Birmingham City University in England has announced that in the fall of 2017 it will offer an honors undergraduate degree program in Black studies. The new bachelor’s degree program will examine the histories, social movements, and contributions of people of African descent. Officials at the university state that this will be the first Black studies degree program offered by any university in Europe.
The program’s description on the university’s website states that it will focus on “the African diaspora before the horrors of the transatlantic slave trade, as well as focusing on how Black populations resisted and fought back during this period. The degree will discuss Black studies in the international context, looking at topics impacting on the Caribbean, Latin America, Europe and Africa. We will also focus on Blackness in Britain, including migrations to Britain and the contributions Black people have made.”
Birmingham City University enrolls about 22,500 students and its student body is considered to be one of the more diverse in England.
“Birmingham is the perfect place to launch Black studies, being one of Europe’s most diverse cities, with a strong history of community activism and engagement,” said Dr. Kehinde Andrews, associate professor of sociology at Birmingham City University.
Dr. Andrews is the author of Resisting Racism: Race, Inequality and the Black Supplementary School Movement (Trentham Books, 2013). He holds a Ph.D. in sociology and cultural studies from the University of Birmingham.
