Ethnic Studies, B.A.: Black Studies Concentration

Ethnic Studies, B.A. Program (120 units)

Program Description

Ethnic Studies offers an interdisciplinary major, providing a comparative approach to the study of people of color in the United States.  Our Ethnic Studies curriculum has a strong social justice focus. Through a systematic study of the cultures, histories, and social realities of communities of color in the US, our students finish our program prepared to work effectively in multiracial, multiethnic, multigender communities.   

The Ethnic Studies major consists of 36 units. Our major provides students with considerable flexibility, allowing them to specialize in one group, while also gaining in-depth knowledge and expertise in the range of histories, cultures, and social realities of communities of color.  Students work closely with their academic advisor to put together a program that suits their goals and interests. Students take 18 units of core curriculum, 12 units in their concentration, and 6 units in elective courses in Ethnic Studies. Students choose from the following five areas of concentration: American Indian Studies, Asian American Studies, Black Studies, Genders and Sexualities in Communities of Color, and Latinx/Chicanx Studies. 

Program Learning Outcomes

Students graduating with a B.A. in Ethnic Studies from Cal State East Bay will be able to:

• Apply Ethnic Studies frameworks and key concepts to promote equity and social justice in our communities.
• Explain discipline-specific theoretical frameworks including critical race theory, intersectionality, women of color feminisms, and/or queer of color theories
• Recognize the complexity, heterogeneity and power dynamics between and within racialized groups in the US.
• Research and write effectively, in individual or collaborative contexts, on issues, ideas, perspectives, and values that affect people of color in the United States;
• Explain the concepts of colonialism, decolonization, genocide, environmental racism, and/or resilience as foundations of indigenous epistemologies and sovereignty.

Program Roadmaps

These program roadmaps represent recommended pathways through the program. Please see an advisor to create an education plan that is customized to meet your needs.

Career Opportunities

College Faculty, Staff, or Administrator • Community Liaison or Organizer • Diversity Specialist • Government Service • Immigration Policy Advocate • Non-Profit Management • Prison Abolitionist • Public Relations • Social Work/Therapist • Teacher/Counselor • Tribal Government • Union Organizer • Urban Planning and Affordable Housing • Youth Advocate

Degree Requirements Unit-Outline

• A baccalaureate of arts degree requires a total of 120 units:
  • The major requirements consists of 36 units;
  • General Education (GE) & Graduation Requirements (GR) consists of 57 units;
  • Free Electives may consist of 27 units (actual number of free elective units may depend on GE/GR units).

Note: It may be possible to double-count units within the graduation requirements or that a course may satisfy both a graduation requirement and a major requirement. Students should contact their program and AACE advisors for information.

Black Studies Concentration

Students with a concentration in Black Studies will take 12 units of coursework that focus on Blacks in the US.  Choose four (4) courses from the following:

• ES 245 - Black Flix Units: 3 ; Breadth Area: GE-C1; Diversity
• ES 247 - Hip Hop Nation Units: 3; Breadth Area: GE-F-ES; Social Justice
• ES 340 - Black Literature Units: 3 ; Breadth Area: GE-UD-C; Diversity
• ES 341 - Enslavement and Resistance in the Americas Units: 3 ; Breadth Area: GE-UD-D; Diversity
• ES 342 - James Baldwin Units: 3 ; Breadth Area: GE-UD-C; Social Justice
• ES 343 - Black Power Units: 3 ; Breadth Area: GE-UD-D; Social Justice
• ES 344 - Malcolm X: Third World Revolutionary Units: 3 ; Breadth Area: GE-UD-D; Social Justice
• ES 345 - Jazz Cultures and Communities Units: 3 ; Breadth Area: GE-UD-C; Diversity
• ES 346 - Afrofuturism Units: 3 ; Breadth Area: GE-UD-C; Diversity
• ES 347 - Black Sexualities Units: 3 ; Breadth Area: GE-UD-D; Diversity

Other Undergraduate Degree Requirements

In addition to major requirements, every student must also complete the University’s baccalaureate requirements for graduation, which are described in the Undergrad Baccalaureate & Program Requirements  chapter of this catalog. 

Department Courses Listed by Course Type

Ethnic Studies Courses

Department of Ethnic Studies

Courses

Ethnic Studies

• •  ES 100 - Introduction to Social Justice in Communities of Color Units: 3 ; Breadth Area: GE-F-ES; Social Justice
• •  ES 120 - The People’s History I Units: 3 ; Breadth Area: GE-D1-2; US-1; US-2; Social Justice
• •  ES 121 - The People’s History II Units: 3 ; Breadth Area: GE-D1-2; US-2, US-3; Social Justice
• •  ES 200 - Race and Resistance Units: 3 ; Breadth Area: GE-C1; Diversity
• •  ES 222 - Race in the City Units: 3 ; Breadth Area: GE-F-ES, Social Justice
• •  ES 244 - Mixed Race Identities in the US Units: 3 ; Breadth Area: GE-D1-2; Diversity
• •  ES 247 - Hip Hop Nation Units: 3; Breadth Area: GE-F-ES; Social Justice
• •  ES 300W - Writing for Social Justice Units: 3 ; Breadth Area: GE-UD-C; Social Justice
• •  ES 389 - Engaging Communities of Color Units: 3
• •  ES 395 - Muslims in the Americas Units: 3 ; Breadth Area: GE-UD-D; Diversity
• •  ES 396 - Muslim American Activism: Beyond Islamophobia, Orientalism and Empire Units: 3 ; Breadth Area: GE-UD-D; Social Justice
• •  ES 398 - Internship Units: 1-3
• •  ES 490 - Independent Study Units: 1-4
• •  ES 497 - Issues in Ethnic Studies Units: 3
• •  ES 498 - Internship Units: 1-3

