STAFF EDITORIAL Putting African-American Studies Into Context

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The Student Government Association (SGA) petition to establish an African-American Studies major coincides with a renewed national debate about the relevance of such programs at institutions of higher education. In theory, the SGA initiative to create this new major to meet the desires of interested students is commendable, as Middlebury prides itself on the breadth its course offerings and the diversity of its student body.

Practically speaking, however, choosing to focus now on establishing an African-American Studies major is not the best way to enrich the experiences of Middlebury students. From a purely logistical standpoint, neither the infrastructure nor the faculty resources currently exist to support such a department. While the SGA has done well to bring the topic of African-American Studies to Middlebury, placing too limited a focus on this particular field of study risks decreasing the cultural awareness that the SGA hopes to promote with its proposal.

It is important for all Middlebury students, as well as all residents of the United States, to be aware of the culture and heritage of African-Americans. But should this take precedence over learning the history of Irish-Americans, Asian-Americans, German-Americans or Native Americans? All of these social groups have brought their own rich histories to our nation, and, over time, have enriched it various forms, many of which have been the subject of academic study. What matters is viewing all of these diverse histories as complimentary within the broader context of what it means – socially and culturally – to be an American. Such an interdisciplinary and cross-cultural approach is in keeping with the kind of liberal arts education Middlebury offers to its students and grounds itself in. By limiting this approach we run the danger of diminishing the true spirit of this fundamental component to understanding not only this nation but all countries around the world.

Women and Gender Studies, for example, has been a presence at the College in various manifestations since the 1980s, but only this year got its first full-time faculty member. When new departments and majors are created, the momentum generally comes from within the faculty, who knows what it takes to establish a new field of study.

Indeed, the current Middlebury curriculum is replete with a breadth of course offerings and the addition of the African-American Studies minor in 1999 is a testament to the increased awareness of student interest in that field and the College's acknowledgement of its importance.

We propose that courses dealing with African-American issues should lie within the American Civilization department. Like many other departments that allow for concentrations within the major, a student can focus on African-American Studies while following the required courses for a major in American Civilization, allowing him or her to compare African-American history, literature, music and culture with other American cultural groups. Pursuing the idea to increase the study of the African-American experience at Middlebury College is in line with the College's institutional commitment to diversity. But if that study focuses too narrowly on one aspect of American culture, it does not allow for a comparison and understanding of all cultures to occur.