This fall semester, Massasoit Community College achieved a new milestone. It became the first two-year school in Massachusetts to allow students to earn degrees in black studies.
With courses ranging from “Sociology of Race and Ethnicity” and “Contemporary Issues in the Black Community” to “Black Arts Movement” and “Civil Rights Movement and Black Power,” students at Massasoit can now earn an interdisciplinary degree in both colleges. -School for a year, either online or in person.
Ten years in the making
The story of Black Studies at Massachusetts Public Community College goes back a decade. That’s when student responses to a survey about the need for a culturally diverse curriculum prompted the creation of two courses related to the black experience in film and music, says Dr. Karen Sauvignon, executive dean of Massasoit’s Canton Campus.
In 2020, with growing interest and increased enrollment of Black students, Sauvignon formulated a Black Studies curriculum and submitted it to the Massachusetts Department of Higher Education. The program received approval last spring.
The city of Brockton, where Massasoit is headquartered, has at least 41% of residents who are black or African American, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Massasoit, located south of Boston, has a student body that is about 60% minority students and 36% black, Sauvignon says. The city and community college have a growing Cape Verdean population.
“[Increased Black student enrollment]And unfortunately, with the events that happened during that time — between George Floyd and Breonna Taylor — we were kind of called to the task of providing more opportunities to engage our Black students in higher education, as much as it is with the community that we serve,” Sauvignon says. As such, the school began offering the certificate program this fall.
Black Studies at Community College
Although this is unusual, a community college that offers a Black studies degree program could be attractive to many students, school leaders and experts in higher education say.
“Overall, the Black Studies degree is very multifaceted, especially for the populations and communities we serve,” Sauvignon says. “It’s a good place right now, where critical race theory is being embraced, where understanding and appreciation of cultures is being embraced, where racial equity and DEI initiatives are being embraced.”
Sauvignon says the Massasoit degree is key in being able to provide students with an understanding of a different perspective on how life works for certain groups of people. For her, the degree program and the courses required for the degree will open up the perspectives of all students around the world on how race impacts different areas of life, such as criminal justice reform, education, and health care disparities.
She says it’s not just black students. Such a program allows students of all backgrounds to better understand the black experience.
“The goal is to provide a foundation for black students to understand who they are, where they come from, and where they can go,” Sauvignon says. “For non-Black students, it is an opportunity to learn about different cultural experiences that will enhance their academic learning.”
Leaders at Massasoit Community College are optimistic about the future of the school’s recently launched Black Studies program.
Black studies allows students — especially those who are unfamiliar with the black narrative and those in law enforcement — to gain knowledge and perhaps become less wary, says Dr. Shawn Utsey, professor of psychology and chair of African American Studies at Virginia Commonwealth University.
“Most people — most white Americans, and many others who later come to this dynamic — have no idea about the Black experience, the Black narrative, and the contributions of Black Americans to American history and culture,” Utsey says. , who added that many police officers often come via the community college route, or even the four-year route, and were educated in high schools and communities where they had very little, if any, contact with blacks.
“If we can expose them to let them know that black people are different sometimes — there is nothing to be afraid of — maybe people will be less upset in the presence of black people, and we will reduce the many, many mishaps that happen,” says Utsi.
The value of Black Studies courses is not isolated from other academic endeavors either. When designing the curriculum, the curriculum’s interdisciplinary approach and transferability were important considerations, Sauvignon says. As such, credits from Black Studies courses at Massasoit count toward the liberal arts and humanities elective requirements that align with most of the school’s degrees and will take into account credit transfer to four-year colleges, she says.
The program offers students a background in liberal arts when they consider transferring to a four-year institution, Massasoit President Ray DePasquale says, calling it a “door opener.”
Small program, bigger hopes
Massasoit’s Black Studies program has three students who have declared a major as of fall 2023, according to Sauvignon, though more than 40 students are enrolled in courses offered by the program.
The goal is to spread the word and enhance visibility for the degree program through presentations and community collaboration, all in hopes of helping increase enrollment numbers for the coming years. Most courses are taught by 10 to 15 adjunct instructors, but experts warn that if the program is to grow, the college will need to invest in at least one full-time faculty position. Massasoit officials agree.
More than 5,000 new and returning students are enrolled at UMass this fall, according to DePasquale. Leaders aim to increase enrollment in the Black Studies degree program specifically by at least five more students each semester.
“Next fall, obviously, we’re more optimistic that we’ll see people actually turning to this specialty,” DiPasquale says. “As we announce this, I would like to see 15-20 students – which is a pretty good number of majors each year – starting this program. As word spreads, we are very optimistic that 15-20 next fall will be a very realistic goal for us.” “
Now that Black Studies has been launched, the school plans to do the same for other demographics as well, DePasquale says.
“This is not the end,” he says. “We want to talk about women’s studies. We want to talk about Latino studies. As we look to the future, we want to make sure our students have the opportunity to understand the importance of all of these elements in education.”
Massasoit Community College is excited to announce the launch of a new Black Studies major, providing students with the opportunity to delve into the rich and complex history, culture, and experiences of Black individuals and communities. This program aims to provide a comprehensive and multifaceted understanding of the impact and contributions of Black people throughout history, while also examining contemporary issues and challenges faced by the Black community. With an interdisciplinary approach and a focus on critical thinking and social justice, this major promises to offer students a valuable and enlightening educational experience.