Issue link: http://tcnj.uberflip.com/i/1500729
14 The College of New Jersey Magazine As the nation debates, those in TCNJ's department proclaim a resounding "Yes," as they have for decades. Do we need African American studies? W hen TCNJ students return to campus in August, there will be a new course offering: Introduction to African American Studies. After designing it with colleagues for more than a year, Professor Zakiya Adair, who is jointly appointed in the African American studies and women's, gender, and sexuality studies departments, is pleased with how the course took shape. She'll welcome about two dozen students to the class, which takes a broad, interdisciplinary approach and will examine everything from Black resistance and cultural expression to Black political thought and liberation. And for Adair, who is also the director of international studies, it was important the course didn't just center on America. Black experiences from diasporas across the world have space on the syllabus. And, perhaps most importantly, it makes room for the study of Black joy and expression. The course's historic significance, on campus and beyond, isn't lost on Adair. The Department of African American Studies recently celebrated its 50 years at TCNJ, but this is the first time the intro- ductory course will be offered — a fact that highlights the school's role as a leader in establishing Black studies but also under- scores how adoption of the discipline has always been fraught with difficulty. When Adair joined the department in the fall of 2015, she recognized the gap and set her sights on getting institutional support to create the class. "This intro course signals the actualization of our department," she says. Adair wrapped up final plans for TCNJ's new course as African American studies took center stage in national headlines this winter. The College Board, the orga- nization that runs the country's slate of Advanced Placement courses, announced last year that African American studies would become the latest AP option for high school students. The College Board began to formally develop the AP course in the wake of George Floyd's murder in 2020, though it had been in consideration for years prior to that. The organization enlisted Adair's help, along with that of 100 other top scholars in the field. Words Fabiola Cineas Pictures Peter Murphy