Africana Studies Program

AS-101. Intro Latin Amer & Latino Stud. 3.00 Credits.

This course will introduce students to the study of Latin America as a region-it's history, culture, politics and economic development- and Latino Studies, which examines the experiences of people of Latin American descent in the U. S. Course Type(s): Pluralism.

AS-137. Nonviolence Community Org. Social Move. 3.00 Credits.

A study of violence and human nature the theory and practice of nonviolence, how conflicts - local and global - can be solved nonviolently and the lives of past and current peacemakers, including Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Dorothy Day and many others.

AS-177. Introduction to Africana Studies. 3.00 Credits.

This course offers an introduction to the field of Africana Studies. It includes the theoretical foundations for this discipline as well as an historical exploration of forces leading to emergence of artistic, music, poetry and social movements. Course Type(s): Pluralism.

AS-200. Ethnic and Racial Relations. 3.00 Credits.

The study of inter ethnic and interracial relations. American and international experiences of immigrant groups, majorities, minorities, dominant cultures, and subcultures.

AS-202. Urban Music: Jazz to Hip-Hop. 3.00 Credits.

This course studies the history of urban music from jazz to rock and roll up to today's urban sounds. The course will concentrate both on the music and its socioeconomic impact on the urban landscape. Course Type(s): Pluralism.

AS-213. Multiculturalism in Justice. 3.00 Credits.

Understanding community groups of various ethnic, racial and cultural backgrounds, elevating the awareness in Law Enforcement Agencies. Prerequisites: CJ-165 CJ-170.

AS-230. Black American Politics. 3.00 Credits.

This course will examine the political behavior of African Americans in the United States. Students will examine the relationship between African Americans and the American political system in order to gain a broader perspective of the American political process. Issues of leadership, representation and empowerment strategies will be addressed. We will consider various forms of participation as we attempt to assess Black political empowerment. We will consider the behavior of Blacks within political institutional settings and at various levels of government. We will also discuss issues such as Black political thought (conservatism, liberalism, and nationalism) and contemporary issues in African American politics. Prerequisites: AS-175 AS-177 SO-121 OR UR-151.

AS-235. Harlem Renaissance. 3.00 Credits.

The examination of the art, music, poetry, and politics of the Harlem community in the 1920's and 1930's. Course Type(s): Pluralism.

AS-245. Haitians in America: Culture/Identity. 3.00 Credits.

Examines the history and experiences in America, paying special attention to how and why Haitians come to the U.S. It also explores patterns of settlement and mobility as well as interaction with other groups. Prerequisites: AS-175 OR AS-177 OR SO-121.

AS-273. Global Feminisms. 3.00 Credits.

This interdisciplinary course explores global issues and debates regarding significant issues affecting women's lives and opportunities for equality.

AS-286. Haiti and the Revolution (1791-1804). 3.00 Credits.

This course will examine the Haitian Revolution of 1791-1804 and the formation of the first independent nation in the Caribbean. Course Type(s): Pluralism.

AS-288. The Role of Religion in Social Protest. 3.00 Credits.

This course examines various formal and informal roles of religions in social protest from the New York City uprisings through Black Lives Matter and beyond. Prerequisites: SO-121 OR UR-151 OR AS-177.

AS-297. Fat Feminism and Comparative Politics. 3.00 Credits.

A look at the American diet industry and medical institutions as they relate to the intersection of fat-phobia as anti blackness. A connection to how modern feminism has shaped the body positivity movement and the evolution of fat politics.

AS-319. Politics and Pandemics. 3.00 Credits.

The COVID-19 pandemic sparked intense discussion about the political and economic factors and responses that have shaped this most recent iteration of a world pandemic. This course considers the political, economic, and climate change realities that have ushered forth the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as previous world vital catastrophes. Also, it looks at what these epidemics reveal about the injustices that permeate societies, and why marginalized communities, such as immigrants, communities of color, the elderly, and the economically impoverished disproportionately bear the brunt of the pandemic's brutal effects. Finally, and in the words of Arundhati Roy, how might we walk through the portal of the pandemic in a liberated way? Course Type(s): Mission Seminar.

AS-339. Literature of the Black Atlantic. 3.00 Credits.

