与不列颠哥伦比亚省的“黑人人才计划”一起成立,” two parts of an effort to recruit talented Black students from across the country to study at this university. This program was a direct response to Father General Pedro Arupe’s 1968 “Inter-Racial Apostolate” letter to Jesuit Colleges and universities and a consequence of discussions begun in 1967 between then BC President Michael Walsh, S.J. 以及波士顿社区领袖梅尔·金和布莱恩特·罗林斯.

The Black Studies Program was part of an academic initiative to bring more African American students to the university and to make its undergraduate curriculum more broadly reflect a range of intellectual and critical perspectives. 通过这些努力, BC became one of the first major universities in the United States to establish Black Studies as integral to its academic curriculum.

夫人. 休斯顿为黑人电子游戏正规平台辅修课程奠定了基础, 成立于1985年, 而且在很大程度上是为了结构, 目标, 以及今天节目的使命. 

In 1983 the Black Studies Program–in partnership with the Museum of Afro-American 历史 and the Boston Public Schools–initiated the first in a successful series of “Blacks in Boston” conferences that examined the social, 政治, and cultural issues faced by the different ethnic groups and organizations that have made up Boston’s “Black” community. This and other outreach efforts helped develop closer connections between BC students and the wider Boston community.

His directorship was defined by an expanded focus on the Caribbean. The 1996 “Blacks in Boston” Conference featured Boston’s Afro-Caribbean connections and, with 教授. Taylor’s encouragement, students and community members made greater use of the John J. 伯恩斯图书馆的加勒比和尼古拉斯M. Williams Ethnological Collections on Caribbean politics and culture.

Under 教授essor Young’s leadership the Program grew to include faculty jointly appointed with the departments of 英语, 历史, 浪漫语言文学, and 神学; its network of affiliate faculty grew exponentially and the minor’s curricular offerings were expanded to approximately 40 courses per year. 

This change reflected the minor’s broadened focus on Africa and its world-wide diaspora. AADS重新聚焦的核心是“新方向 非洲侨民电子游戏正规平台系列讲座,” highlighting new AADS research by national and international scholars and creative writers, 而“工程进行中 Lecture Series” that features presentations by BC scholars.

教授essor Frederick is committed to initiatives begun by 教授essor Cynthia Young, 弗兰克·泰勒教授, 和太太一样. 阿曼达V. 休斯顿, while forging new connections with Boston’s African Diaspora communities, joining forces with the New England area and international Africana Studies programs, and increasing AADS’s profile within BC academic and intellectual communities.

显著的成就:

• Successfully proposed a cluster hire initiative to search for four new assistant professors in AADS in 2023-2024.
• Created the template for an AADS independent major that would go on to serve as the basis for a proposed regular major, which was approved by the Educational Policy Committee in 2023.
• Secured permanent funding for the biannual 黑人参加波士顿会议 from the MCAS Dean's Office.

显著的成就:

• Cultivated student engagement with social justice and the common good.
• Worked in collaboration with the core faculty and submitted the AADS major proposal, which was approved by the Educational Policy Committee as a pilot in 2019.
• Shepherded the program through the first year of the pandemic by holding virtual spaces to bring the AADS community together.
  

Lorelle Semley joined us from the College of Holy Cross where she was affiliated with the 历史 Department and the Africana Studies Program. She became the Director of the 非洲和非洲侨民电子游戏正规平台 Program at 电子游戏软件 in July 2023.  She teaches over 4,000 years of African history from ancient Egypt to the latest news. 通过必要性, 她的课程是跨学科的, 结合考古, 人类学, 文学, 电影, 甚至还有youtube视频. 她对现代西非的电子游戏正规平台, 法国帝国主义, 性别, and the Atlantic world also draws upon diverse source materials, 遥远的档案, 以及多种理论框架.