University of Michigan - Flint

101. (201). Introduction to Africana Studies. (3)s. Interdisciplinary examination of the Africana experience. The African American diaspora - the dispersion of persons of African American descent throughout the world - and trends, issues and forces that have shaped that experience; the contemporary status and condition of African Americans.

200. The History of Blues, Jazz and Rap. (3). Examination of the foundations for Jazz, Rock’n’Roll, Gospel Music, Soul, Rhythm and Blues as well as other popular forms of American music. Microcosm of American life in its portrait of Africana peoples’ experiences in America. Also listed as MUS 200.

202. African Music and Cultures. (3). Overview of the three types of music in Africa today: traditional, popular and written art music. Investigation of the diversity and shared characteristics of African cultures with reference to historical, social and cultural backgrounds of the music. Also listed as MUS 202.

203. Origins of Modern Racism. (3)h. Survey of the development of modern Western ideas of racism in the period 1492-1800, with particular attention to moral and political philosophies that developed in conjunction with the colonization and enslavement of African and Native American peoples in the New World. Figures studied may include Columbus, Las Casas, Montaigne, Locks, Rousseau and Jefferson. Also listed as ANT 203 and PHL 203.

204. World Dance Forms. Sophomore standing; DAN 116, 117, 118, or 120, 121, or 130, 131; or consent of instructor. (2)f. Movement and lecture course with emphasis on global cultures and their folk traditions through dance. Specific area of exploration determined a semester prior to course offering. Also listed as DAN 204 and INT 204.

205. African Religions and Philosophy. A course in philosophy numbered 100 or higher. (3)h. Examination of some African religions and African philosophy, to gain greater insight and understanding of traditional African religions and African philosophy such as Yoruba and Akan. The role of these traditional African religions and philosophies in the lives of continental and diaspora Africans, as well as non-Africans. Also listed as ANT 205 and PHL 205.

206. (319). Survey of African Literature. (3)h. Introduction to works of representative writers from all parts of the African continent. Also listed as CPL 206 and ENG 209.

207. Modern African Drama and Poetry. (3)h. Introduction to contemporary African drama and poetry, whose themes reflect socio-cultural, political and religious events prevalent in the societies from which they emanate. The relationship between traditional and modern drama and poetry. Analysis of language in selected poems and plays, including works by Wole Soyinka, Ama Ata Aidoo, Tess Onwueme, Athol Fugard, Dennis Brutus, and Niyi Ozundare. Also listed as CPL 207 and THE 207.

208. Multicultural Drama. (3)h. Multicultural drama within the context of the modern theatre. Examination of diverse cultures that impact contemporary society. Assimilation, integration, and cultural identity focal areas of scrutiny in a Western context on nonwestern and western authors. Also listed as THE 208.

213. Gospel Choir. Consent of instructor and freshman or sophomore standing only. (1)f. Rehearsal and performance of works in the Gospel Music tradition. May be repeated for multiple credit. Also listed as MUS 213.

215. Survey of African-American Literature. Prior or concurrent election of ENG 112. (3)h. Introduction to American literature written by African-American writers. Major authors studied in historical context along with cultural elements of folklore and related arts. Also listed as ENG 215.

216. Afro/Latino/Caribbean Women Writers. Prior or concurrent election of ENG 112. (3) h. Overview of the major genres, publishing activities, goals and concerns of female writers from the Anglophone, Francophone and Dutch Caribbean. The Caribbean Women Writers’ Project and the ways in which anticolonial discourse, issues of exile and sanctuary, and revisions of the literary tradition of the Caribbean are manifested in their literature. Also listed as WGS 216.

219. Psychology of the Black Experience. PSY 100 or consent of instructor. (3)s. Experience of Blacks examined from a psychological point of view. Focus on the psychological consequences of being Black in the United States; however, world-wide perspective included. Empirical and theoretical views. Also listed as PSY 219.

220. Africana Theories of Knowledge. (3)h. Basic issues arising in Africana epistemology and cosmologies. Introduction to critical thinking about various “knowledges” in an analytical and comparative manner. Use of qualitative research tools as means of generating African centered ways on knowing the world; African religions and philosophies.

230. Survey of African History to 1800. (3)s. African history from ancient times to the end of the 18th century. Economic, political and social foundations of ancient African civilizations. The encounter with Europe; development of the Atlantic slave trade in 16th century; consequences of Africa and people of African descent. Growth of legitimate trade and the beginning of colonial conquest in Africa. Lectures, documentary films, videos, class discussions. Also listed as HIS 230.

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 appropirate 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.

239. Drama of the Harlem Renaissance. (3). Examination of the development of African American drama with emphasis on the major playwrights of the Harlem Renaissance. Exploration of the political, social, and racial climate addressed in their dramatic texts. Also listed as THE 239.

