAAFA, enslavement, the Civil War, and the contributions of African people in the establishment of America. Emphasis will be placed on the resistance of African people in America and their fight against white supremacy and its manifestations. Meets the American History, Institutions and Ideals requirement.

Survey in African American History from 1865 to present including Reconstruction, Post-Reconstruction, The Harlem Renaissance, the Civil Rights Movement, and Black Nationalism. Emphasis will be placed on the resistance of African people in America and their fight against white supremacy and its manifestations. Meets the American History, Institutions and Ideals requirement.

Historical approach to an analysis of the political, social and economic development of the Caribbean islands after the 1830s. General focus centered on post-emancipation colonialism and the development of a particular form of neo-colonialism that manifested itself after independence. Also includes an examination of the emergence of contemporary radical political movements.

Prerequisite: Completion of the lower division writing requirement. Introductory workshop in the skills and techniques used in creative writing from a culturally centered approach. Students learn to write in various genres including fiction, drama, poetry, and mixed genre work. Available for General Education, Area 3A Arts.

Prerequisite: Completion of the lower division writing requirement. In-depth exploration of the social, political, economic, and cultural issues and their impact on the Black community in contemporary society. This course highlights the agency of Black people to create solutions to the issues presented. Available for General Education, CSUN Section F Comparative Cultural Studies. (W.I.)

Study of the household as a consuming unit and the firm as a producing unit, exploring factor costs, price determinants and income distribution, with an emphasis on the African American community, its lack of control over the means of production, and solutions for the African American community within this system.

Prerequisite: Completion of the lower division writing requirement. This course provides an in-depth exploration of health and wellness in Africana communities. Students will examine the ways in which racism and systematic oppression create barriers to Black health and wellness. Students will evaluate pathways for personal and collective Black healing and empowerment. Meets the Ethnic Studies …

The examination of major theories and research in Black Psychology from an African Centered perspective including, but not limited to, melanin, the Black Personality, and the mental, spiritual, and physical health of Black people. African Psychology, Caribbean Psychology, Pan African Psychology, and additional psychological approaches from throughout the African World will also be examined along …

Prerequisite: Completion of the lower division writing requirement. A Black Psychology course focused on the holistic study of the Black Personality. The roots of the Black Personality in Africa and the detrimental effects white supremacy continues to have on Black people will be covered. African Centered disorders and diagnosis are also discussed including treatment options for …

Prerequisite: Completion of the lower division writing requirement. Provides an overview of the Black family’s structure, gender dynamics, and the nurturing of future generations examined from an African Centered perspective starting from its African roots to contemporary times. The impact of the MAAFA, racial terror, structural oppression, and the system of white supremacy will be …

Prerequisite: Completion of the lower division writing requirement. Examines the social, political, and psychological forces impacting the lives of Black women, and focuses on their expectations, opportunities, problems, and goals in contemporary society. Additionally, this course studies the Black woman’s contribution to the family and community, and highlights the agency of Black women to create …

Prerequisite: Completion of the lower division writing requirement. Examines the social, political, and psychological forces affecting the lives of Black men, and focuses on their expectations, opportunities, problems, and goals in contemporary society. Additionally, this course studies the Black man’s contributions to the family and community, and highlights the agency of Black men to create …

Prerequisite: Completion of the lower division writing requirement. In-depth exploration of the history and criticism of the Black image on the American screen and the social, cultural, and political background from which the African American image has developed. This course emphasizes critical and technical perspectives, as well as how cinema is used as forms of …

Prerequisite: Students must be at the sophomore level to enroll in AFRS 340A-Z. This course examines the political, social and cultural history of African Americans in Los Angeles. Through readings, film, discussion and field experiences, students will uncover the significance of individuals, broader historical events and discriminatory practices on the community’s formation and evolution. Equipped …

Prerequisite: Completion of the lower division writing requirement. Examines African film and literature from an African cultural and historical lens. Establishes art as a critical tool of African people’s liberation and development through the framework of African agency and empowerment. Meets the Ethnic Studies requirement. Available for General Education, Area 3B Humanities. (E.S.) (W.I.)

