PRAIRIE VIEW, Texas (June 6, 2025) – What happens to the stories of our grandparents long after they’re gone? As a consequence of discriminatory systems that prevented the written record and safeguarding of the African American experience, much of what remains today are the remnants of oral tellings passed on from one generation to the next. For Ariel Smith, this is a historical wrong that she plans to correct.
As the first graduate of Prairie View A&M University’s African American Studies Program, Ariel doesn’t discount the instruction that her peers receive at predominantly white institutions (PWIs), but asserts that Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) offer students insights and a connectedness that can’t be gained elsewhere.
“Many HBCUs were once institutions of slavery or on lands where our people suffered, yet they have been transformed into institutions of higher learning. Why shouldn’t they offer the program when our professors are the most qualified to teach the courses?”
The brainchild of former PVAMU President Ruth J. Simmons, the University launched the program in the fall of 2022 to equip students with the interdisciplinary and analytical skills to engage in historical narratives and discussions about equality and justice.
While HBCUs have traditionally been at the forefront of African American education, among the over 150 colleges and universities that offer an African American studies degree program, HBCUs are disproportionately represented.
“African American studies is offered at many PWIs, which is amazing, but the students are receiving critical information from a different lens. There’s a different level of care from professors who look like us and understand us and our backgrounds. We need more Black and brown faces in higher education to teach Black and brown students how to excel,” said Ariel.
Walking in Purpose
In Ariel’s senior year in high school, with the prospect of college approaching, she was torn. At her core, she knew she wanted to be a history teacher. However, in a technologically driven economy and job market, she feared that pursuing educational studies would limit her professional prospects in the future. Upon learning more about African American studies, Ariel discovered a pathway for career flexibility that would also allow her to learn more about her history and herself.
Ariel described her experience as awkwardly transformational. Enrolling in PVAMU with her associate’s degree made her feel as if she was running on borrowed time. “In the beginning, I wasn’t sure what my interests were, and I didn’t have four years to figure it out.”
Eventually, Ariel welcomed the awkwardness. Fully embraced by the program, she began to look deep within herself to figure out who she wanted to be and, most importantly, the impact she wanted to leave. The once introverted young woman outgrew her shell, stretching her legs into new interests and further developing as a leader. From acting as the director for a campus ministry to joining a dance troupe and campus clubs, Ariel says she is most proud of her transformation into the woman she’s become.
Though Ariel did not initially realize the magnitude of the journey when she first enrolled in the program, she now understands what it means for the University, the state of African American studies in higher education, and the Black community’s collective history.
“This program has helped me to realize that my identity as a Black woman is rooted in our history…My grandmother, great-grandmother, and great-great-grandmother are a part of those stories, and without them, there is no me.”
Preserving a Story
Disconnected from centuries of tradition and culture, many African Americans carry the burden of a loss of identity.
African American studies programs provide students with the interdisciplinary skills to critically analyze African Americans’ social, economic, cultural, political, and historical experiences and contributions in the U.S. and throughout the diaspora.
For a people caught in the dichotomy of their national identity as Americans—one that has shaped their language and traditions, and African roots- African American studies is an opportunity to rediscover what it means to be Black, and both the pride and challenges accompanying that reality.
Ariel says one of the most important takeaways as a student in the program was learning how critical it is to protect Black history intergenerationally and for the collective realm of education.
“My understanding of Black history and culture evolved simply because my eyes were opened to the multitude of disparities that we’ve faced, yet our people have survived because we are resilient. Learning about our people in such a microscopic way instilled in me a new sense of pride.”
Through her matriculation in the program, Ariel felt safe. Not only did her professors pour into her in the classroom, but her peers also embraced and valued Ariel as a thought leader. Having a community at PVAMU that encouraged her passion for history and writing and sought her knowledge was transformational.
Courses like Dr. William Hoston’s Black Masculinity and Dr. Marco Robinson’s Public Internship class provided a space where she could have relevant conversations about the state of Black people in America and explore various themes across sectors of society.
“Dr. Hoston has a gift for creating exciting projects. In my final project, I interviewed a community activist, Mr. Fredrick Roberts. It was an amazing experience that created another network for me even after I leave Prairie View.”
History in the Making
Ariel is the first of her lineage to join the PVAMU family, but she hopes she won’t be the last. “I’m the continuation of excellence. I’m not a first-generation college student; my mother walked that line so that I could run in her path, and I’m not a legacy student, but I hope my children will be.”
Reflecting on her overall experience, Ariel feels fulfilled and blessed. She advises students who are considering joining the program to be open and to leverage their interests as a pathway into African American studies. “If you don’t see a space for yourself in this field, then create your own and tailor it to who you are and your passions.”
She’s admittedly sad to leave the place she’s called home over the last three years, but knows she’ll be back. As for now, Ariel is looking forward to putting her degree to work. She aspires to research vital community histories often overlooked and forgotten, and create displays of African American history that will reach and resonate with the masses. She’s already accepted a position as a 7th and 8th grade social studies teacher in the Baton Rouge area, and plans to enroll in Louisiana State University’s Educational Leadership master’s program.
Thanks to professors like Dr. Ronald E. Goodwin, professor of history and interim department head, and Dr. Robinson’s Public Internship course, which allowed her to create a student display in the library that captured campus life of Prairie View in the 20th century, she believes this exposure open her eyes to the realms of possibility in African American studies, more than preparing her to embark on her career as a researcher, historian, and educator.
“I came here and did everything I set out to do and more. I thank Prairie View for growing me into the woman I am today, so I’ll leave here with no regrets and a smile, proclaiming that I’m proud to be a Productive Panther.”
Click here to view more of Spring 2025’s notable graduates.
By Whitney Stovall
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