Inclusive Scholarship: Developing Black Studies - Ford Foundation

professional scholars engaged in research and writing of the Black experience.
The creative potential of Black Studies, however, will become a reality
only to the extent that foundations and universities provide full support.
Black Studies in the Midwest
Nellie McKay
In the Midwest, as elsewhere, Black Studies cannot be reduced to a simple
or single formula that explains it. At present, the field is defined and practiced
in many ways, which vary from institution to institution. There are
those whose mission is essentially the pursuit of knowledge inside the academy,
so that this knowledge may be applied broadly to the world outside.
For others, the primary goal is full identification with the Black community
outside the walls of white academia. The common reference point is
the validity of the African Diaspora experience: the creation of an active
consciousness that a rich culture springs from Africa, which her children,
scattered across the face of the globe, share and celebrate for its uniqueness,
power, and strength.
Beyond that, as the Hine report noted, among no combination of
programs is there even an agreement on curriculum. This, of course, need
112