African American Studies: The Discipline and Its Dimensions is a comprehensive resource book that recounts the development of the discipline of African American Studies and provides a basic reference source for sixteen areas of knowledge of the discipline: anthropology, art, dance, economics, education, film, history, literature, music, philosophy, psychology, religion, sociology, political science, science and technology, sports and religion. African American Studies defines bodies of knowledge, methodologies, philosophies, disciplinary concepts, contents, scope, topics scholars have concerned themselves, as well as the growth, development, and present status of the discipline. African American Studies validates that African American Studies is a unique and significant discipline-one that intersects almost every academic discipline and cultural construct-and confirms that the discipline has a noteworthy history and a challenging future. The various bodies of knowledge, the philosophical framework, methodological procedures, and theoretical underpinnings of the discipline have never been clearly delineated from an African-centered perspective.
"Confronted with a volume this size the knee jerk reaction is to use terms such as 'definitive,' 'comprehensive,' and 'indispensable'. With African American Studies: The Discipline and Its Dimensions these have been earned and are well deserved. Nathaniel Norment, Jr engages a subject that is broad in scope, evolving in complexity, steeped in scholarly debates, and now a half-century old in its current phase. After a learned and balanced discussion of the origins and development of African American Studies in the broadest sense, Professor Norment devotes seventeen chapters to areas and disciplines where it is both relevant and has had an impact. This book is such a treasure trove of persons, events, organizations, facts and analysis that it should be on the desk of every professor and teacher in the field from middle and high schools through undergraduate and graduate institutions. The bibliographies are reliable starting points for additional reading and research for teachers and students alike. Clear in its point of view, free from the factual errors, polemics and out right falsehoods that can appear on some. internet sites, African American Studies: The Discipline and Its Dimensions is a trustworthy resource. Well done, Professor Norment. Well done."-John H. Bracey, Professor and former Chair, W.E.B. Du Bois Department of Afro-American Studies, University of Massachusetts, Amherst
"African American Studies: The Discipline and Its Dimensions is a rare text with as much depth as breadth. It stands alone as a comprehensive guide to the history, present and future of the fields of African American and Africana Studies and is a highly readable, engaging indispensable resource for teachers, students and the all others who want to better understand the breathtakingly interdisciplinary contributions of Black Studies to higher education and the world at large."-Noliwe Rooks, Professor, Africana Studies, and Director, American Studies, Cornell University