Guest Opinion by Zara Kepler, Angelique Lee, Elliott London, Kaili Martinez-Beasley, and Celia Perkins
Passed during last semester’s plenary, student action to develop a Black Studies major at Bryn Mawr College persists. Yet, the development of the major in the midst of Black History Month highlights a chasm existent within Bryn Mawr culture. While the college takes time to organize programming to recognize Black History on a broad scale, Black history within the college is constantly in a battle for consideration. Acknowledging the significance of Black scholars, the presence of Blackness in academia, and the actions of Black students should not be a temporary celebration or promotional material; it should be ingrained into the fabric of the institution. The transformation of the Africana Studies minor into the Black Studies major marks another period in which Black scholarship does not ask but demands to be held to its proper standard.
In light of Bryn Mawr College’s Strike Remembrance Week last semester, we want to highlight the institutional history of Black Studies at Bryn Mawr. On April 15th, 1969, a group of Black students gathered to address their concerns with the College. They asked that “the Black Studies Committee” be recognized, five courses (ranging from fields such as Urban/Cities studies, to histories of the American working class) be added to the course catalog, a “training course” so that faculty could “adequately” teach Black studies, hire “four faculty members in the area of Black studies,” include library materials dedicated to Black studies and Black authors, and increase of funds for the committee (emphasis ours). As mentioned in our Fall Plenary Resolution, we would like to see the College “hire an additional two Black Studies professors by the start of the 2026-2027 school year, with an emphasis placed on hiring Black/Queer/Feminist scholars.” These three areas of study, when combined, provide an intellectual framework that enables us, as individuals (not only as students, faculty, staff, or administration), to understand the world in its current political, social, and economic state. Black, queer, and feminist scholars have very often paved the way to revamp how we think about academia, gender, race, etc., in order to create a learning experience that is “transformative,” to use Bryn Mawr’s language. We are eager and excited for the History department—which recently conducted a search for a candidate specializing in African American History—and for their ongoing commitment to the histories, narratives, and stories told by Black scholars. To be clear, we believe this is a step in the right direction, and we believe this momentum can be expanded to the current Black Studies program.
In the context of Bryn Mawr’s troubled history with Blackness, as well as the heightened erasure of Black histories and scholarship by the Trump administration, it is more pressing now than ever to establish a robust space within the college for Black Studies. Black studies is the one and only field that holds Blackness centrally, while also providing a theoretical toolkit for intersectionally examining myriad topics from Latinidades to gender to economics. The frameworks and skills fostered within Black studies–cultural analysis, critical histories, and advanced communication, to name a few– are crucial to forming students and graduates who are equipped to challenge and resist normative and oppressive social systems. Engagement with Blackness cannot be limited to a week or a month of remembrance, nor is it relevant only to Black students. It is crucial that Bryn Mawr has a robust and consistent space for community-wide learning and scholarship, so that the college can continue to further its commitment to holistic, diverse, and equitable education.
As for the follow-up on the plenary resolution for Black scholarship at Bryn Mawr, a working group is collaborating with the director of the Africana Studies program to develop the curriculum for the Black Studies Major. This is a foundational step for the major and the initial phase of hiring new Black/Queer/Feminist scholars. The project is currently scheduled to be submitted for review by the end of the year, likely after spring break. Once the curriculum plan is finalized, the program will transition into a department, which will allow for the request of additional staff through a separate process. This indicates a positive outlook for establishing the department by the upcoming school year, 2026-2027, and fostering Black scholarship at Bryn Mawr.
There are currently many steps that can be taken to help boost the proposal. Filling out our form about the kinds of professors you would like to see hired for the Black Studies Department is a pressing task that needs student support. You can find this form in an email sent by Angelique Lee and on posters around campus! If you have any ideas for future Black Studies curriculum, reach out to any of the authors and look out for more details in the near future. As always, students are highly encouraged to take or continue taking Black Studies courses.
Elliott London, Angelique Lee, Kaili Martinez-Beasley, Zara Kepler, Celia Perkins
Black Studies and Scholarship Working Group
Bryn Mawr College
