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Interrogating the Problematic of Race, Ethnicity and Identity in African American Studies

Year 2009, Issue: 29, 15 - 32, 01.04.2009

Abstract

Since its inception in the late 1960s, African-American Studies has advanced phenomenally and is now integral to American intellectual life. African American Studies departments, Center and Programs are now permanent features of the educational landscape. During the past four decades, the field has had to overcome rejection, neglect and marginalization. Recognition, integration and institutionalization have, however, not been attended by clarity and consensus on the essential and defining character of the discipline. Opinions remain sharply divided on its scope, mission and philosophical paradigm. What should constitute its defining character? What paradigm best advances its mission? What considerations should shape and determine scholarship in the field? How critical are, and what roles should be assigned, race ethnicity and ethnicity? Responses to these questions have been contentious and conflicting. The resulting divisions are reflected in the ideological trajectories and configurations of the field. Some scholars essentialize race, given the preeminent role race, and racism played, and continue to play, in the black American experience. Others, focusing on heritage, emphasize ethnicity Africanness . Furthermore, given the close identification of the field with the black struggles, opinions are also divided on the degree to which blacks, and their interests and aspirations, should determine the course, contents and character of the field. Attempts to resolve these challenges have provoked heated debates on, and conflicting constructions of, the role and place of race, ethnicity, and the nature and essence of black American identity.

References

  • Adeleke, Tunde. “Black Studies, Afrocentrism and Scholarship: A Reconsideration.” The Griot: Southern Conference on Afro American Studies 12 (1993): 10-18.
  • ——. “Enduring Crises and Challenges of African American Studies.” The Journal of Thought 32.3 (1997): 65-96.
  • Anderson, Talmadge, ed. Black Studies: Theory, Method, and Cultural Perspectives. Pullman: Washington State UP, 1990.
  • Ani, Dona Marimba. Yurugu: An African-Centered Critique of European Cultural Thought and Behavior. Trenton, NJ: Africa World Press, 1994.
  • Asante, Molefi K. “The Afrocentric Idea in Education.” Journal of Negro Education 60.2 (1991): 170-80.
  • ——. Afrocentricity. Trenton, NJ: Africa World Press, 1988.
  • ——. “African American Studies: The Future of the Discipline.” The Black Scholar 22.3 (1992): 20-29.
  • ——. The Painful Demise of Eurocentrism: An Afrocentric Response to Critics. Trenton, NJ: Africa World Press, 1999.
  • ——. “Where is the White Professor Located?” Perspective. Eds. Robert Blackey and Howard Shorr. 31.6 (1993): 19.
  • ——. “Afrocentricity: General Notes toward African Reconstruction,” (unpublished paper).
  • ——. Kemet, Afrocentricity and Knowledge. Trenton, NJ: Africa World Press, 1990.
  • Du Bois, W. E. B. The Souls of Black Folk: Essays and Sketches. Chicago: A.C. McClurg, 1903.
  • Dragan, Ruxandra. “Hate Speech in American and Romanian Print Media.” American Studies in Romania. Newsletter. 4 (2003): 5. Web. Oct. 2007.
  • Dyson, Michael Eric. Making Malcolm: The Myth and Meaning of Malcolm X. New York: Oxford UP, 1995.
  • Early, Gerald. “A Place of Our Own.” New York Times 14 Apr. 2002. Web. Oct. 2008.
  • Federmayer, Eva. “American Studies in Hungary.” European Journal of American Studies. 1 (2006). Web. Oct. 2007.
