Common historical experience and the diversities unique to the area will be explored in terms of language, family, and ethnicity. The methodology will be descriptive and critical. This course is part of the John Hope Franklin Distinguished Lecture, which is given annually during Black History Month. His topic was W.E.B. DuBois. Students are required to read one book or three scholarly articles on the topic of the lecture.
Students are to also meet three times with the professor coordinating the directed readings.
I 3 credits This course explores the African origins, the forced removal of Africans to the Americas, the development of slavery, and the resistance to that institution. We will also explore the free black communities and the institutions that African-Americans developed. The latter part of the semester will be devoted to the role of African-Americans in the Civil War and during the period of Reconstruction. This is the first part of a two-part introductory series designed to provide a broad acquaintance with African culture, civilization, and history from the earliest times to the eve of the colonial era. The course will discuss the origins of humankind, the development of civilization in Africa, and other general continental themes.