Introduction to Black Studies

Dr. Maulana Karenga is professor and chair of the Department of Black Studies at California State University, Long Beach. He is author of numerous scholarly articles and several books. Dr. Karenga is also the creator of Kwanzaa and the Nguzo Saba and executive director of the Institute of Pan-African Studies.Almost 30 years ago when I was a classroom teacher in the Dayton, Ohio public school system, I was asked to teach a course in Black History. While preparing the syllabus, it dawned on me that although I had graduated from a historically Black University with a major in History, I knew very little about the subject. I then began a personal mental reclamation project in an attempt to rescue and reconstruct my humanity. Dr. Karenga's Introduction To Black Studies was a welcome addition to this ongoing project. Dr. Charles Henry, Professor, African American Studies, UC Berkeley says, "Maulana Karenga's Introduction To Black Studies is simply the best text available on the subject," and I agree with this assessment. Dr. James B. Stewart of Penn State University says "the volume reflects throughout, the commitment to solid analytical inquiry that characterizes the scholarship of its author."