You'd be surprised how many people ask you where a degree in African American Studies can take you. Actually, no, you wouldn't. And to be honest, I don't blame the people who ask that question. Major in English? Maybe you plan on being an author or a publisher. Major in journalism? You're probably on your way to being a reporter, maybe a news anchor. Economics or marketing? Wall Street, here you come! But, African American Studies (or Chicano Studies, or Women's Studies, or...) - maybe a professor, possibly?
But here's the thing: Just like any other social science or liberal arts major, African American Studies teaches you how to think and how to express yourself clearly. Not only did I study history, I studied anthropology, sociology, religion and psychology, among other things. I was exposed to many ideas, and I had to write about, debate, explore, examine, and argue many different viewpoints.
And let's not minimize the value of learning about the history of Africans in Africa and Africans in America, both on a personal level and as a member of society. Personally, I appreciate knowing how my experience as an African American girl/woman/person fits into the larger story of blacks in this country. I appreciate the deeper understanding I have of my family's journey, of the paths - personal and communal - that brought me into existence and shaped my childhood.
On a societal level, I wish that more people could understand the realities that African Americans and Africans in America have faced since we arrived on these shores. If more people understood:
- the lingering effects of families that were ripped apart for generations and the effects of the systematic (and legal) deprivation of learning opportunities on entire generations of potential learners and potential teachers (children and parents),
- if more people understood the ways that the government at every level has betrayed the trust and ignored the best interests of an entire racial/ethnic group in documented ways,
- and if more people understood how betrayal, hurt, lack of education, mistrust, deteriorated institutions and the effects of institutionalized racism can create a cycle of coping mechanisms that can hurt more than they help
...perhaps our society would be a better place, one that actively supported self-improvement rather than both seeking first to punish and also avoiding productive conversations about race.
But back to my main point: What can you do with a degree in African American Studies?
You can become:
- A lawyer
- A doctor
- A diplomat
- A journalist
- An artist
- An educator
- A politician
- A musician
- An architect
- A business owner
- A curator
And, really, anything else! Some of these require additional training, but the same would be true if you were pursuing a degree in MANY other areas of study.
A degree in African American Studies does not lead to a dead end or a life of wandering. It leads to open doors and exciting possibilities.
