Review
Rojas' book makes a significant contribution to the small but growing literature on social movements within organizations; those who study knowledge politics will also find it a useful read. -- Mikaila Mariel Lemonik Arthur Mobilization 2008 From Black Power to Black Studies is a valuable sociological study of the way in which militant student protest led to the institutionalization of African American Studies in higher education. Moreover, it provides insightful analyses of the pitfalls, both institutionally and politically, that have conspired to hamper Black Studies' growth and legitimacy as an academic discipline... Rojas has provided a thoughtful and substantive contribution to the emerging new literature on the origins of Black Studies. -- Peniel E. Joseph Left History 2008 Rojas has made a qualified yet significant scholarly contribution relevant to multiple disciplines in myriad ways. -- Stephanie Y. Evans Higher Education Review 2009 A fascinating account of the development of black studies departments in American colleges and universities. -- Anna-Maria Marshall Administrative Science Quarterly 2008 There is more than one way to analyze historical phenomena, and the sociologist Fabio Rojas has chosen to approach the issue in sociological terms... historians of the civil rights movement and of American higher education will profit considerably from reading this work. -- Richard H. King Journal of American History 2009 Carefully conceived and designed, and contributory... adds to the social science literature on ways in which marginalized groups mobilise to alter established organizations and institutions. -- Thomas O'Brien History of Education 2009 Rojas's organizational perspective, informed by a strong foundation in sociological theory, provides valuable insights. As a study of the major issues surrounding the birth and development of Black studies, the book works very well, covering most of the important controversies, often in careful historical detail. -- Mario Luis Small Journal of Black Studies
Product Description
The black power movement helped redefine African Americans' identity and establish a new racial consciousness in the 1960s. As an influential political force, this movement in turn spawned the academic discipline known as Black Studies. Today there are more than a hundred Black Studies degree programs in the United States, many of them located in America's elite research institutions. In From Black Power to Black Studies, Fabio Rojas explores how this radical social movement evolved into a recognized academic discipline. Rojas traces the evolution of Black Studies over more than three decades, beginning with its origins in black nationalist politics. His account includes the 1968 Third World Strike at San Francisco State College, the Ford Foundation's attempts to shape the field, and a description of Black Studies programs at various American universities. His statistical analyses of protest data illuminate how violent and nonviolent protests influenced the establishment of Black Studies programs. Integrating personal interviews and newly discovered archival material, Rojas documents how social activism can bring about organizational change. Shedding light on the black power movement, Black Studies programs, and American higher education, this historical analysis reveals how radical politics are assimilated into the university system.
