Interrogating the Problematic of Race, Ethnicity and Identity in African American Studies
Keywords:
African American Studies, identity, race, Afrocentrism, ideologyAbstract
This article analyzes the evolution and contemporary debates within African American Studies, focusing particularly on the contested roles of race, ethnicity, and identity. The paper explores how the discipline has evolved from its inception in the late 1960s, overcoming rejection and marginalization to become a permanent feature of American intellectual life. The author contends that despite recognition and institutionalization, there remains no consensus on the defining character, scope, or philosophical paradigm of African American Studies. Three dominant perspectives—Liberal-Consensus (Inclusionist), Afrocentricity, and Transformative—are examined, each reflecting different ideological trajectories and configurations of the field. The article argues that these perspectives highlight ongoing tensions between essentializing race, emphasizing ethnicity (Africanness), and determining the role of black struggles in shaping the discipline's course. This study examines how these debates have provoked heated discussions on the nature and essence of black American identity, contributing to a deeper understanding of the field's foundational challenges.
(The abstract and keywords were prepared retrospectively for indexing purposes using AI-assisted tools and editorial review, based on the original article. They did not appear in the original publication.)
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