Field Description
This discipline explores the social, political, cultural, and economic history of Black and Latino peoples throughout the world from ancient to modern times. Themes include community economic development, micro-enterprise and small business, nonprofit organizations, culture and identity, the development of community, social and public policy, migration processes, and media portrayals.
The Major
Black and Latino Studies (BLS) is an interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary course of study that centers the knowledge productions by people of the African, Caribbean, and Latin American diasporas in the United States and globally. The major builds on a curriculum that respects Black, Indigenous, Latin American and US Latinx peoples as intellectuals, cultural producers and activists. It maintains a scholarly interest in critical questions about race, identity, and justice that offers connections between academic lessons and real-world concerns.
Program Learning Goals
Upon completion of a major in Black and Latino Studies, students will be able to:
Coursework
- Closely read and contextualize texts and artifacts related to Black and Latino Studies
- Articulate multiple scholarly and applied theories of culture, power, and social change
- Assess and evaluate both quantitative and qualitative evidence and arguments
- Analyze knowledge production using interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary perspectives
- Communicate complex ideas and arguments in written, oral, and digital forms
Fieldwork
- Identify, explain, and analyze key dynamics in cultural, political, economic, and/or ecological issues that specifically affect Black and Latino peoples
- Develop community-engaged, practical applications to classroom learning
- Reflect on the ethics of cross-cultural research, representation, and collaboration
- Practice skills that support career preparedness and/or graduate studies
Public Knowledge Projects
- Create and share accessible content and resources that advance racial and social justice
- Design and conduct critical research that offers practical solutions concerning relevant social and cultural questions
- Connect coursework with community interests and concerns
Requirements for the Major (30 credits)
Required credits for the Bachelor of the Arts degree in Black and Latino Studies include:
- BLS/LTS 4900 Capstone (3 credits)
- Core BLS/LTS Electives (6 credits)
- Additional BLS/LTS Electives (21 credits)
Required Capstone Course: 3 Credits All BLS majors and minors must complete this capstone course. It will be organized using three key components: (1) Academic coursework, (2) Fieldwork, and (3) Public Knowledge Research Projects. The capstone course themes will be determined by the instructor, such as by offering specialized focus on (1) race, history, culture or, (2) racial and social justice, public policy, and human rights. Upon completion students will have developed advanced skills in research methods, established fieldwork experience, and a public research project. | ||
Seminar in Black and Latino Studies | 3 credits | |
Required Core Elective Courses: 6 Credits Majors must take two interdisciplinary Core Elective courses, which will establish experience with the foundational methods and themes that inform Black, Latino, and Latinx Studies. | ||
| ||
Additional Elective Courses in the Major (21 credits) The Elective Courses offered to support the major manifest the interdisciplinary practices that define Black, Latinx Studies, and AfroLatinx Studies. They represent a distribution of courses that support well-rounded knowledge within Black, Caribbean, and Latinx areas of interest. | ||
Black Studies (BLS) Elective Courses Offered by the Department of Black and Latino Studies | ||
Contemporary Black Literatures | 3 credits | |
Urban Economic Structure | 3 credits | |
The Black Child and Adolescent in the United States | 3 credits | |
The Black Family | 3 credits | |
Black Revolution and Political Thinking in the U.S. * | 3 credits | |
Mass Media and the Black America | 3 credits | |
Civil Rights Legislation and Litigation | 3 credits | |
Black Economic Development 1860-Present | 3 credits | |
African Philosophy and Religion | 3 credits | |
Women of Color * | 3 credits | |
Race and Global Inequality * | 3 credits | |
Special Topics in Black Studies | 3 credits | |
Independent Study I | 3 credits | |
Independent Study II | 3 credits | |
Honors Thesis I in Black Studies ** | 3 credits | |
Honors Thesis I in Black Studies ** | 3 credits | |
Latino Studies (LTS) Elective Courses Offered By the Department of Black and Latino Studies | ||
The Puerto Rican Community | 3 credits | |
Puerto Rican Political and Economic Development in the Twentieth Century | 3 credits | |