  • Franklin, John H. “On the Evolution of Scholarship in Afro-American History.” The State of Afro-American History: Past, Present, and Future. Ed. Darlene Clark Hine. Baton Rouge, LA: Louisiana State UP, 1986. 13-24.
  • Gray, Cecil Conteen. Afrocentric Thought and Praxis: An Intellectual History. Trenton, NJ: Africa World Press, 2001.
  • Greene, Jack P. “Beyond Power: Paradigm Subversion and Reformulation and the Re-Creation of the Early Modern Atlantic World.” Hine and McLeod 319-42.
  • Hall, Perry A. In the Vineyards: Working in African American Studies. Knoxville, TE: U of Tennessee P, 1999.
  • Harding, Vincent. “Beyond Chaos: Black History and the Search for the New Land.” Amistad 1. Eds. John A. Williams and Charles F. Harris. New York: Vintage, 1970. 267-292.
  • Harris, Robert L. “Coming of Age: The Transformation of Afro-American Historiography.” Journal of Negro History 67. 2 (1982): 107-21.
  • Hine, Darlene Clark and Jacqueline McLeod, eds. Crossing Boundaries: Comparative History of Black People in Diaspora. Bloomington IN: Indiana UP, 1999.
  • Howe, Stephen. Afrocentrism: Mythical Pasts and Imagined Homes. New York: Verso, 1998.
  • Jarab, Josef. “American Studies in the Czech Republic and Slovakia.” European Journal of American Studies (2006) 20 Jan 2006. Web. Mar. 2008.
  • Karenga, Maulana. “Black Studies: A Critical Reassessment.” Dispatches From the Ebony Tower: Intellectuals Confront the African American Experience. Ed. Manning Marable. New York: Columbia UP, 2000. 162-169.
  • Kershaw, Terry. “Emerging Paradigms in Black Studies.” Anderson 17-24.
  • Lewis, Earl. “To Turn as on a Pivot: Writing African Americans into a History of Overlapping Diasporas.” Hine and McLeod 3-32.
  • McCarren, Felicia. “Monsieur Hip-Hop.” Raphael-Hernandez 157-170.
  • Meier, August and Elliott Rudwick. Black History and the Historical Profession, 1915-1980. Urbana, IL: U of Illinois P, 1986.
  • Mudure, Mihaela. “Blackening Gypsy Slavery: The Romanian Case.” Raphael-Hernandez 263- 284.
  • Raphael-Hernandez, Heike, ed. Blackening Europe: The African American Experience. Ed. Heike Raphael-Hernandez. London: Routledge, 2004.
  • ——. “Introduction: Making the African American Experience Primary.” Raphael-Hernandez 1-12.
  • ——. “‘Niggas’ and ‘Skins’: Nihilism among African American Youth in Low-Income Urban Communities and East German Youth in Satellite Cities, Small Towns, and Rural Areas.” Raphael-Hernandez 285-302.
  • Richards, Dona Marimba. Let The Circle be Unbroken: The Implications of African Spirituality in the Diaspora. Trenton, NJ: The Red Sea Press, 1980.
  • Segal, Ronald. The Black Diaspora: Five Centuries of the Black Experience Outside Africa. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1995.
  • Shavit, Yaacov. History in Black: African-Americans in Search of an Ancient Past. London: Frank Cass, 2001.
  • Shujaa, Mwalimu J., ed. Too Much Schooling, Too Little Education: A Paradox of Black Life in White Societies. Trenton, NJ: Africa World Press, 1994.
  • Stuckey, Sterling. “Twilight of our Past: Reflections on the Origins of Black History.” Amistad 2. Eds. John A. Williams and Charles F. Harris. New York: Vintage, 1971. 261-296.
  • Taylor, Ronald L. “The Study of Black People: A Survey of Empirical and Theoretical Models.” Anderson 11-16.
  • Waegner, Cathy Covell. “Rap, Rebounds, and Rocawear: The ‘Darkening’ of German Youth Culture.” Raphael-Hernandez 171-186.
  • Walker, Clarence E. We Can’t Go Home Again: An Argument about Afrocentrism. London: Oxford UP, 2001.
  • Williams, Dwayne E. “Rethinking the African Diaspora: A Comparative Look at Race and Identity in a Transatlantic Community, 1878-1921.” Hine and McLeod 105-20.
Year 2009, Issue: 29, 15 - 32, 01.04.2009

