Inclusive Scholarship: Developing Black Studies - Ford Foundation

Inclusive Scholarship: Developing Black Studies in the United States 237
African American Studies and the Challenge of Building a Professional
Network
As the number of Ph.D.s continues to grow, it is incumbent upon the
field to consider what type of national organizational structure is needed
to evaluate programs and departments and provide a space for scholars of
African American Studies to gather and chart new directions for the field.
This is by no means a call for a common curriculum; the issue here is the
strengthening of professional networks.
Currently, there are at least two national organizations that might serve
this purpose: the National Council for Black Studies (NCBS), and the Association
for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH). While
NCBS has as one of its goals to “establish standards of excellence,”ASALH has
established collaborations with such organizations as the American Historical
Association with which it grants book prizes. Further, ASALH’s journal is comprised
of an editorial board that reflects ideological and methodological diversity.
Support is needed to build the capacity of these organizations as they face
fluctuating memberships, as they struggle to keep abreast of emerging technology,
and as they reflect on how best to serve their members and the field.
As the reports have all affirmed, there is little question that sustainability
is perhaps the greatest challenge and most important goal currently
facing African American Studies. Although most would agree that the interdisciplinary
nature of African American Studies is one of its strongest assets
and that it is important to maintain ongoing dialogue and debate with
traditional disciplines, if the field is to survive, it must be able to stand on
its own feet institutionally. In many institutions this means departmentalization
and the ability to hire and tenure faculty without having to rely on
other departments for joint appointments. Furthermore, African American
Studies units will need strong and permanent financial footing. To do so
will require a coalition of support including foundations. Most importantly,
it will require committed university administrators who are in the
position to direct their development offices to work with African American