The two regions with the smallest Black populations — the East and West — have the most Black studies degree-granting institutions, according to a new census that also forewarns of major turnover in Black studies departments.
There are at least 311 Black studies programs in the nation, and there is “dynamic growth” in the number of institutions that offer advanced study in the discipline, according to a study conducted by Dr. Abdul Alkalimat, a professor of sociology and the director of Africana studies at the University of Toledo.
The report, “Africana Studies in the U.S.,” recently released at the annual conference of the National Council of Black Studies, provides an empirical summary of the current state of Black/Africana studies.
“This is a way for people to have a factual database for understanding the field,” Alkalimat says. “Later we will be able to use this as a baseline, so that we can replicate this study in a year or two. We will then be able to actually measure whether or not there are programs in decline or they are holding ground or are they increasing.”
The degree breakdown of the 311 programs is the following:
Doctoral
Master’s