Politics and Power in Puerto Rico | 3 credits | |
Economic History of Puerto Rico | 3 credits | |
Religions in the Caribbean | 3 credits | |
Puerto Rican Culture | 3 credits | |
Dominican Heritage: From Pre-Columbian Times to Present | 3 credits | |
Latinas: A Social and Cultural Survey * | 3 credits | |
Race and Global Inequality * | 3 credits | |
| Latinx Film and Media | 3 credits | |
Special Topics in Hispanic/Latino Studies | 3 credits | |
Latino Communities in the U.S. * | 3 credits | |
Debates in Latin American Social Theory | 3 credits | |
Independent Study I | 3 credits | |
Independent Study II | 3 credits | |
Honors Thesis I in Black Studies ** | 3 credits | |
Honors Thesis I in Black Studies ** | 3 credits | |
NOTES: * These courses satisfy the Core Elective requirement. **The BLS/LTS 5000/5001 and BLS/LTS 6001H/6002H course sequences allow for independent study and advanced work. In these courses students will work on independent projects under mentorship and direction from a faculty advisor. These projects may include experiential learning or social justice work with community organizations. All projects in this course sequence will culminate in an advanced research project. | ||
BLS and LTS Elective Courses Cross-Listed with Other Weissman Departments | ||
The Changing Demographics of the City | ||
Survey of African American Literature | 3 credits | |
The Remaking of New York: The Immigrant Experience | 3 credits | |
Black Women Writers | 3 credits | |
Genres of African Literature | 3 credits | |
Survey of Caribbean Literature in English | 3 credits | |
African American History | 3 credits | |
Survey of African History | 3 credits | |
Women in African History | 3 credits | |
History of the African Diaspora | 3 credits | |
People and Culture of Haiti | 3 credits | |
Theater of Color in the United States | 3 credits | |
Migration in the Americas | 3 credits | |
The Sixties in America | 3 credits | |
The Civil Rights Movement | 3 credits | |
Race and Ethnic Relations | 3 credits | |
Central America: A Regional Study | 3 credits | |
Cuban Culture and Society | 3 credits | |
The U.S. and Mexican Border | 3 credits | |
Race, Class, and Gender in Brazil | 3 credits | |
Latin American Jewish Women Writers | 3 credits | |
Contemporary Latin American Fiction | 3 credits | |
Latin American Literature in the U.S. | 3 credits | |
Colonial Latin America | 3 credits | |
History of US-Latin American Relations | 3 credits | |
From Silver to Cocaine: The Economic History of Latin America | 3 credits | |
The Minors
Black Studies
This program offers an interdisciplinary study of the social, political, cultural, and economic history of Black peoples throughout the world from ancient to modern times. Themes include community economic development, micro-enterprise and small business, nonprofit organizations, culture and identity, the development of community, social and public policy, migration processes, and media portrayals.
The requirements of Black Studies minor can be fulfilled by completing two courses in the department at the 3000-level or above, followed by the capstone course
- Seminar in Black & Latino Studies.Please note: Neither BLS/LTS/LACS 4901 nor BLS/LTS/LACS 4902 may serve as the capstone course for the minor.
Black and Latino Studies
This program offers an interdisciplinary study of the social, political, cultural, and economic history of Black and Latino peoples throughout the world from ancient to modern times. Themes include community economic development, micro-enterprise and small business, nonprofit organizations, culture and identity, the development of community, social and public policy, migration processes, and media portrayals.
The requirements of the Black and Latino Studies minor can be fulfilled by completing two courses in the department at the 3000-level or above, followed by the capstone course
/ - Seminar in Black & Latino Studies.Please note: Neither BLS/LTS/LACS 4901 nor BLS/LTS/LACS 4902 may serve as the capstone course for the minor.
Latino Studies
This program offers an interdisciplinary study of the social, political, cultural, and economic history of Latino/a, Latinx peoples throughout the world from ancient to modern times. Themes include community economic development, micro-enterprise and small business, nonprofit organizations, culture and identity, the development of community, social and public policy, migration processes, and media portrayals.
The requirements of Latino Studies minor can be fulfilled by completing two courses in the department at the 3000-level or above, followed by the capstone course
- Seminar in Black & Latino Studies.Please note: Neither BLS/LTS/LACS 4901 nor BLS/LTS/LACS 4902 may serve as the capstone course for the minor.
