Africana Studies minor to put diversity at its center

The Africana Studies minor is an interdisciplinary curriculum designed to give close attention to the historical and contemporary realities of Africans across the diaspora. Photo courtesy of Quaylan Allen

Based on the work accomplished by the Chapman Diversity Project, an Africana Studies minor officially launched this fall within the Wilkinson College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences. After requests from students to create the minor, along with the first Chapman graduate with a self-designed Africana Studies minor, students now have the opportunity to explore the collective history and cultures of people of African descent, and in turn their global contributions and influence. Quaylan Allen, the co-director of Africana Studies, told The Panther the new minor is the product of two years of organization from Chapman staff and faculty, as well as approval from the Undergraduate Academic Council.

Allen said some universities have an academic history of trying to avoid identity and diversity discussions, and instead take on a color-blind approach in running school operations. According to Allen, this occurrence tends to translate into the lack of spaces and resources designed to build a more inclusive community and inspire an equitable, socially-just campus that affirms intersectional and cultural identities. He added another factor that contributes to this low-level involvement can be the number of Black students enrolled at a particular university. 

“The mindset that Africana Studies is only for the Black students is problematic,” Allen said. “We had to articulate the reality that this (program) is for anybody who is interested in the diaspora and the history of its politics or … urban communities and social work.”

Allen indicated the program aims to have students critically engage with the material they learn. In doing so, Allen is hopeful students can take the knowledge with them beyond the classroom and into the community through service, advocacy and reformation of social policies and practices that address longstanding inequalities perpetuated by systems of oppression and hegemony.

According to Stephanie Takaragawa, the co-director of the Africana Studies program, the minor introduces a number of new courses that put diversity at its center. 

“We want to ensure we sustain diversity courses in our curriculum offerings, and we hope that this will lead to the faculty creating more classes for the program and eventually (we’ll) have enough demand to make a major of the subject,” Takaragawa said. “An interdisciplinary program like this has the potential to retain students, faculty and staff in a more inclusive and genuine environment.”

The Africana Studies minor is made up of 21 credits. Photo courtesy of Quaylan Allen

While the Office of Diversity and Inclusion led the championing of the project, requests for an Africana Studies program have been ongoing for years amongst students calling attention to the need for more ethnic studies courses.

“Sometimes social justice ends up happening when there’s a conversion of interests,” Allen said. “We had people in the Provost’s office and other departments who stepped up to the task, as well as allies across campus who were able to advocate and support the development and resourcing of the minor. But the students on the task force were the real force in this with their commitment and hard work.”

Jacky Dang, a Chapman graduate, worked with the Chapman’s Diversity and Inclusion office in 2018 and worked on the curriculum task force that created flyers and visited classrooms to gather student interest and galvanize demand for the program.

“Growing up, I never got to learn about ethnic studies, Black history or Latinx history,” Dang said. “I wanted Chapman students to have the opportunity (even) after I graduated, because we need to have a more diverse and inclusive American history within our curriculum.”

Now working toward receiving teaching credentials in special education at Loyola Marymount University, Dang continues to advocate for a more pragmatic approach to learning in institutions of higher education.

“I hope that Chapman works toward modifying Africana Studies as things change,” Dang said. “This is a starting point to diversify academia and also to challenge knowledge about identity, differences and representation.”