A leader’s ability to facilitate understanding, inclusion, and resolution is key to leading a group to success. Honoring and valuing Black and Black Deaf people’s experiences are critical to creating an inclusive, empowering and effective work group. During classroom dialogue, students will actively participate in structured discussions with students and learn from each other’s perspectives, read and discuss relevant reading material, and explore avenues to resolution. Students may apply knowledge gained through dialogue and readings to lead agencies and organizations to inclusive change. Students will also explore ways of taking action to create change and bridge differences through readings, journals, leading a dialogue and a final written paper.

This course will challenge students to analyze and compare various perceptions about Black American life in the 21st century. This course includes but is not limited to racial, economic, and ideological shifts and their impact on past and current events. Cultural influences will be traced from early Western Africa to the United States. Viewpoints on identity, language, relationships, and generational differences will be explored through assigned readings and interviews. Students will lead the class in open dialogues associated with their researched topics. In addition, varying perspectives will be presented through lectures, guest speakers and personal experiences from individuals with diverse cultural backgrounds. Upon completion of this course, it is anticipated that students will have broader knowledge of the multidimensional aspects of the Black experience.

The description for each Independent Study course will be specified in each course proposal.