242. Contemporary Black Theatre in America. (3)h. Contemporary Black dramas and dramatists in America since 1950, and the production of Black theatre in America today. First segment includes literature, sociology, mythology, and music behind the plays studied. Theatre segment considers the operation and recent flourishing of Black theatre in America. Attendance at performances and participation in performance activities may be required. Also listed as THE 242.

244. The Economics of the Black Community. (3)s. Economic problems of the Black American in the historical development of the United States. Analysis of discrimination in consumer, labor, housing, and capital markets. Importance of human resources in economic development. Discussion of ways to bring about economic change.

250. African Cultures. (3)s. Introduction to the African continent as a geographic, political and symbolic entity juxtaposing territories, histories and cultures. Anthropological emphasis on West Africa, including matriliny and other lineage systems, polyrhythmic music, gender, religion (e.g., Vodu), economic and political organization, and colonial impact, from the viewpoints of Africans themselves, as subjects and agents. Also listed as ANT 250.

257. Protest in African Literature. At least sophomore standing. (3)h. Reading and discussion of poets, novelists, and essayists from West, East, and South Africa who have written in protest ofFrench, English, Portuguese, and neocolonial oppression. Gender struggles and inequalities in indigenous systems. Analysis of cultural differences between African peoples and colonizing powers, as they are represented in literature and as they intersect with political and social realities; efforts to change them. Also listed as CPL 257.

260. African Diaspora in the Americas. ANT/INT 100 or consent of instructor. (3)s. Racialized groups and evolving black consciousness of African descendants in the Americas and the Atlantic World. Studies of race, racism, and anthropological social identities during the Atlantic slave trde and in contemporary global society. The relationship between philosophies of culture and historiography in the context of slavery, forced removals, and global economic and ontological hegemony. Also listed as ANT 260.

265. Caribbean Society and Culture. (3). Introduction to social, political, economic and cultural life of the Caribbean, focusing on the English-speaking Caribbean while also addressing important lessons in the experiences of peoples from the wider Caribbean. Socialscientific disciplinary focus combining historical and thematic issues, with particular attention to problems of colonialism, race, inequality, and efforts towards democracy. Also listed as ANT 265 and SOC 265.

270. Race and Ethnic Relations. SOC 100 or ANT/INT 100. (3)s. Analysis of the implications of racial differences, the factors affecting prejudice and discrimination, structural aspects of group conflicts, and the possibilities of change in American and other societies. Also listed as SOC 270.

300. Introduction to Francophone African Literature. ENG 112. (3)h. Introduction to Francophone African Literature. The Negritude (Movement) School and its impact on African Literature. Readings from the works of Leon-Gontran Damas, Birago Diop, Aime Cesaire, Leopold Sedar Senghor, and others. Graded ABCD>N. Also listed as CPL 301.

301. Early African-American Literature. AFA 101, 260. (3). African-American literary tradition as a long and connected enterprise of imaginative expression and revision. Overview of the genres and historical figures key to the development of the traditions of African-American writers.

304. Black Social and Political Movements. AFA 101 or a course in political science or consent of instructor. (3)s. Analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of past and current movements seeking social and political change on behalf of African-Americans, from an interdisciplinary perspective. The Civil Rights Movement, Back to Africa Movement, spiritual movements, resistance movements, and independent political movements. Also listed as POL 304.

[305. Topics in African Languages and Cultures. AFA 101 or consent of instructor. (3). Also listed as ANT 305.]

308. African and African-American Art. At least sophomore standing. (3)h. Survey of Africa’s art history, from Stone Age to early 20th century; introduction to select group of African-American artists. Lectures, museum visits, hands-on projects, short research paper. Also listed as ARH 308.

310. Performance Traditions & Aesthetics of the African World. AFA 101 or consent of instructor. (3)f. Development of Black performance theory and practice in the African world. Emphasis on theoretical foundations of Black Expression world wide.

311. African World Performance Studio. Consent of instructor. AFA 310 recommended. (3)f. Practical aspects of artistic expression through drama, poetry, storytelling, music, dance, and some visual arts. A performance collective will be formed to showcase work of enrolled students. Graded Pass/Fail.

312. Black Arts Movement. AFA 215 or consent of instructor. (3)h. Examination of the Black Arts Movement of the 1960s and early 1970s. Study of the works of the black writers, poets and dramatists of the Arts Movement including those of Larry Neal, Leroi Jones/Amiri Baraka, Harold Cruise, and Nikki Giovanni. Also listed as THE 312.

