Why I’m an AAS Minor

I decided to minor in African American Studies because I wanted to learn more about Black culture and history beyond the white lenses—in other words, what I had been taught in the public schools by my White teachers. It encouraged me even more to know that Dr. Goldstone would be my main professor because she was my first and only Black professor at TXST. I needed to expand, learn, and exist in a space that was reflective of me. I hope to continue sharing what I learned by teaching the Black youth in my community.

My main focus is on the homeless youth, the majority of whom are BIPOC. I want to first help these young people get off the street and into stable housing and employment. Then, I will encourage them to further their education, but I will first tell them about my favorite Black American books from which I learned so much—including Assata’s Assata, Zora Neale Hurston’s Their Eyes Were Watching God, Richard Wright’s Native Son, and Frances Harper’s Iola Leroy. I want to share my love of African American history, literature, and culture, and through my experience of being honored to take African American Studies courses centered around Black voices, I will amplify them louder by passing them onto every person I encounter. 

Major: Anthropology
Minor: African American Studies

Initially, minoring in African American Studies was not among my immediate academic interest. I was double majoring in Political Science and Geography when the program was first introduced on campus in August 2019. At that time, I was starting to move further into my Political Science major. Months before, however, I remember the Pan-African Action Committee being among the driving forces to forcing TXST to create such an interdisciplinary program that would be unique to the history, lived experience, and collective way of life for Black students. Reflecting back on their efforts, my involvement with other Black Student Organizations and Black TXST, and my growing consciousness as a Black man in America, I felt obligated to be in the program. It was only later in Fall 2019 that I decided to double minor in African American Studies and Geography.

I decided to minor in African American Studies because I wanted to expand my knowledge of the African Diaspora in the United States, and as I hoped, more broadly—in other words, the African Diaspora across the globe. I needed something that would complement my Afrocentricity and my love for Black people both culturally, politically, and intellectually. Additionally, I had hoped to be in a space with more of my Black peers and with Black faculty. This was often not the case before. During my progression in the African American Studies Program, I became more politically and culturally aware of not just the African American experience, but about the broader impact of African/Black individuals, groups, and historical events on the African Continent and throughout the African Diaspora.

Major: Political Science
Minor: African American Studies & Geography

When first given the choice to select a minor (a major requirement), my academic advisors gave me a list of some acceptable choices. They said I could minor in Spanish, business administration, or even health administration. These were all great minors that pair well with my major, Public Administration. I thought I had my mind made up to select one of those three options until I came across the African American Studies (AAS) minor.

Coming from government projects in a very low-income neighborhood in Fort Worth and having been raised in a church family, I knew that I needed to find my own sense of place here at TXST. I remember attending one of the AAS events and testing the waters to see what this was all about. I was very intrigued to see the passion and love that everyone had for each other. I remember thinking to myself that I needed to become a part of this. All of the students were dedicated without judgment or biases. I came to the realization that I can major in Public Administration and minor in African American Studies. So, I decided to officially add African American studies as my minor.

In the interdisciplinary African American Studies classes I have taken, I have broadened my knowledge about the history and culture of the people of the African diaspora. By reading such books as Buchi Emecheta’s Second Class Citizen; Frederick Douglass’ Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave; Zora Neale Hurston’s Their Eyes Were Watching God; and Wallace Thurman’s The Blacker the Berry…, I have been able to better understand the state and place of Black people in America and throughout the world. I also felt as if there was no better way of learning about Blackness but alongside my Black and Brown peers who share different backgrounds and perspectives. The African American Studies classroom, in many respects, has become a safe haven for all of us. These classes have helped me expand my knowledge and truly understand what it has meant historically to be a Black man in America and what it means today.

After graduation, I plan to use my degree to work in a nonprofit or for a private organization that seeks Black enrichment, mobility, and success. What I have learned in my African American Studies classes has equipped me with the tools to help me address issues of systemic racism and social inequality, which will enable me to be an agent of change in this global society.

Major: Public Administration
Minor: African American Studies

When I first started my college career at St. Edward’s University, I really didn’t have clear goals of what I wanted to do. I was at a school I didn’t enjoy, surrounded by people who looked nothing like me and who didn’t share in my experiences. Like a lot of college students, when I was first starting out, I was looking for guidance, trying to figure out what I was passionate about. Then I realized what I was most interested in at the time: the fight for social justice in the United States. After George Floyd’s murder and the social media discussions about police brutality and the state of race relations across the nation, I not only wanted to understand them better, but I wanted to be involved in the dialogue around them.

I eventually made my decision to transfer to Texas State University, and I was given many different options for a minor. I considered choosing something like international studies or economics because I felt those would better help me get work after graduation. When I considered choosing African American Studies, it brought me back to my purpose. I had always been interested in politics and law as a way to help the Black community, and in order to do that, I knew I needed to have extensive knowledge of my history and my roots.

In the time I’ve spent taking African American Studies classes, I can easily say this was one of the best academic decisions I’ve made. These classes have not only benefitted my educational knowledge, but they’ve also improved my personal life. I grew up in the suburbs going to primarily White schools my whole life, but when I got to Texas State, I found my community. The people I’ve met have enriched my life in ways I couldn’t have ever imagined.

If I could give any advice to a Texas State University students, I would say there are only positive things to gain from adding a minor in African American Studies.

Classification: Junior
Major: Political Science
Minor: African American Studies

When I came to Texas State, I did not even know that there was an African American Studies minor. I signed up for AAS 2310: Introduction to African American Studies because I needed electives and I wanted to choose something I would be interested in. Growing up in the American school system, especially as a person of color, I did not get the opportunity to learn about African American history except for a brief section about slavery and the Civil War; I learned nothing about black culture. I fell in love with my initial class with Dr. Goldstone, and it was something I looked forward to every week. Never before had I been in an environment where there was comfortability and open dialogue among students about these subjects that many White do not like to talk about. Now, I am almost done with the minor, and I have enjoyed learning more than I ever could have imagined, gained a lot of experience, and made multiple connections that will help me with my future endeavors. If you are thinking about adding African American Studies as your minor—whether for academic reasons or because it is something you have a passion for—DO IT.

Enrolling into Texas State was a very nerve-racking moment for me. I honestly wasn't sure which major I should choose, so not surprising, I ended up changing my major three times. However, I absolutely was sure on my minor. I happened to be scrolling through the list of minors on the Texas State website, and there I found an African American Studies minor. It caught me completely by surprise because I did not know that Texas State had that minor, and right away I chose it.

Growing up in Longview, Texas, I always heard the same old history of my people, and my teachers never went very deep into Black history nor did they really discuss the issues African Americans face in our communities today. I looked up the professor for the program and asked my brother—who is also a Texas State student—did he by any chance have a class with her or know anyone who did. He said no, but his friends had taken a class with her and they said, “She's loud ,but the classroom environment is amazing.” They were certainly correct.

The first day of class was hilarious, loud, and extremely engaging. Over the course of the semester, we read and talked about so many topics that related to Black life and culture that I had never talked about in any of my high school or college classes. Everyone was very considerate of each another's viewpoints, and the atmosphere was so comforting. I've now completed two of Dr. Goldstone’s African American Studies classes, and I’m also the RA for the Black & Latinx LLC.

If I had to choose my minor again, I’d still choose African American Studies.

10 out of 10! I recommend it to everyone.