Saint Louis University to Elevate African American Studies to Departmental Status

In the 1970s, Saint Louis University began offering its first African-American studies classes. As the African-American studies program solidified, the university created a certificate and a contract major, where students put together classes that would be viable for an African-American studies degree and had it signed off by a professor. In the 1990s, African-American studies became a formally instituted program and was granted the ability to graduate traditional bachelor’s degree majors through the program in 2010.

Now the African American studies program will finally become an academic department. Christopher Tinson, the current director of African-American studies at Saint Louis University, stated that departmentalization “gives us more visibility and viability. And also, most importantly, it allows us to hire and tenure our own faculty who have lines in African American studies.”

“Education and African descendants go hand in hand, and we always want to make sure people understand that and appreciate that,” Dr. Tinson added. “We’re here to celebrate that, as well as produce new people who can carry on that tradition.”

Dr. Tinson, who also serves as an associate professor of history, is the author of  Radical Intellect: Liberator Magazine and Black Activism in the 1960s (University of North Carolina Press, 2017). He is a graduate of California State University, Dominguez Hills, where he majored in Africana studies and English literature. Dr. Tinson holds a master’s degree and a Ph.D. in Afro-American studies from the University of Massachusetts Amherst.

Related Articles

Leave a Reply

Get the JBHE Weekly Bulletin

Receive our weekly email newsletter delivered to your inbox

Latest News

California State University Sacramento Launches Black Honors College

Officially launching for the fall 2024 semester, the Black Honors College will support students from all backgrounds who study Black history, life, and culture by providing them with a specialized curriculum and mentoring opportunities.

Higher Education Gifts or Grants of Interest to African Americans

Here is this week’s news of grants or gifts to historically Black colleges and universities or for programs of particular interest to African Americans in higher education.

In Memoriam: Norman B. Anderson, 1955-2024

Dr. Anderson was the assistant vice president for research and academic affairs at Florida State University at the time of his death. He had an extensive career in clinical psychology, which led him to become the first African American chief executive officer of the American Psychological Association.

Georgia State University Launches Program to Support Black Women in Tech

While Black women account for roughly 29 percent of the Georgia State University undergradaute student body, they represent only 10 percent of the university's computer science majors and 18 percent of the computer information systems majors.

Featured Jobs