After a long history of demand from students and community members, the University of Oregon will be introducing a Black Studies minor, beginning in fall term.
Students minoring in Black Studies will take 24 credits, split between “Roots” and “Routes” courses. Roots are lower division courses that focus on foundational overviews, and routes are upper division courses that include more specific focuses, according to the Black Studies website.
The only required course in the minor is an introductory course with a focus on either African American studies or the African Diaspora, according to the website.
Avinnash Tiwari, the program’s acting director, said calls for a Black Studies program at UO started in the 1960s. It was then revisited in 2015 with the list of demands from the Black Student Task Force. One of those demands, Tiwari said, was a mandatory ethnic studies course for all students at UO.
At the time, the Ethnic Studies department did not have the teaching capacity, he said, but the idea for a Black Studies program progressed.
“A tough fight since 2015 was just to try to get the program official and off the ground,” Tiwari said about the long logistical process of approving a minor. “So when I came on into leadership, my goal was to get that minor approved, to take it through all the different committees.”
The University of Oregon senate approved the Black Studies program this past spring, which led the way for finalizing the program.
“I think all students need to understand the very complex history of Blackness on this continent in the formation of the United States of America,” Tiwari said. “I don’t know how we understand this country without understanding that story, that history.”
The Black Studies program will also work with the Umoja Black Scholars Academic Residential Community, which will return to campus next fall after a yearlong hiatus, Tiwari said.
“I think it’s also a great opportunity, especially for the white majority, to recognize the history of racism which we acknowledge, but I think we don’t actually understand in detail,” Patrick Phillips, the UO provost and senior vice president, said. “Especially from the perspective of the Black experience, which I think is a hallmark of the Black Studies program.”
Phillips said he did not want the university to view this program as a single solution to its diversity challenges, stating his goal is to support Black Studies, but is also to diversify faculty across the university.
“The Black students at this university are not responsible for raising the awareness of everybody else,” Phillips said. “So I am hopeful that all students will engage in these courses and participate in the conversation.”
One of the reasons Tiwari is so excited about this program is because it allows students to explore a subject they might not otherwise have the opportunity to.
“Because of the economic climate, because of student debt, because of the incredibly ridiculous cost of tuition at a public state institution, students have to try to get out of here as soon as quickly,” he said, adding that high tuition costs limit students’ opportunities to explore topics beyond their discipline.
A Black Studies minor will now hopefully allow for more students to explore Black Studies and incorporate it into their primary study, Tiwari said.
Cornesha Tweede is a PhD student in the UO Romance Languages department. She said she is excited to see the progress made toward a Black studies program.
“This is so important right now because it can provide a welcoming and safe community for students and scholars interested in themes and topics related to Black study or taking a Black approach, as well as recognizing and acknowledging the black community,” Tweede said.
She said a Black Studies program is necessary in order for UO to value diversity on campus. Tweede said that along with expanding the Black Studies program, UO should continue to work on the demands made by the Black Student Task Force in 2015.
“I believe that the administration, faculty and staff of UO should continue to support Black students on campus by allowing them to voice their opinion” Tweede said. “There’s a plethora of other things that are of course quoted in the list of demands, but they definitely should be looking at the list of demands and continue to highlight and complete the work that was started in 2015.”
This story was updated for clarity.