Africana culture has flowed across the Atlantic Ocean littoral from the earliest days of the trans-Atlantic slave trade - not just from West Africa to the New World, but back and forth in complex circuits interconnecting the black peoples of West Africa, the Caribbean, the United States, and the United Kingdom. This is what scholar Paul Gilroy, in his groundbreaking formulation, calls "the Black Atlantic": an Africanist socio-cultural entity that traverses national and geographic borders. This course examines the literature of the Black Atlantic, proceeding from a survey of different theorizations of blackness to an analysis of select works by black authors that focus particularly on social and cultural encounters, exchanges, movements, and inter-group conceptualizations of different Africana peoples. Prerequisites: ONE COURSE FROM EL-201 EL-202 EL-203 EL-204 EL-205 EL-206 EL-207 OR EL-208; Course Type(s): Pluralism, Writing Intensive.

AS-340. Intercultural Relations. 3.00 Credits.

An examination of the influence of cultural factors on human thought, emotion and action. Theoretical and methodological issues in intercultural relations are reviewed and observational studies conducted. Prerequisites: SO-121.

AS-343. Black Theology. 3.00 Credits.

The study of the origins and influence of the major religious traditions found in the American Black community. May substitute for TH-120 or be used as a Values course, but not both. Prerequisites: COMPLETE 6 CREDITS: 1 COURSE FROM COURSES PL-130 PL-140 AND 1 COURSE FROM COURSES TH-110 TH-120; Course Type(s): Values.

AS-353. Sociology of the Black Family. 3.00 Credits.

Course examines the black family in historical and contemporary perspectives. Emphasis is placed on how these are a variety of ?families? in the African-American community as well as all other communities. Prerequisites: AS-175 AS-177 SO-121 OR UR-151.

AS-359. African-American Writers. 3.00 Credits.

A survey of the major literary achievements of black American writers. Course Type(s): Writing Intensive, Pluralism.

AS-362. African American Literature. 3.00 Credits.

Students will experience the artistry of American writers of color by tracing their development from the early slave narrative to contemporary works of film, novels, and poetry. Discussions will revolve around these texts to familiarize readers with theories of formal literary reading, and cultural/ethnic distinction; subjects include gender-based criticism, theories of community, and attitudes toward racism and prejudice.

AS-380. Spatial Justice Cities and Resistence. 3.00 Credits.

Spatial Justice is an invitation to discuss social justice by looking at places and spaces around us. How much does the design of our cities reflect and offer insights into social and economic inequalities? How do city spaces influence embodied aspects of our daily lives? How can structured or spontaneous acts of spatial resistance impact broader social dynamics? Through the comparative study of urban social dynamics around the world, this course will discuss the contradictory ways in which spaces are socially constructed, consider different urban experiences in relation to race, gender, class, and sexual orientation, investigate spacial resistance dynamics, and explore how those can be applied to the promotion of more just and inclusive social & spatial realities.

AS-399. Independent Study. 1.00 Credit.

AS-411. Nationalism and Revolution. 3.00 Credits.

A comparative and analytical study of nationalism and revolutionary movements. Nation-building in contemporary underdeveloped countries.

AS-412. Ethnicity and Race in Urban History. 3.00 Credits.

Includes the African and European immigrant experiences in America, the effects of slavery and urbanization, and the formation of class consciousness. Prerequisites: SO-121 OR UR-151, AND SO-280 AND SO-384; COMPLETE 6 CREDITS: 1 COURSE FROM COURSES PL-130 PL-140 AND 1 COURSE FROM COURSES TH-110 TH-120; Course Type(s): Values, Capstone, Writing Intensive, Pluralism.

AS-428. Literature of East and West Africa. 3.00 Credits.

A study of seminal texts representing the Acholi, Gikuyu, Malinke, Igbo, Wolof, Bambara and Senegalese peoples of East and West Africa. Prerequisites: COMPLETE 6 CREDITS: 1 COURSE FROM COURSES PL-130 PL-140 AND 1 COURSE FROM COURSES TH-110 TH-120; Course Type(s): Values, Pluralism, Online Course.

AS-489. Globalization and Fieldwork Seminar. 3.00 Credits.

Short term study/travel course in which students conduct first hand investigations on the effects of globalization in relevant settings. Specific area and topics determined at the beginning of the Academic Year. Locations change every term. Additional travel course fee of $50. Course Type(s): International (Travel), Pluralism.