The introduction of "Black" studies programs into institutions of higher education was a direct response to the mandate for change at all levels that characterized the civil rights movement and the social rebellions of the 1950s and 1960s. In Delores P. Aldridge and Carlene Young collect thirty-one of the nation's top scholars to provide a complete reference for understanding the impetus for, the development of, and future considerations for the discipline of "Africana" studies. Topics addressed include epistemological considerations; humanistic perspectives; the role of bureaucracy and the academic institution; the social, psychological, political, and economic dimensions; the position of black women in the field; and how the discipline has empowered the black student. This invaluable resource for educators and students alike concludes with a look at graduates in Africana studies and their careers and a discussion of the future of the field.