This Black History Month, schools and colleges around the country are grappling with the Trump administrations’ dismantling of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion programs. And there’s been a specific spotlight on ethnic studies and Black studies departments…
It can be difficult to measure the value of what is in danger of disappearing. To better understand we recall just how hard a fight it was to establish the country's first Black Studies Departments.
So where did Black Studies originate? Right here in the Bay Area. It was the mid 1960s and a Black movement was growing in Oakland and Berkeley. African American leaders of the time were leading a movement to create Black studies in Berkeley High, Merritt College in Oakland, and San Francisco State.
Here, Crosscurrents host Hana Baba speaks with East Bay filmmaker Doug Harris - he grew up during this period and tells that story in his documentary, "Epicenter."
