New Books in Education Fabio Rojas, "From Black Power to Black Studies: How a Radical Social Movement Became an Academic Discipline" (JHU Press, 2010)
May 13, 2026
Fabio Rojas, sociology professor at Indiana University who studies how social movements shape higher education. He traces how the Black Power movement led to the birth of Black Studies, recounting strikes like San Francisco State and the shift from protest to departments. The conversation covers philanthropy’s role, campus politics, sustainability models, and the field’s ongoing public relevance.
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Research Sparked By A Small Library Shelf
- Fabio Rojas discovered the Black Studies gap while in a University of Chicago reading group and visiting Berkeley protests in 1999.
- He found only an eight-inch shelf on Black Studies at Chicago library, which prompted his dissertation and book.
How San Francisco State Won The First Black Studies Program
- San Francisco State became the first place to create a Black Studies curriculum after Black Panthers and older commuter students mobilized there in 1968.
- Jimmy Garrett and the Black Student Union coordinated community support, strikes, and ten demands including a Black Studies program.
From Protest To Paperwork Changes Program Shape
- Institutionalizing movements requires shifting tactics from street protest to administrative procedures and professional norms.
- Rojas describes the transition: activists must 'put on a coat and tie, fill out the form' to convert demands into departments and degrees.
