Introduction to the study of the African-American experience. Interdisciplinary approach includes historical underpinnings; population and cultural characteristics; social, economic, and political issues; and implications for the future. Prerequisites: None.

Basic concepts and processes, including historic overview, of inter-ethnic relations in the United States: culture, race, ethnicity, ethnocentrism, prejudice, discrimination, racism, assimilation, acculturation, and individual and group responses to inter-ethnic contact. Cultural knowledge and intercultural communication skills and perspectives as fundamental tools for successful management of social relations in a multicultural world. Prerequisites: None.

The multifaceted history and cultural heritage of African-American communities since the Civil War, presented within the broader context of U.S. history. This course explores the social, economic, political, and cultural history of African-American communities, including the historical and cultural impacts of slavery and discrimination, and the collective struggle for freedom, equality, and self-determination throughout U.S. history. Prerequisites: None.