The Importance Of African American Studies

Over the course of the years that African American Studies has been a separate functioning entity, there have been different ideological and political reasons for why African American studies are needed in institutions of higher education. Scholars such as Nathan Hare, John Henrik Clark, John W. Blassingame and Devere E. Pentony have given their own varied rationales as to why they believe African American Studies is a necessity within these institutions; if it is even one at all. Each of these men have different opinions on this topic but they do share one similar perspective. The historical importance of black people should be taught and made a fundamental component of African American Studies because in institutions of higher education, …show more content…
He believes that the issues of the black race can only be solved if the educational system were “blackwashed” (Hare (1), 3). The term blackwash means, in relevance to African American Studies, that education must be looked at from a black point of view and be based upon the ideas of black people (ideological) and the art of teaching (pedagogical). African American Studies can help eliminate racism in America’s schools, all while preparing black youth for power, confidence and self assertion; “This will enable them to regenerate and reconstruct their own black communities, break the deadly grip of poverty and build a productive black future” (Hare (1), 4). With African American Studies, black people and other race with African descendants can become more aware of their surroundings and fundamental blackness. Hare simply believes that the educational system is messed up and needs to be fixed. He then goes on to further break African American Studies down into two phases: the expressive phase and …show more content…
The pragmatic-positivistic phase is to provide students with all the skills needed to bring about change in their communities. If all these components are implemented then there will be changes within black and white communities because these students are taking what they learned and bringing it back to help heal the racist American society. The department of African studies should work frivolously to educate its students and possibly “bring about a kind of black renaissance; they could possibly wield an impact on the entire cemetery of American Education” (Hare (1), 15). Hare believes that African American studies is based on the ideology of evolutionary nationalism, not racism, but it is dedicated to the destruction of white