Following the recent abhorrent deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery, thousands of people around the world have expressed their support for the Black Lives Matter movement. One of the most important ways people can show their support and become a more effective ally is to educate themselves. UC Cross Enroll highly encourages all UC students to seek out courses that provide the opportunity to learn about the Black experience in our society. Classes do not just have to be another box to check off on your list of graduation requirement ments; they are opportunities to learn more meaningful and valuable lessons that you can use for the rest of your life.
African American Studies 1: Introduction to Black Studies is a highly regarded course that is being offered for the 2020 fall quarter. This online course is open to all UC campuses and is fully asynchronous. Lectures are pre-recorded and need not be watched at a specific time or location, however students are responsible for keeping up with all assignments and meeting deadlines. The classwork consists of essays, papers, and weekly discussion board responses in addition to watching the lectures, completing the assigned readings, and watching the designated films.
“Regardless of whether this is a major requirement or not, this course is a valuable opportunity for students to become more culturally aware about topical events taking place in the world right now.”
Students will be introduced to Black studies as an intellectual, political, and cultural project steeped in a long tradition of Black radicalism. This course explores the development of Black life and culture and the persistent fight against racism, economic and political exploitation, and gender oppression. Students will also learn the historical and ongoing processes of Black politics and fundamental values of identity formation as structured through race and its intersection with gender, sexuality, and class.
Introduction to Black Studies inspires students to take their learning beyond the classroom and educate themselves so that they may learn to be a more effective ally in the fight for justice and racial equality. If you are interested in enrolling in this course, please confirm with your campus academic advisor the type of credit you are able to receive. All online courses offered through cross-enrollment provide UC unit credit. Some courses are approved for GE, major preparation and/or, major credit or can be used as a substitute for a course at your campus. More information about UC Cross-Campus Enrollment can be found here.
