National Council for Black Studies
National Council for Black Studies (NCBS) is a member based organization for black studies professionals, based in Cincinnati, OH at the University of Cincinnati, United States, which works for the development of Black or Africana studies as a respected academic discipline. Their stated philosophy is that "Education should engender both academic excellence and social responsibility."[1]
The NCBS was established in 1975 by African American scholars who recognized a need to formalize the study of the African world experience, as well as expand and strengthen academic units and community programs devoted to this endeavor.[1]
The council's goals include: establishing standards and providing development guidance for black studies programs in institutions of higher learning, facilitating the recruitment of black scholars at all levels, promoting scholarly Afrocentric research, assisting in the creation of multicultural education programs and materials for K-12 schools and providing professional advice to policy makers in education, government and community development.[1]
Black studies programs are found at about 200 colleges and universities in the United States, only about 10 of which are historically black institutions.[2] The field has produced a large body of work examining the black experience. Black studies have unearthed the literature of slaves and explored the impact of the slave economy, the role of black churches and the complexity of black society.[2] The organization holds an Annual Conference which is attended by all levels of scholars from around the globe and features over 200 presentations that run the gamut of issues affecting people of African descent the world over.
References
- 1 2 3 The National Council for Black Studies (NCBS): Who Are We? Official website.
- 1 2 Black studies: Fighting for respect: Programs "survive because of the dedication ... of faculty" CNN January 21, 2002