Is African American Studies Relevant?

The relevance of African and African American Studies is widely debated. Many people question the importance of teaching the discipline in schools and universities. Why? From a very young age, we are taught about various cultures. From elementary school on, we learn about different kinds of people, their languages, their customs, what kind of food they eat. I am minoring in Spanish, and in my classes, we study more than just the language. We also learn about the holidays, traditions, and everyday life of people living in Spanish-speaking countries. To graduate with a degree from the College of Arts and Sciences at OU, students are required to have taken a non-western culture course. This shows the importance of learning about different cultures. The African and African American culture is just as relevant as any of the other cultures we learn growing up. Like other cultures, it is important to learn because it helps people further their understanding of other people. Halford Fairchild's article in the Los Angeles Times, "Why Black History Is Not Just for Blacks", explains why it is important to be educated in African American History. "Black history is critically important to the entirety of our society because it debunks the myths of the West and enlightens us to the worth and humanity inherent in all people-including people of African and African American ancestry."