The interdisciplinary field of Black Studies, also known as African American Studies, Afro-American Studies, Africana Studies, Pan African Studies, or Afro-Ethnic Studies, has become a significant part of academia. Despite its widespread acceptance, questions remain about its ability to produce outstanding citizens compared to traditional liberal arts fields.
However, a major in History is an excellent complement to various professional aspirations. History requires reading widely, closely, and critically, expressing complex thoughts in writing, and open-minded, civil discussion of opinions founded in fact. It prepares individuals to create change thoughtfully by understanding societal changes over time and place.
Here's a look at some career paths that can be pursued with a background in African American History:
Education
Many students with degrees in African American Studies pursue teaching careers. To start a career as an elementary, middle, or high school teacher in California requires a 5-year preliminary credential while you work towards your “Clear Credential.” The preliminary credential requires passing a number of tests (CBEST, RICA, etc.) in reading, mathematics, and writing and in how to teach these subjects, with a special emphasis on teaching reading skills, including vocabulary, comprehension, and background knowledge in your chosen content area(s).
A major in History can prepare you to be a teacher in two specific ways. First, you will learn content needed for mandatory social studies curricula at the K-6th grade levels, or content for teaching history, economics, geography, government, and civics at the 7th-12th grade levels. Even if you wish to teach a subject other than History, the ability to teach multiple subjects will make you a much more appealing job candidate when applying for your first position.
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Several programs support aspiring teachers:
- Teach for America Program: Allows college graduates to teach in urban and rural schools for two years.
- City Year Program: Allows students to tutor at-risk school children for one year.
- Men Teach organization: Recruits male teachers (especially men of color) in public schools.
- Breakthrough Internship Program: Trains teachers to work in 25 cities nationwide.
Law
For law school and for a career in the legal profession, there is no better major than History. History majors develop critical thinking, learn political and social analysis, improve their oral presentation skills, and concentrate on writing and the use of evidence - all things that help them get into law school and perform well there and in the practice of law. The work of a lawyer is the work of a well-trained mind. It requires good judgments, keen insights into what is true and what matters most, and the right words to get the job done.
History courses train students in the skills they will actually use on the job every day: finding out which facts matter, weighing evidence, building good arguments, and putting it all together to make a powerful case with a broad, deep understanding of the "big picture". Our students arrive at law school with the strong background they will need to succeed.
Medicine
The successful doctor also needs a keen mind with critical insight into complex problems, creative solutions for those problems, and the ability to explain those solutions in a compelling manner. Indeed, the practice of medicine is often referred to as “the Art and Science of Medicine.” A major in History is an excellent complement to the pre-medical math and science requirements.
Medical schools look mostly at your GPA and your MCAT scores; but they also seriously consider your clinical experience, your personal essay, your recommendation letters, and your personal interview. today, the best-prepared doctors have learned about the incredible variety of human experience over time so they can relate to patients and their families from all over the globe, from all religious traditions, and from all walks of life.
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As one of our graduates, who currently works in anti-infective drug development and is an attending physician for the Infectious Diseases fellows at UC Davis School of Medicine, put it: “My major in History at UCSD laid the foundation for my study and career in medicine. The study of History involves the evaluation of primary sources and utilizing that information to create a construct to explain a person, place or event. In much the same way, I take a history from a patient, review available diagnostic studies and come to conclusions regarding my patient's ailment.
History of African-Americans - Animation
Business
Business and economic history are critical to business decision-making, which is why they are core components of the curricula of the best business schools. Seeing and/or anticipating patterns and acting accordingly is a key attribute of strong leadership; knowing history facilitates that kind of insight. And in business, understanding one’s partners, rivals, customers, and employees is critical; many CEOs told reporter Adam Bryant “I am a student of human nature.”
In addition, the research, analytical, and communicative skills learned in a History major are valuable in the business world, as well as the creative thinking skills. Students with an interest in History, he says, should feel secure majoring in the field, because it offers so many elements necessary not only to landing that first job after graduation, but also to being able to move around, as is typical for careers today.
History gives a broad and deep view of the world that is critical to the many career paths nowadays that link people across locations, across classes, and across languages, ethnicities, and faiths. Learning to understand the people of the past, both their deep differences and their deep similarities, translates to being able to negotiate with, work with, buy from, and sell to with people from all over the world.
Social Sciences
Several social science fields benefit from a background in African American History. Overall employment of social workers is projected to grow 7 percent from 2023 to 2033, faster than the average for all occupations.About 67,300 openings for social workers are projected each year, on average, over the decade. Employment of health education specialists is projected to grow 7 percent from 2023 to 2033, faster than the average for all occupations.About 6,700 openings for health education specialists are projected each year, on average, over the decade. Employment of sociologists is projected to grow 7 percent from 2023 to 2033, faster than the average for all occupations.About 300 openings for sociologists are projected each year, on average, over the decade.
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Museum and Curatorial Work
The Office of Curatorial Affairs (OCA) facilitates the intellectual work of the Museum by collecting artifacts, ensuring collection preservation and stewardship, conducting research and scholarship, and sharing the rich history and culture of African Americans and all people of African descent with a diverse public in accessible, multifaceted ways including exhibition, digitization, and publication.
The Culture division of OCA documents, collects and preserves information and materials related to the cultural heritage of African Americans and other select groups, whose actions have influenced and/or contributed to the African American experience, including those associated with the African Diaspora.
The Sports and Race Initiative (SRI) was created because the National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) recognizes that sports provide a unique entry point into the African American experience.
Through innovative scholarship, public programs, and collecting religious artifacts, the Center for the Study of African American Religious Life (CSAARL) expands the ways religions are acknowledged and explored by our nation’s research and cultural institutions and the general public. The Center is guided by its commitment to exploring technology’s influence on religious life.
Notable Figures with Black Studies Backgrounds
It is a difficult task to compile a list of noteworthy people who majored in Black Studies because there are so many who could easily qualify. This list merely scratches the surface.
Here are some examples of individuals who have excelled in various fields with a background in Black Studies:
| Name | Profession | Alma Mater |
|---|---|---|
| Mae Jemison | Astronaut | Stanford University (B.A.), Cornell University (M.D.) |
| Karen Freeman-Wilson | President and CEO of the National Association of Drug Court Professionals (NADCP) | Harvard University (B.A.) |
| Angela Bassett | Actress | Yale University (B.A.) |
| Ava DuVernay | Filmmaker | UCLA |
| Thelma Golden | Art museum director (Executive Director of the Studio Museum in Harlem) | Smith College (A.B.) |
These examples demonstrate the broad applicability and value of a degree in African American History, preparing individuals for diverse and impactful careers.