Courses
Black Studies (BLS)
African History Until the Dispersion, Seventeenth Century | 3 hours; 3 credits | |
Geography and Cultures of Africa | 3 hours; 3 credits | |
Black American History, Seventeenth Century Until the Present Time | 3 hours; 3 credits | |
The Evolution and Expressions of Racism | 3 hours; 3 credits | |
Contemporary Black Literatures | 3 hours; 3 credits | |
Local Government and Customary Law in Africa | 3 hours; 3 credits | |
Urban Economic Structure | 3 hours; 3 credits | |
The Black Child and Adolescent in the United States | 3 hours; 3 credits | |
The Black Family | 3 hours; 3 credits | |
Black Revolution and Political Thinking in the U.S. | 3 hours; 3 credits | |
Mass Media and the Black American | 3 hours; 3 credits | |
Civil Rights Legislation and Litigation | 3 hours; 3 credits | |
Black Economic Development: 1860 to the Present | 3 hours; 3 credits | |
Urban Economic Structure | 3 hours; 3 credits | |
African Philosophy and Religion | 3 hours; 3 credits | |
Women of Color | 3 hours; 3 credits | |
3 hours; 3 credits | ||
A Survey of African American Literature () | 3 hours; 3 credits | |
3 hours; 3 credits | ||
3 hours; 3 credits | ||
Theatre of Color in the United States ( ) | 3 hours; 3 credits | |
3 hours; 3 credits | ||
Changing Demographics of the City ( ) | 3 hours; 3 credits | |
Four Hundred Years of the Black Presence in New York City | 3 hours; 3 credits | |
Race and Global Inequality ( ) | 3 hours; 3 credits | |
3 hours; 3 credits | ||
| 3 hours; 3 credits | ||
African American History ( ) | 3 hours; 3 credits | |
Survey of African History ( ) | 3 hours; 3 credits | |
Women in African History ( ) | 3 hours; 3 credits | |
History of the African Diaspora ( ) | 3 hours; 3 credits | |
Special Topics in Black Studies | 3 hours; 3 credits | |
3 hours; 3 credits | ||
3 hours; 3 credits | ||
3 hours; 3 credits | ||
| 3 hours; 3 credits | ||
| 3 hours; 3 credits | ||
Black Women Writers () | 3 hours; 3 credits | |
Genres of African Literature ( ) | 3 hours; 3 credits | |
Literature of the Harlem Renaissance () | 3 hours; 3 credits | |
Seminar in Black & Latino Studies | 3 hours; 3 credits | |
| 3 hours; 3 credits | ||
| 3 hours; 3 credits | ||
Honors Thesis in Black Studies | 3 hours; 3 credits | |
Honors Thesis in Black Studies | 3 hours; 3 credits |
Latino Studies (LTS)
Latin America: An Institutional and Cultural Survey | 3 hours; 3 credits | |
The Puerto Rican Community | 3 hours; 3 credits | |
Puerto Rican Political and Economic Development in the Twentieth Century | 3 hours; 3 credits | |
Major Selected Problems of the Puerto Rican Community | 3 hours; 3 credits | |
Politics and Power in Puerto Rico | 3 hours; 3 credits | |
Economic History of Puerto Rico | 3 hours; 3 credits | |
Religions of the Caribbean | 3 hours; 3 credits | |
Puerto Rican Culture | 3 hours; 3 credits | |
Puerto Rican Heritage: 1898 to the Present | 3 hours; 3 credits | |
Dominican Heritage: From Pre-Columbian Times to Present | 3 hours; 3 credits | |
Central America: A Regional Study ( ) | 3 hours; 3 credits | |
The Contemporary Puerto Rican Family | 3 hours; 3 credits | |
Latinas: A Social and Cultural Survey | 3 hours; 3 credits | |
3 hours; 3 credits | ||
Urban Economic Structure | 3 hours; 3 credits | |
| 3 hours; 3 credits | ||
Race, Class, and Gender in Brazil () | 3 hours; 3 credits | |
3 hours; 3 credits | ||
3 hours; 3 credits | ||
3 hours; 3 credits | ||
Changing Demographics of the City ( ) | 3 hours; 3 credits | |
Race and Global Inequality ( ) | 3 hours; 3 credits | |
Latinx Film and Media | 3 hours; 3 credits | |
| 3 hours; 3 credits | ||
| 3 hours; 3 credits | ||
| 3 hours; 3 credits | ||
Contemporary Latin American Fiction ( ) | 3 hours; 3 credits | |
3 hours; 3 credits | ||
| 3 hours; 3 credits | ||
| 3 hours; 3 credits | ||
From Silver to Cocaine: An Economic History of Latin America () | 3 hours; 3 credits | |
Special Topics in Hispanic\Latino Studies | 3 hours; 3 credits | |
| Latino Communities in the U.S. | 3 hours; 3 credits | |
| Debates in Latin American Social Theory | 3 hours; 3 credits | |
3 hours; 3 credits | ||
3 hours; 3 credits | ||
3 hours; 3 credits | ||
| 3 hours; 3 credits | ||
Seminar in Black and Latino Studies | 3 hours; 3 credits | |
| 3 hours; 3 credits | ||
| 3 hours; 3 credits | ||
Independent Study I | Hours and credits to be arranged | |
Independent Study II | Hours and credits to be arranged |