Prerequisite: Completion of the lower division writing requirement. This course explores Black Caribbean literature through the lens of the history, culture, and the connectedness of Africana people. Available for General Education, Area 3B Humanities. (W.I.)

Prerequisite: Completion of the lower division writing requirement. Analysis of the thematic patterns in autobiographies from enslaved narratives to the present, focusing on the continuity of the African American experience from a psychological, sociological, and historical point of view.

Prerequisite: Completion of the lower division writing requirement. Study of the sociopolitical contexts and literary techniques of Black women writers. Themes include authors’ struggles to reconcile conflicting identities in a racist and sexist nation; the intertwining of class, gender identity, race, and sexual orientation in identity formation and politics; and how these writers portray Black …

Prerequisite: Completion of the lower division writing requirement. An intensive writing and discussion-based course where students explore strategies to further develop their writing skills. Grounded in the Africana experience, this course focuses on research, critiques, and/or essays, as well as the art and technique of narrative nonfiction.

Prerequisite: Completion of the lower division writing requirement. This course is an in-depth exploration of the African Worldview through a concentrated focus on the theory, philosophy and methodology of the Black Aesthetic. The Black Aesthetic is the way African/Black people view, interpret and create art throughout the African World. Therefore, several manifestations of the Black …

Prerequisite: Completion of the lower division writing requirement. This course examines the Black Novel, or more specially novels written by peoples of African descent in America, from the beginning of this genre in 1853 to the present day from an African Centered perspective. Using African/Black culture, the African Worldview, and the Black Aesthetic as our …

Prerequisite: Completion of the lower division writing requirement. Survey of the politics of the African American community, including, but not limited to, political socialization, voting, interest groups, political parties, and the political behavior within the sub-cultural context. Available for General Education, Area 4 Social and Behavioral Sciences. (W.I.)

Prerequisite: Completion of the lower division writing requirement. Recommended Preparatory: Introductory level course in history and government (Title 5). This course will examine how issues of race, gender, class and sexuality factor into the public policy process. Issues related to voting rights, welfare, criminal justice, affirmative action, reproductive health, and equity pay will be the …

Prerequisite: Completion of the lower division writing requirement. This course explores the motives and methods of the European colonization of Africa and provides an overview of the struggle for African liberation from European political, economic, and cultural domination. This course also includes an examination of the legacy of the MAAFA through the contemporary forms of …

This course is an examination of the theory and practice of African American social movements designed to introduce students to the various approaches and models used to study social movements and apply them to the African American experience. Theories that promulgate non-violent direct action, the use of violence, and other non-systemic activity will be assessed …

Prerequisite: Completion of the lower division writing requirement. This course explores the power of Hip Hop and Hip Hop artists to act as forces of political and social change both locally and globally. This course also examines the interaction between Hip Hop and various cultural, political, economic, and institutional forces in society. A special emphasis …

Comparative study of African enslavement in the Caribbean, Latin America and the U.S. Examines various patterns of enslavement in Africa, Brazil, Latin America, the West Indies and North America. Includes the examination of the transatlantic slave trade and the origins of New World enslavement. Also explores the different approaches to abolition and the nature of …

Provides students with a working knowledge of the African American community, including its culture and challenges, by highlighting the agency of Black people to create solutions to the issues presented.

Prerequisite: Completion of the lower division writing requirement. This course explores African American language and linguistic patterns within Black communities as a sociocultural linguistic phenomenon from their genesis to contemporary status. Linguistic profiling and anti-Black racism, linguistic justice, and language policies are examined.

Prerequisite: Upper division Standing. Introduction to paradigms, theories, and models of research on the Africana community. Emphasis will be placed on methodological, epistemological and ethical concerns related to conducting research studies on people of African descent. Other topics include sampling techniques, experimental and non-experimental designs, ethnography, and archival approaches relevant to the Africana community.

