A whopping 37.8% of students and 62.48% of faculty at UCSB are caucasian. Black and African American students only account for 2.05% of the student population and only 2.98% of the faculty. Attending a predominantly white university may limit your exposure to ideas and perspectives from underrepresented and often marginalized racial groups.
It’s essential that students at this university educate themselves on Black people’s role in shaping history and the issues Black people still face today. One way to educate yourself is by taking a Black studies course on campus. Here are some reasons why you should enroll in a Black studies course next quarter, regardless of your race or ethnicity.
The World Right Now
On January 7th, 2023, 29-year-old black man Tyre Nichols was pulled over at a traffic stop and then beaten by police officers. He died three days later in the hospital. On October 22nd, 2022, Bobbi Wilson, a black fourth grader, was spraying lantern flies around her home. A neighbor called the cops on her, referring to her as a “little Black woman” to the police. On November 6, 2023, a University of Kentucky student walked into a residential hall and started yelling racial slurs at a Black woman named Kylah Springs who was working at the front desk. This is the world right now. It’s important to learn about Black history due to the prevalence of racial discrimination in modern-day society.
History is Unfiltered
When I grew up, the history taught in class was often whitewashed and lacked important details. Historical events such as slavery would be taught but would exclude the discrimination and exploitation aspects. White historical figures such as George Washington and Thomas Jefferson would be painted in the best light and completely disregarded as white supremacists.
Most notably, the white supremacist ideology that still remains prominent today was not brought up. These ideas fed to us at an early age can leave us uninformed and blind to the reality of our past. Discussing the hard truth of American history is uncomfortable, but extremely vital to our society. Taking a Black Studies course will help you learn the unfiltered history of Black people in our country, and around the world.
This quarter I am taking Black Studies 151: Gender and Cinema. We watch African cinema and analyze the dynamics between race, gender, identity, and resistance. We are also given readings for context that highlight Black history and issues. We have covered many topics that were never taught in school due to their sensitive nature. For example, we read about the treatment LGBT Black people face in other countries such as Senegal. Learning about these historical events and issues will prevent history from repeating itself in the future.
A New Perspective
The lessons taught in Black studies courses are a reminder that racial inequality and discrimination are still alive and prominent. Recently in my class, we watched a movie called Dakan which is a film about two young Black men struggling with their love for each other. This film made me more informed about the discrimination that specifically Black gay men go through. Watching this film has also allowed me to broaden my knowledge of related current events such as the killing of Donnell Rochester and the gay nightclub massacre.
When news stories about police brutality or discrimination come out, people who are not educated on the subject matter tend to ignore or invalidate them. Shortly after the murder of George Floyd, I remember seeing posts online about how racism doesn’t exist in America anymore. It’s frustrating to see uneducated people make statements like this, especially after a horrific event. Instead of letting social media posts and random people mold your views, educate yourself on the subject independently in order to form a better viewpoint.
Gain a Variety of Skills
Taking a Black studies course can help you gain transferable skills that will benefit you throughout your life. One part of my Black studies course that I absolutely love is the socratic structure. Each lecture, our professor raises a question to the class so we can talk to each other about it and learn different points of view.
This is a very different style of learning from my other classes where the professor just speaks in front of the class with a slideshow behind them. This style of learning has drastically improved my critical thinking and communication skills. My reading skills have also improved significantly after reading numerous texts about Black history.
February is dedicated as Black history month, but you can learn about Black history and issues all year around. Adding Black Studies to my schedule for this quarter was the best decision I’ve made so far at UCSB. I never thought I could learn and grow so much in such a short amount of time. If you are looking for one more class to add to your schedule, definitely think about adding Black Studies.