Rooted in the rich intellectual tradition of Black Studies—and routed in our commitment to make the national narrative “liberty and justice for all” a reality—this gateway course offers students grounded and cutting-edge knowledge in areas including law, education, politics, geography, music, film, media, technology, ecology + environment, health + wellness + science, art for social justice, AI for social justice, and more. In gaining such knowledge, students will learn/sharpen logical deduction skills through social science explorations in interesting and innovative ways with high applicability across majors. Join the journey as we experience Black freedom dreams of the past, present, and future!
4
UnitsOptional
Grading1, 2, 3
PasstimeNone
Level LimitLetters and science
CollegeThis professor has a bad attitude and acts like she does not like the students
Would not wish this professor on my worst enemy. Grading is extremely unfair, if you do not give the exact answer Banks is looking for your grade will suffer significantly. She definitely plays favorites and is convinced that she knows best. No creativity is accepted in answers, she wants to hear her opinion word-for-word. DON'T TAKE!
She expects you to memorize every interpretation on the readings as if it's gospel. No room to think critically, no room to think period. Want an A? You'll need to jot down every word that comes out of her mouth until your hand aches, and then regurgitate them verbatim on her essay tests. Will not respond to email--says so in class.
Here is how I ended with a 98: watch every lecture + write down EVERY WORD she says about the readings. EVERYTHING. Use these for quiz ans!!!Keep track of any hints/questions, and find answers to them. I skimmed the readings; only read the first + last sentences of every paragraph + intros/conclusions. Only fully read imp parts. Be a v good writer.
Loved talking to Professor Banks during Office Hours but wow, this class was rough. Need to be SUPER specific on quizzes and tests. Great information, but this was definitely the toughest class I've ever taken. Do Not take as a Freshman your first quarter. Might just want to skip period.
Professor Banks is very passionate, allowing for engaging lectures. However, her grading is very strict: if you don't say exactly what she's looking for then you're wrong. You could be missing one word and get a 20% lower grade. Her feedback on quizzes were not helpful at all and actually seemed quite mean. Interesting content but very overwhelming