Prepares teacher candidates to examine principles of educational equity, diversity and the implementation of curriculum content and school practices for elementary/secondary students. Focuses on the history and culture of a specific ethnic experience and a comparative analysis made with other ethnic groups in California. Engages students to examine, critique and reflect on their personal biases …

Prerequisite: Completion of the lower division writing requirement. This course provides an in-depth examination of the familial, cultural, and societal forces that shape the development, education, and achievement of Black children. Meets the Ethnic Studies requirement. (E.S.)

Prerequisite: AFRS 100 or AFRS 161 or AFRS 271 or AFRS 272 or permission from the instructor. This course explores All-Black towns and the acts of Black resistance it took to create and maintain them wherever they were established within the African world. Through the lens of the African Worldview, this course introduces contemporary Black …

Prerequisite: Completion of the lower division writing requirement. Historical analysis of the role played by the mass media in the Black community from enslavement to contemporary times. Particular attention is given to evaluating the African American press, as well as highlighting how mass media in the Black community has been used as forms of resistance …

Course content to be determined.

Primarily restricted to students majoring in Africana Studies, but open to other students with instructor consent. Capstone course for the AFRS major, usually taken during the final semester before baccalaureate graduation. Focuses on a synthesis of the information, concepts, material, and methodologies from the discipline of Africana Studies provided in previous AFRS classes.

Independent Study

Course content to be determined.

(2011) Director of the Ethnic Studies Center for Research, Activism, and Community Empowerment (RACE); Professor of Africana Studies. B.A. 2006, Howard University; M.A. 2007, State University of New York at Albany; Ph.D. 2011, Temple University.

(2012) Professor of Africana Studies. B.A. 1999, University of Wisconsin-La Crosse; M.A. 2001, University of California, Los Angeles; Ph.D. 2008, Temple University.

(2011) Professor of Africana Studies. B.A. 1995, M.S. 2002, California State University, Northridge; Ed. D. 2011, Cal Lutheran University.

(1997) Professor Emeritus of Africana Studies. B.A. 1968, M.A. 1973, University of Florida; M.P.A. 1984, California State University, San Bernardino; Ph.D. 1984, University of California, Los Angeles.

(2017) Department Chair of Africana Studies; Associate Professor of Communication Studies. B.A. 2006, Columbia College; M.A. 2008, University of South Carolina; Ph.D. 2012, Louisiana State University.

(2012) Professor of Africana Studies. B.A. 2002, M.A. 2004, California State University, Dominguez Hills; Ph.D. 2009, Howard University.

(1969) Professor Emeritus of Africana Studies. B.A. 1963, University of California, Los Angeles; M.S. 1969, Ph.D. 1972, University of Southern California.

(1984) Professor Emeritus of Africana Studies. B.A. 1970, M.A. 1972, Stanford University; M.F.A. 1999, Antioch University.

(2021) Assistant Professor of Africana Studies. B.A. 1988, Prairie View A&M University; M.A. 2009, University of California, Los Angeles; M.A. 2017, University of Notre Dame; Ph.D. 2005, Claremont Graduate University.

(1969) Professor Emeritus of Africana Studies. B.A. 1955, Rhodes University, South Africa; M.A. 1967, University of California, Los Angeles.

(1984) Professor Emeritus of Africana Studies. B.A. 1973, University of Sierra Leone; M.A. 1979, Ph.D. 1984, University of Washington.

(2003) Professor of Africana Studies. B.A. 1984, California State University, Chico; M.P.H. 1988, University of Southern California; Ph.D. 1993, Howard University.

(2007) Associate Professor of Africana Studies. B.A. 1995, Northwestern University; M.A. 2002, Ph.D. 2002, University of Michigan; M.F.A. 2007, Bennington College.

(2025) Assistant Professor of Africana Studies. B.A. 2015, M.A. 2018, Cleveland State University; Ph.D. 2023, Temple University.

(2008) Professor of Africana Studies. B.A. 1992, University of Southern California; M.A., 1999, Ph.D. 2008, University of California, Los Angeles.