Black Humanities

University of Bristol

Overview

Based on cutting-edge research from across the humanities, you will study the histories and intellectual frameworks that underpin contemporary debates about race. Through your reading and seminar discussions, you will be encouraged to address urgent questions concerning the parameters of knowledge and knowledge production, the legacies of systemic racism and campaigns for social justice. 

These will be discussed through consideration of historical and contemporary contexts in Africa, the Caribbean and the Americas, and Europe. Over the course of the programme, you will learn about Black experiences in Britain, and specifically in Bristol, a city deeply entangled with the transatlantic plantation economy and its legacies.

The University of Bristol is home to the Centre for Black Humanities , an international hub for research on Black life that directly informs our teaching. Our members are engaged in pioneering research on topics including UK hip-hop, Black British art, the histories and memories of Enslavement, African literary activism and the Lusophone Atlantic. We place critical importance on being part of an international and multilingual community. This is reflected in the Centre’s annual programme of external speakers and seminars, offering you the opportunity to engage with world-renowned scholars as well as Bristol's cutting-edge cultural scene.

Career prospects

Graduates of this programme are equipped to go on to careers in a variety of fields, such as education, politics and campaigning, the arts and heritage sector, publishing, the civil service, media and journalism. 

They are also well placed to continue on to doctoral studies in fields across the humanities. Crucially, graduates will have acquired not only a firm grounding in a rich intellectual tradition that continues to shape society, but also transferable skills including critical thinking, and the ability to argue persuasively.