Afro-American Studies

Professors Richard Fredland, Political Science; Missy Kubitschek, English; John McKivigan, History; Joseph T. Taylor (Emeritus), Sociology

Associate Professors Robert Aponte, Sociology; Monroe Little, History; Obioma Nnaemeka, French/Women’s Studies

Assistant Professors Jovier Evans, Psychology; Didier Gondola, History; Una Okonkwo Osili, Economics

Adjunct Professors Alvin Bynum (Emeritus), Sociology; William Taylor; Addisu Tolesa, Folklore

Afro-American studies encompasses the scholarly exploration of African and African American life and culture from an interdisciplinary perspective. Courses in Afro-American studies are offered in many departments of the School of Liberal Arts.

Minor in Afro-American Studies

Requirements The minor in Afro-American studies requires 15 credit hours, distributed as follows:

Courses

Required Courses (9 cr.)

A364 History of Black Americans (3 cr.) A survey of the historical origins and development of the African community in the United States. Topics include kingdoms of ancient Africa, the Atlantic slave trade, New World Slave systems, antebellum free African American protest, the Civil War and Reconstruction, nationalism and Pan-Africanism, the Harlem Renaissance, and the Civil Rights and Black Liberation movements of the 1960s.

A402 Seminar in Afro-American Studies (3 cr.) P: junior standing, with 9 credit hours in Afro-American studies, or permission of the program director. Advanced seminar devoted to discussion and analysis of the political, social, and economic status and prospects of the African American community.

Elective Courses (6 cr.)

Program Electives:

A202 The West and the African Diaspora (3 cr.) An introduction to Western Europe’s and America’s perception of Africa and Africans. Emphasis is on the image of Africans and their New World descendants, as constructed by European and American intellectuals.

A303 Topics in Afro-American Studies (1-3 cr.) Study of selected topics or issues in Afro-American studies occasionally, but not always, coordinated with symposia and/or conferences sponsored by the Afro-American Studies Program.

A352 Afro-American Art II: Afro-American Artists (3 cr.) A survey of the artistic traditions of the Africans in the New World, from the period of slavery in North and South America through contemporary and expatriate African American artists.

A495 Individual Readings in Afro-American Studies (1-3 cr.) By arrangement with instructor. Investigation of topics of special interest to students that are not covered in the regular program curriculum or that students wish to pursue in greater detail. May be repeated once for credit.

Department Electives:

Anthropology A337 African American Health Care

Anthropology E300 African American Culture

Arabic A131-A132

English G310 Social Speech Patterns

English L370 Black American Writing

English L406 Topics in African American Literature

Folklore F394 Afro-American Folklore

Geography G424 Geography of Africa

Women’s Studies W300 Black Women Writers

History E432 History of Africa II

Music M393 History of Jazz

Music M394 Black Music in America (3 cr.)

Political Science Y338 African Politics

Sociology R461 Race and Ethnic Relations