Monday, February 8, 2010

Black History Month, Africana Studies

"Africana Studies has emerged as a separate entity that tries to look at the world through the lenses of people of African descent." James B. Stewart, author of "Flight: In Search of Vision."

James B. Stewart -- the current president of the Association for the Study of African American Life and History, which founded Black History Month -- is also a leading advocate for what he calls Africana Studies –- culturally informed explorations of the African-American experience.

His writings on the subject have promoted innovative concepts such as "the myth of the flying Africans," "the kingdom of culture" and "the deficit model."

In this video, we meet the man and see some of the context of his ideas.

Politically-charged art at Stewart’s home outside Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, serves as a backdrop to his notions of African-American empowerment after years of discrimination.

Stewart believes African-American culture and history have often been viewed as inferior or marginal in American history books.

A tour of Pittsburgh reveals the ongoing challenges of the African-American experience. Urban development is displacing black populations. The black inner city neighborhoods that used to be cultural meccas continue to shrink.

Stewart insists he is resolute in his fight for race equality, both in academia and on the streets.

Even though the United States now has a black president, Stewart says, this does not mean the nation’s race issues have all been resolved.