Born in 1936, F.C, Richardson grew up in the south during the Jim Crow era, when segregation was the way of life.

Fortunately, by the time the educator arrived on the Indiana University Northwest campus to teach in 1967, “things were changing in a positive way,” as he said, thanks to the progress of civil rights.

"Compared to the difficulties I had in college, and in my life before that, the world was opening up.” -- F.C. Richardson

The era was a pivotal time for IU Northwest as well.

Only the second African-American to join IU Northwest’s faculty, Richardson quickly met a group of bright and motivated students who asked for his guidance in forming the “Black Caucus,” a student group that felt passionate about bringing opportunities for Black students to IU Northwest.

For the duration of his 17 years at IU Northwest, Richardson advised the Black Caucus, now known as the Black Student Union. Richardson, who left IU Northwest as dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, went on to positions at other universities and eventually to IU Southeast where he served as Chancellor until he retired in 2002.

The now-Chancellor Emeritus sees his early role as IU Northwest Black Caucus faculty advisor as one of his most important career contributions, along with the recruitment of other Black faculty members who continued to work towards achieving diversity and fairness in all areas of the university.

Over the next 50-plus years, the momentum would continue at IU Northwest and in the academic field. Beginning with the demands of the students who blazed a trail and got the attention of the IU Northwest administration, their efforts resulted in the development of dedicated courses oriented to Black Studies, and eventually, its own degree program, the formation of which paved the way for the field across the country.

A timeline of progress: 1968-present

1968

In 1968, the Department of History offered its first course in Afro-American History.

In the student newspaper, the Black Caucus’s first student leader, Gerry Samuel, wrote, “while this is a step in the right direction, I desperately hope that the university and the history department will not stop here, but will press on for the introduction of an African and Latin American program with special emphasis on the black man in the latter region.”

February 1969

By 1969, more Black Studies core courses were introduced, including “The Negro in American History,” “The Negro in American Politics,” and “Black Literature in America.” The administration announced that it intended to recruit Black faculty members to teach the courses.

March 1969

The Black Caucus organized in order to speak for and address the needs of Black students at IU Northwest. Gerry Samuel became its leader. F.C. Richardson became its faculty advisor. Henry Simmons, who taught the Afro-American History course, became its special faculty advisor.

Their first order of business was to demand a Black Studies degree program, not just a few “token” classes. The Black Caucus regarded this collection of courses as “tokenism” and demanded a full Black Studies Program.

April 1969

IU Northwest’s Faculty Organization approved the demands of the Black Caucus for a degree-granting program, now believed to be one of the first such programs developed in the U.S.

In addition, Chancellor John Buhner appointed F.C. Richardson to head a joint task force to implement the principles of agreement between the Faculty Organization and the Black Caucus, which included:

• Develop a Black Studies degree program, headed by a Black faculty member. Specifically, the students asked for courses in Black music, Black art, anthropology (relating to African culture), sociology (dealing with race and ethnic relations), economics and the community structure (why there is no real effort to remove poverty pockets in an affluent society), and a cultural course utilizing Black resources in the Gary-Calumet-Chicago area.
• Incorporate Black-oriented materials in presently run courses.
•  Library periodicals and books by and about Black people.
•  Establish a program for recruiting Black students in high schools and financial aid for these students.
•  Scholarships and financial aid for Black students.
•  Consultation with the Black Caucus on matters that affect Black students.

Fall 1969

Henry Simmons is appointed director of the new Afro-American Studies program and the degree program is officially listed in the "IU Northwest Bulletin," which was the official catalog of courses.

1970

A proposal to grant a Bachelor of Arts degree in Afro-American Studies is approved and reported to the regional campus coordinating committee.

1971

The Indiana Council on Higher Education approves the Bachelor of Arts degree in Afro-American Studies.

1972

The Black Studies program is firmly established at IU Northwest, with the first graduate of the program earning a diploma in 1972.

January 1990

As president of the Black Student Union (formerly the Black Caucus), Todd Deloney draws attention to the national Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday by undertaking a high-profile, one-man protest urging IU Northwest to close in observance of the holiday. He noted that then-Rep. Katie Hall, D-Ind., wrote the bill to create the holiday at her IU Northwest office.

January 1991

Joining Todd Deloney’s effort, more students joined the Black Student Union protest to draw attention to the campus remaining open on the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday.

That same year, then-Chancellor Peggy Elliott announced the campus would close to observe the holiday going forward.

2015

The name of the degree program is changed to African American and African Diaspora Studies (AAAD).

Current Department Chair Earl Jones, Ph.D., explained that the change is reflective of growth in the curriculum and the type of research undertaken in the field.

“The research has extended into understanding the diaspora, and questions of how the African presence here in the U.S. links to the continent itself, as well as the diaspora," Jones said. "So that has been a major shift and growth area of African American Studies. Along with that, in terms of visions and looking at how a program can develop over time, we are at the point now, where we can talk about the incorporation of diaspora studies and continental African studies directly in the curriculum here in the U.S.”

Jones added that another important part of the AAAD program is to bring to the forefront the significant contributions and influence of African civilization, as well as providing a critical analysis of inequality in all its forms, including race, economics, gender, and movements for social justice.

2019: A broad view

Today, the African American and African Diaspora Studies program is thriving. Jones explained that it is difficult to gauge the true reach of the curriculum, because of the many applications of the AAAD degree. The program’s strength is its interdisciplinary nature, he says, and that African American Studies can often be utilized in combination with another field of study. Students often minor in African American Studies, for example. Another popular path is the department’s post-baccalaureate certificate in urban planning.

Jones himself is an internationally recognized scholar in social policy planning and community development.

“We are now able to say that diverse perspectives are firmly embedded into the IU Northwest curriculum. This has happened because of what students were able to do in the 1960s across America.” -- Earl Jones 

Seeing the program come full circle, Richardson would agree. In fact, he’s coming to IU Northwest on Monday, Feb. 4 to accept an award for his contributions to the 50-year-old program.

“The Black Studies program would not have been there and would not have been successful if the university had not been responsive.”

At left: "The Flow of Music," by Jesse Johnson, B.A. in Communication. Johnson blended his communications/fine arts education with African American and African Diaspora studies.

February 2019

IU Northwest celebrates 50 years of Black Studies with an event that reflected on the growth and evolution of the discipline.

Abdul Alkalimat, Ph.D., of the University of Chicago, and an emeritus professor of African American Studies and Information Science at the University of Illinois, gave the keynote address at IU Northwest's 50th anniversary celebration. 

Todd Deloney, the Black Student Union's first president, who led the effort to close the IU Northwest campus for the national Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday, is recognized with an award for his contributions to the Black Studies program at IU Northwest, presented by Earl Jones, Ph.D., current department chair for the Minority Studies Department.