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Introduction to Black Studies

What will Kentucky Book Festival visitors find on your table?

Copies of the award-winning book An Introduction to Black Studies will be on the table.

Whom do you invite to stop by? Who will benefit from reading your book?

Educators, students, the general public, and anyone interested in African American history andAmerican history.

Dr. Nathan, President of Saybrook University, called this book “a compelling, brilliant treatment ofthe history of Black studies in the United States. Eric Jackson has accomplished what few scholarsachieve in such a work: a concisely crafted historical narrative that incorporates clear context andpowerful analysis for each historical period in the Black studies movement. Appealing to a broadacademic audience, An Introduction to Black Studies is essential for emergent and establishedscholars alike.” 

Could you please tell us something curious about you and/or your book?

An Introduction to Black Studies, the winner for the Thomas D. Clark Foundation book award, wasreleased in a timely period. In 2022, College Board–an organization that offers AdvancedPlacement classes for high school students to earn college credit–released the outline for the newAP African American Studies course. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis rejected the course, claiming itincluded polarizing critical race theory tenets in its curriculum. Jackson’s book was promoted withthe impactful slogan “No AP Class Required.” Written with readability in mind, the book approachesBlack studies without jargon or academic languages and encompasses all of the field’s eightdisciplines—history, sociology, psychology, religion, feminism, education, political science and art—in 17 chapters that each begin with specific learning objectives.

Is this your first time participating in Kentucky Book Festival? If yes – what are you looking forwardto the most? If you’ve participated before – what was your favorite experience at the Festival?

This will be my first time attending the festival. My hope is to engage and interact with attendeesand share valuable and important information about the book. 

About the Author

Recipient of the Thomas D. Clark Medallion Award, Dr. Eric R. Jackson is a Professor of History and Associate Dean in the College of Arts and Sciences at Northern Kentucky University, with thirty years of university experience and over fifty publications. In An Introduction to Black Studies, Jackson connects the growth and impact of Black studies to the broader context of social justice movements, emphasizing the historical and contemporary demand for the discipline.

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