Abstract

References

  • Adeleke, Tunde. “Black Studies, Afrocentrism and Scholarship: A Reconsideration.” The Griot: Southern Conference on Afro American Studies 12 (1993): 10-18.
  • ——. “Enduring Crises and Challenges of African American Studies.” The Journal of Thought 32.3 (1997): 65-96.
  • Anderson, Talmadge, ed. Black Studies: Theory, Method, and Cultural Perspectives. Pullman: Washington State UP, 1990.
  • Ani, Dona Marimba. Yurugu: An African-Centered Critique of European Cultural Thought and Behavior. Trenton, NJ: Africa World Press, 1994.
  • Asante, Molefi K. “The Afrocentric Idea in Education.” Journal of Negro Education 60.2 (1991): 170-80.
  • ——. Afrocentricity. Trenton, NJ: Africa World Press, 1988.
  • ——. “African American Studies: The Future of the Discipline.” The Black Scholar 22.3 (1992): 20-29.
  • ——. The Painful Demise of Eurocentrism: An Afrocentric Response to Critics. Trenton, NJ: Africa World Press, 1999.
  • ——. “Where is the White Professor Located?” Perspective. Eds. Robert Blackey and Howard Shorr. 31.6 (1993): 19.
  • ——. “Afrocentricity: General Notes toward African Reconstruction,” (unpublished paper).
  • ——. Kemet, Afrocentricity and Knowledge. Trenton, NJ: Africa World Press, 1990.
  • Du Bois, W. E. B. The Souls of Black Folk: Essays and Sketches. Chicago: A.C. McClurg, 1903.
  • Dragan, Ruxandra. “Hate Speech in American and Romanian Print Media.” American Studies in Romania. Newsletter. 4 (2003): 5. Web. Oct. 2007.
  • Dyson, Michael Eric. Making Malcolm: The Myth and Meaning of Malcolm X. New York: Oxford UP, 1995.
  • Early, Gerald. “A Place of Our Own.” New York Times 14 Apr. 2002. Web. Oct. 2008.
  • Federmayer, Eva. “American Studies in Hungary.” European Journal of American Studies. 1 (2006). Web. Oct. 2007.
  • Franklin, John H. “On the Evolution of Scholarship in Afro-American History.” The State of Afro-American History: Past, Present, and Future. Ed. Darlene Clark Hine. Baton Rouge, LA: Louisiana State UP, 1986. 13-24.
  • Gray, Cecil Conteen. Afrocentric Thought and Praxis: An Intellectual History. Trenton, NJ: Africa World Press, 2001.
  • Greene, Jack P. “Beyond Power: Paradigm Subversion and Reformulation and the Re-Creation of the Early Modern Atlantic World.” Hine and McLeod 319-42.
  • Hall, Perry A. In the Vineyards: Working in African American Studies. Knoxville, TE: U of Tennessee P, 1999.
  • Harding, Vincent. “Beyond Chaos: Black History and the Search for the New Land.” Amistad 1. Eds. John A. Williams and Charles F. Harris. New York: Vintage, 1970. 267-292.
  • Harris, Robert L. “Coming of Age: The Transformation of Afro-American Historiography.” Journal of Negro History 67. 2 (1982): 107-21.
  • Hine, Darlene Clark and Jacqueline McLeod, eds. Crossing Boundaries: Comparative History of Black People in Diaspora. Bloomington IN: Indiana UP, 1999.
  • Howe, Stephen. Afrocentrism: Mythical Pasts and Imagined Homes. New York: Verso, 1998.
  • Jarab, Josef. “American Studies in the Czech Republic and Slovakia.” European Journal of American Studies (2006) 20 Jan 2006. Web. Mar. 2008.
  • Karenga, Maulana. “Black Studies: A Critical Reassessment.” Dispatches From the Ebony Tower: Intellectuals Confront the African American Experience. Ed. Manning Marable. New York: Columbia UP, 2000. 162-169.
  • Kershaw, Terry. “Emerging Paradigms in Black Studies.” Anderson 17-24.
  • Lewis, Earl. “To Turn as on a Pivot: Writing African Americans into a History of Overlapping Diasporas.” Hine and McLeod 3-32.
  • McCarren, Felicia. “Monsieur Hip-Hop.” Raphael-Hernandez 157-170.
  • Meier, August and Elliott Rudwick. Black History and the Historical Profession, 1915-1980. Urbana, IL: U of Illinois P, 1986.
  • Mudure, Mihaela. “Blackening Gypsy Slavery: The Romanian Case.” Raphael-Hernandez 263- 284.
  • Raphael-Hernandez, Heike, ed. Blackening Europe: The African American Experience. Ed. Heike Raphael-Hernandez. London: Routledge, 2004.
  • ——. “Introduction: Making the African American Experience Primary.” Raphael-Hernandez 1-12.
  • ——. “‘Niggas’ and ‘Skins’: Nihilism among African American Youth in Low-Income Urban Communities and East German Youth in Satellite Cities, Small Towns, and Rural Areas.” Raphael-Hernandez 285-302.
  • Richards, Dona Marimba. Let The Circle be Unbroken: The Implications of African Spirituality in the Diaspora. Trenton, NJ: The Red Sea Press, 1980.
  • Segal, Ronald. The Black Diaspora: Five Centuries of the Black Experience Outside Africa. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1995.
  • Shavit, Yaacov. History in Black: African-Americans in Search of an Ancient Past. London: Frank Cass, 2001.
  • Shujaa, Mwalimu J., ed. Too Much Schooling, Too Little Education: A Paradox of Black Life in White Societies. Trenton, NJ: Africa World Press, 1994.
  • Stuckey, Sterling. “Twilight of our Past: Reflections on the Origins of Black History.” Amistad 2. Eds. John A. Williams and Charles F. Harris. New York: Vintage, 1971. 261-296.
  • Taylor, Ronald L. “The Study of Black People: A Survey of Empirical and Theoretical Models.” Anderson 11-16.
  • Waegner, Cathy Covell. “Rap, Rebounds, and Rocawear: The ‘Darkening’ of German Youth Culture.” Raphael-Hernandez 171-186.
  • Walker, Clarence E. We Can’t Go Home Again: An Argument about Afrocentrism. London: Oxford UP, 2001.
  • Williams, Dwayne E. “Rethinking the African Diaspora: A Comparative Look at Race and Identity in a Transatlantic Community, 1878-1921.” Hine and McLeod 105-20.
There are 43 citations in total.

Details

Primary Language English
Journal Section Research Article
Authors

Tunde Adeleke This is me

Publication Date April 1, 2009
Published in Issue Year 2009 Issue: 29

Cite

MLA Adeleke, Tunde. “Interrogating the Problematic of Race, Ethnicity and Identity in African American Studies”. Journal of American Studies of Turkey, no. 29, 2009, pp. 15-32.

JAST - Journal of American Studies of Turkey