Gadsden State Community College will offer a new history class Fall Semester that will cover the African-American experience from the colonial era to the present day. The emphasis will be balanced between local and national events engaging with local history and understanding how the events impact our daily lives and relations.
The unique class is History 256: African-American History and is part of an initiative to expand the course offerings to students. The Alabama Community College System has approved the class and classified it as a code B class, which means that it will transfer if the institution deems it appropriate for the major or pre-major requirements.
This class is currently being offered at various community colleges and universities. Students may choose to take it as an elective class if they are interested in learning more about the social and cultural history of race or how national and international events impact state and local culture.
Joshua Bearden, GSCC history instructor, is looking forward to teaching the class and expects to have traditional students enrolled as well as some students who are not pursuing a degree but are simply interested in learning about local history. The course will not be just a textbook learning experience. There will be trips to the local Carver Museum and the Civil Rights Museum in Birmingham. Bearden plans to have local speakers share their insight and experiences with the students as part of the course. He is excited about the opportunity to offer the new class and anticipates an exciting semester. “We have worked hard on the syllabus and feel confident that this course will benefit our students both educationally and culturally.”
For more information about the class contact Joshua Bearden at 256-439-6907 or joshbearden@gadsdenstate.edu. Fall Semester classes at Gadsden State begin August 20.