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(Photo: Dr. Nkuzi Nnam is featured in this photo by Crain's Chicago Business).

 

Dominican University’s Black World Studies program is highlighted in articles recently published by Crain’s Chicago Business.

The articles are part of a series published by Crain's that explore the Black studies discipline in higher education.

The first article, published May 10, looks at Black studies programs at several Illinois colleges and universities and the challenges facing the discipline. The article points to efforts occurring around the U.S. to restrict the teaching of Black history, most notably in Florida where the governor ordered the state's education department to bar the College Board's Advanced Placement African American studies class from being taught in high schools.

Dr. Nkuzi Nnam, founding director of Dominican's Black World Studies program, is quoted in the article. 

"It's really silly that, rather than getting people educated in their history, anybody would do anything to diminish education," Nnam said. "Education makes you wiser, smarter and better. Sweeping a history under the carpet benefits no one. Everyone is bound to suffer. Period."

Also featured in the piece is Dominican University junior Stephon Frost, who shared how learning about housing segregation in a Black studies course made him more aware of predatory lending practices that could impact his own financial well-being.

Read the full story here.

The second article, published on May 15 and entitled Black Studies Degree Prepares Graduates for a Wide Range of Careers, features graduates of various universities who majored in Black studies programs and how they have personally and professionally benefited.

Dominican University alumna Lauryn Bergert ’21 is quoted in the piece. She received her degree in Black world studies from Dominican and is now pursuing dual master’s and doctorate degrees in psychology.

"Whatever I do will be centered on giving back to low-income communities and breaking down the stigma of mental health in Black and brown communities," Bergert told the publication.

Read the full story here.