The Spain of the Catholic Monarchs 1474-1520 (A History of Spain) Book

2006. [not for me to read, but the argument is important]

Karina Valdez:
"From reading the more critical reviews of this book, I understand that uncovering the complex history of Black Studies possibly disturbs a powerful narrative behind the foundations of this field of Academia. However, I believe Rooks did an amazing job not taking away from that history, and opened up the conversation for how the legacy of the **Ford Foundation** continues to shape the way African American Studies programs are run, conceptualized, and perceived throughout the country today."

Lauren:
"Rooks is primarily concerned with the origins of Black Studies as a discipline and how the *Ford Foundation* influenced its academic focus in the late 60s and early 70s. I found her historical narrative to be a bit dry and repetitive - I almost put the book down out of a mix of boredom and frustration. I stuck with it, though, and it really picked up for me in Chapters 5 and 6 when she moved into the recent past and present to analyze the future of the discipline. Her writing on affirmative action, the current breakdown of "black" students on college campuses and how Hispanic students complicate the conversation on race in America were of particular interest to me"