F Mental Health in Black Communities

Catalog description

54 hours lecture per term. This course introduces students to the interdisciplinary field of Black Studies through the lens of Black mental health. Drawing from Afrocentric paradigms, African-centered psychology, and Ethnic Studies frameworks, students analyze the historical and contemporary factors shaping the mental health of Black communities, including racial capitalism, anti-Black racism, intersectionality, gendered and sexual oppression, and settler colonialism. The course examines the conceptual foundations of Black mental health and critiques Eurocentric models, highlighting Black feminist thought, queer of color critique, and community-based healing traditions. Students will study cultural production, spirituality, kinship, and political resistance as forms of wellness and mental liberation. Emphasis is placed on strategies to decolonize mental health, build systems of collective care, and construct liberatory models of well-being for Black communities. (Degree Credit) (CSU) (UC) AA GE, Cal-GETC