One of the main problems with higher education is that curriculums, both past and present, objectify and marginalize the experiences of people of color and thus reduce diversity in the graduate and professional school populations. African American, Asians, Hispanics, and other minorities are studied in many college-level classes only as an afterthought. To rectify this situation, courses in African-American communication should be taught in speech communication departments and colleges and universities in this country. Courses at both the undergraduate and graduate level in African American public discourse would provide students with an opportunity to become acquainted with the public discourse that grows out of the traditions of the African-American community and is guided by principles generated in African black speech communities. A pivotal notion undergirding these courses would be that all public discourse is culture specific. Some of the reasons such a course should be taught are as follows: (1) no study of communication is complete unless it considers communication that is not of European descent; (2) an African-American perspective seldom exists in communication departments; (3) the course would equip students with additional skills of critical thinking in communication because it would force them to recognize that communication occurs in particular cultural contexts, between particular speakers and listeners. Such courses would facilitate the understanding that African-American discourse can be described not only in terms of style but also in terms of motive, content and sources of knowledge. (Contains two appendixes of course materials, including reading lists, syllabi and course guidelines.) (TB)