Introductory Courses 100. Introduction to Afro-American Studies. This course introduces and provides a general overview of the area of Afroamerican Studies. It employs a multi-disciplinary perspective which combines elements from conventional historical, political, sociocultural, and behavioral orientations in the analysis of Afroamerican culture and institutions. The course format is a lecture-discussion with three weekly lectures.
Students meet with graduate student instructors once weekly to discuss course readings and lectures.
The course will be supplemented by guest lecturers, selected CAAS colloquia, films, and special projects. The survey begins on the African continent, follows captive Africans across the Atlantic, and then traces the contours of the struggle against slavery. Students will read a variety of texts, including examples of Black testimony as well as the work of contemporary cultural and social historians. Assignments include in-class examinations and a comprehensive final, short essays, and class presentations. Africa to 1850.