Dr. M. Keith Claybrook, Jr. Book Talk In-Person
Join us at the University Library for a book talk with Dr. M. Keith Claybrook, Jr., Associate Professor, Chair and Undergraduate Advisor in the Department of Africana Studies.
Grounded in the mission of Africana Studies - cultural grounding, academic excellence, and social responsibility - Dr. Claybrook will discuss his book, Building the Basics: A Handbook for Developing Academic Excellence in Africana Studies. Building the Basics provides practical strategies to strengthen critical thinking, reading, writing, collaboration, and study skills in pursuit of academic excellence.
Event is free and open to the public.
Refreshments will be served.
Order the book online here.
Request disability-related accommodations at LIB-Events@csulb.edu.
- Date:
- Tuesday, March 3, 2026
- Time:
- 12:00pm - 1:00pm
- Time Zone:
- Pacific Time - US & Canada (change)
- Location:
- Library 501
- Categories:
- Library Special Events
M. Keith Claybrook, Jr., Ph.D. is an Associate Professor and chair and undergraduate advisor in the Department of Africana Studies at CSU, Long Beach. His research areas include the Black Freedom Movement, Black Los Angeles, African Deep Thought, Black Intellectual Histories, and the discipline of Africana Studies. In addition, Claybrook is the author of Building the Basics: A Handbook for Pursuing Academic Excellence in Africana Studies which is now in its third edition. The handbook offers tips, tidbits, and suggestions for studying at home, African Deep Thought and critical thinking, critical reading and questioning, scholarly writing, working collaboratively in groups, and preparing for quizzes and exams. He also has a chapter entitled “African Deep Thought: An African Centered Approach to Critical Thinking” in the forthcoming book New Perspectives in Africana Studies. Claybrook is currently working on two books. The first is a co-authored book entitled Voices from the Black Freedom Movement in Los Angeles: 1955-75 and the second is a single authored book entitled Voices of Black Men in Compton, 1970-1990. He is also a life-time member to the National Council of Black Studies (NCBS), Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH), as well as African American Intellectual History Society (AAIHS) where he also served as a regular contributor to its award-winning blog Black Perspectives from 2023-2025. He has published over 30 articles respected journals in the discipline such as in the International Journal of Africana Studies, the Journal of Black Studies, the Journal of African American Studies, and Africology: The International Journal of Pan African Studies. Claybrook has been interviewed and lent his expertise to print, television, and online blogs such as the Black Studies Podcast with Dr. Ashley Newby. Claybrook serves as the chair and undergraduate advisor of the Department of Africana Studies at CSU, Long Beach, where he also served two terms as faculty co-president of the Black Faculty and Staff Association, as well as advises the Black Student Union and the Black Business Student Association. He also serves on the Board of Directors for the African American Cultural Center of Long Beach.