Dean's Office, College of Arts

The Black Canadian Studies minor is dedicated to the study of the histories and experiences, cultural identities, social and community formations, politics and contemporary concerns of Black people in Canada, other parts of the Americas, and the world. Students will learn about Black creative expression and literature, political and labour movements, and issues of language, law, immigration, and health. This minor seeks to explore essential contemporary and historical questions and examine how Black people contribute to a greater understanding of the world.

Learning Outcomes

A student who graduates from the Black Canadian Studies minor program at the University of Guelph will be able to do the following:

Community Engagement and Global Understanding

• Demonstrate through various modalities (written, oral) an understanding of black Canadian positionings in relation to Canadian culture overall and to the global African diaspora more generally.
• Mobilise inter-cultural competencies to provide solutions to problems.

Critical and Creative Thinking

• Synthesize and integrate the theoretical, historical, literary, and philosophical frameworks of prominent Black thinkers into assignments and research projects.
• Engage with the work of Black creatives, i.e. poetry, filmmaking, spoken word, storytelling, blended language, music and so on in the context of research creation.

Literacy and Communication

• Demonstrate proficiency in written, oral, and creative modes of communication to engage with a range of communities and audiences about issues related to Black identity and Black thought.
• Work with a variety of nativities and dialects (AAVE, Patois, etc.) drawn from a variety of sources, i.e. archival, literary, or performative/embodied.

Evaluate and Conduct Research

• Incorporate critical theories from a variety of disciplines to construct methodologies to conduct research on Black identity and Black epistemologies.
• Engage with theories relating to Black identity to formulate and critically analyse the limitations of research questions.

Depth and Breadth of Understanding

• Recognise both the importance and limitations of multi-disciplinary approaches to research in Black Studies.
• Synthesize, integrate, and critically evaluate complex ideas related to Black identities.

Professional Development and Ethical Behavior

• Demonstrate active, ethical citizenship that incorporates inter-cultural competencies, critical self-reflection, and a sensitivity to positionality.
• Merge research with community engagement in ethical, responsible, and mutually beneficial ways.

Minor Requirements (Honours)

A minimum of 3.00 credits is required, including:

Course List

Code	Title	Credits
BLCK*1000	Introduction to Black Studies in Canada	0.50
BLCK*2000	Black Canadian History	0.50
BLCK*2020	Archives of Black Knowledge and Experience	0.50
BLCK*3000	Theorising Race and Racism	0.50
BLCK*3010	Experiential Learning in Black Studies	1.00