One of our local TV stations ran a story last week about our new African American Studies Program with the creator of the program, Professor of Humanities Dr. Corey D. B. Walker. You can view the video on this website. I particularly liked a couple of the student quotes in the story:
First-year student Chase Clark said this of the program: “Going in, I had this whole predetermined notion of what I thought African American studies would be, but the class has completely debunked that but in a really great way. I’ve learned a lot more about how to think analytically more so than just reading to get content out of it,” Clark said.
Senior Ashley Davis, who is minoring in African American Studies, said this: “My family…sometimes they don’t get why I chose to pursue a minor in African American studies or why I’m looking at Ph.D. programs in it. Because they don’t think it directly affects me, but I think having those conversations with them and explaining why I find it important…helps me, and it helps them.”
This is one of the things we hope for all our students: that they have moments in their classes that surprise them, that challenge them to think in new ways, and that make them excited to learn.