Ethnic Studies: Black Studies

• •  ES 122 - The Black Fantastic: Politics and Popular Culture in Black America Units: 3 ; Breadth Area: GE-F-ES; Social Justice
• •  ES 245 - Black Flix Units: 3 ; Breadth Area: GE-C1; Diversity
• •  ES 301 - Black Feminisms Units: 3 ; Breadth Area: GE-UD-D; Diversity
• •  ES 340 - Black Literature Units: 3 ; Breadth Area: GE-UD-C; Diversity
• •  ES 341 - Enslavement and Resistance in the Americas Units: 3 ; Breadth Area: GE-UD-D; Diversity
• •  ES 342 - James Baldwin Units: 3 ; Breadth Area: GE-UD-C; Social Justice
• •  ES 343 - Black Power Units: 3 ; Breadth Area: GE-UD-D; Social Justice
• •  ES 344 - Malcolm X: Third World Revolutionary Units: 3 ; Breadth Area: GE-UD-D; Social Justice
• •  ES 345 - Jazz Cultures and Communities Units: 3 ; Breadth Area: GE-UD-C; Diversity
• •  ES 346 - Afrofuturism Units: 3 ; Breadth Area: GE-UD-C; Diversity
• •  ES 347 - Black Sexualities Units: 3 ; Breadth Area: GE-UD-D; Diversity

Ethnic Studies: American Indian Studies

• •  ES 302 - Eating The Landscape Units: 3 ; Breadth Area: GE-UD-C; Sustainability
• •  ES 303 - Debates in Contemporary Native America Units: 3 ; Breadth Area: GE-UD-C; Diversity
• •  ES 304 - American Indian Oral Literature Units: 3 ; Breadth Area: GE-UD-C; Diversity
• •  ES 305 - Reel Injun: American Indians in Film Units: 3 ; Breadth Area: GE-UD-D; Social Justice
• •  ES 306 - American Indian Liberation Units: 3 ; Breadth Area: GE-UD-D; Social Justice
• •  ES 307 - God is Red: American Indian Worldview Units: 3 ; Breadth Area: GE-UD-C; Sustainability
• •  ES 308 - Cultures of Habitat Units: 3

Ethnic Studies: Asian American Studies

• •  ES 338 - Asian American Politics Units: 3 ; Breadth Area: GE-F-ES; Social Justice
• •  ES 360 - Asian American Intimacies and Families Units: 3 ; Breadth Area: GE-UD-D; Diversity
• •  ES 361 - Asian Immigrant and Refugee Women in Literature and Cinema Units: 3 ; Breadth Area: GE-UD-C; Social Justice
• •  ES 362 - Concentration Camps, USA Units: 3 ; Breadth Area: GE-UD-D; Social Justice
• •  ES 363 - Asian American & Pacific Islander Film Festival Units: 3 ; Breadth Area: GE-UD-C; Diversity
• •  ES 364 - Asian American & Pacific Islander Communities Units: 3 ; Breadth Area: GE-UD-D; Diversity
• •  ES 365 - Asian American and Pacific Islander Environmental Voices Units: 3 ; Breadth Area: GE-UD-C; Social Justice
• •  ES 366 - Pinayism: Filipina Experiences and Activism Units: 3 ; Breadth Area: GE-UD-D; Diversity
• •  ES 370 - South Asian American Communities Units: 3 ; Breadth Area: GE-UD-D; Diversity

Ethnic Studies: Genders and Sexualities in Communities of Color

• •  ES 223 - Education For Liberation Units: 3 ; Breadth Area: GE-F-ES; Social Justice
• •  ES 380 - Queer of Color Histories, Cultures, and Identities Units: 3 ; Breadth Area: GE-UD-C; Social Justice
• •  ES 381 - Racialized Masculinities Units: 3 ; Breadth Area: GE-UD-D; Diversity
• •  ES 382 - Women of Color Writers: Race, Sex, and Resistance Units: 3 ; Breadth Area: GE-UD-C; Diversity
• •  ES 384 - Interracial Sex and Marriage Units: 3 ; Breadth Area: GE-UD-C; Social Justice

Ethnic Studies: Chicanx and Latinx Studies

• •  ES 320 - The Chicano/a Movement Units: 3 ; Breadth Area: GE-UD-D; Social Justice
• •  ES 321 - Chicana Feminisms Units: 3 ; Breadth Area: GE-UD-C; Diversity
• •  ES 322 - Oral Traditions Units: 3 ; Breadth Area: GE-UD-C; Diversity
• •  ES 323 - Latinx and Latin American Film Units: 3 ; Breadth Area: GE-UD-C; Social Justice
• •  ES 324 - Latin American Immigration Units: 3 ; Breadth Area: GE-UD-C; Diversity
• •  ES 325 - Mexico Before Spain Units: 3 ; Breadth Area: GE-UD-C; Social Justice
• •  ES 326 - Peoples of Central America Units: 3 ; Breadth Area: GE-UD-D; Social Justice
• •  ES 327 - Decolonize Your Diet Units: 3 ; Breadth Area: GE-UD-D; Sustainability
• •  ES 328 - Afro-Latinx Cultures, Identities, Histories Units: 3 ; Breadth Area: GE-UD-C; Social Justice
• •  ES 329 - Chicanx/Latinx Cultural Production: Activism, Identity, Resistance Units: 3 ; Breadth Area: GE-UD-C; Diversity