AFA 235 - Introduction to the History of African Diaspora

(3)s

This course explores key issues and events in the history of the African Diaspora. The African Diaspora is broadly defined to encompass the experiences of people of African descent across time and vast geographical areas. Taking the current trends in Diaspora studies literature into account, it emphasizes the “homeland plus Diaspora” model, and examines the history of the people of African descent in Africa and other parts of the world. It also evaluates the contributions of Africans in the formation of multi-ethnic, cross-cultural societies in Asia, Europe and the Americas. The course discusses the dialectical relationships between Africans and the people of the African Diaspora, and the cultural and intellectual world that they created since the sixteenth century. Using appropriate textbooks, essays, primary sources and documentary videos, the course attempts to help understand the historical and cultural bonds between Africans and people of African Diaspora. After a brief overview of the African background, it chronologically introduces the African Diaspora experiences in Asia, Europe, the Caribbean, North and South America. It deals with the Atlantic slave trade and the connections between slavery and the development of racism in America. This course is recommended for students who are completing a certificate program in Africana Studies, those who are at entry level or junior standing.Also Listed as HIS 235