313. African-American Music. A course in Africana Studies or consent of instructor. (3)h. Examination of the music developed and influenced by African-Americans in the United States. African-American music styles, forms and performance practices that were influenced by European music; African music retentions. Also listed as MUS 313.

318. (218). Women Writers of the African World. Sophomore standing or consent of instructor. (3)h. Survey of literature by women from Africa, the Caribbean, North America, and Europe. Focus on the works and experiences of writers and the genres that shaped their experiences. Selected works from genres such as the Buildungsroman, the mature novel, drama, and/or nonfictional prose. Also listed as CPL 318 and WGS 318.

320. Contemporary East African History. AFA/HIS 230 or consent of instructor. (3)s. Contemporary political, economic, and social history of East Africa; historical background for major conflicts in the region.

321. Twentieth Century African-American Literature. AFA 101, 260. (3). Overview of the major genres, publishing activities, and concerns of twentieth century African-American writers and examination of at least two traditions in the development of the literature. Eras considered include pre-World War I, the Harlem Renaissance, the Urban Era, and contemporary literature.

322. History of West Africa and the Atlantic World. AFA/HIS 230 or 335 or consent of instructor. (3)s. Political, social, and economic history of West Africa’s contact in the Atlantic world, from the 16th to the 19th centuries.

331. Urban Education: Conflicts and Strategies for Change. At least junior standing. (3). Current social, economic, and educational conflicts affecting urban education in America. Intended to aid students in developing systematic individual strategies for change in urban education.

334. History of Ethnic and Racial Minorities in the United States. At least junior standing; a course in US history; or consent of instructor. (3)s. Historical examination of the role of minority groups in the United States with emphasis on the changing patterns of immigration, the process of assimilation, the evolution of ethnicity, and the differences and similarities in the experiences of minority groups. Also listed as HIS 334.

335. The History of the African-American. A course in American or African history. (3)s. African American experience from African origins to 1877. Pre-16th century African civilizations, the Atlantic slave trade, the middle passage, racial slavery during the colonial and early republic. Survival strategies of the enslaved and free, struggles for freedom, equality, and social justice during the colonial and post revolutionary period. The abolitionist movement; the role of African Americans in the Civil War and reconstruction. Lectures and documentary videos. Also listed as HIS 335.

336. (231). Africa in Modern Times, 1800 to Present. (3)s. Coming of European colonialism to Africa in the late nineteenth century and the efforts of Africans to recapture their independence. Survey through the present period. Also listed as HIS 336.

338. Topics in African-American History. A course in American or African-American history. (3)s. A different topic taught each year. May be reelected once. Also listed as HIS 338.

340. African Politics. A course in political science or consent of instructor. (3)s. Analysis of traditional African political structures, the changes occasioned by colonial rule, and the political processes of independent African states. Also listed as POL 340.

357. The Black Church and the Civil Rights Movement. AFA 101 or 220 or consent of instructor. (3). Sociopolitical, economic, philosophical and theological factors underlying the Modern Civil Rights Movement. Black religious institutions from the Great Depression; renewal and call to arms during the tumultuous era of the late 1950s and 1960s; development of today’s “Black Church.”

358. The History of African-American Religion. Sophomore standing or consent of instructor. (3)h. Exploration of the core values associated with the struggle to create and maintain the African-American religious experience in America, which has borrowed values from a number of cultures and has served to influence the on-going process of defining American culture. Also listed as HIS 368.

359. The Black Family. SOC 100. (3)s. Sociological and social-psychological analysis of the Black family in America. Impact of changes in race relations and of urbanization on the Black family. Assessment of various stereotypes existing in mass media and in sociological and psychological literatures. Also listed as SOC 359 and WGS 359.

360. Conflict and Development in Southern Africa. Two courses in social sciences or consent of instructor. (3)s. Contemporary development and social change in Southern Africa, discussion of U.S. foreign policy toward the area with an analysis of western investment strategies and human rights violations. Also listed as POL 343.

361. Health Issues and Black Americans. AFA 101 or 220; or consent of instructor. (3). Exploration of the status of the health care institution in the United States and the nature of response to demonstrated health needs of Black Americans.

362. Politics and the Black Family in Modern America. AFA 101 or 220 or consent of instructor. (3). Examination of racial politics, pluralism, and policymaking in contemporary America, as they affect the Black Family.

363. Black Cultural Criticism. AFA 101 or 220 or consent of instructor. (3). Exploration of the role social institutions play in shaping views and defining values of society as it relates to issues of race, class, gender, sexual orientation that permeate identities of Black and other marginalized people of the world.

369. African Religions. AFA 101 or ANT 100 or consent of instructor. (3). Examination of African religions through anthropological and literary texts, including consideration of West African religions and central African indigenous practices. Also listed as ANT 369.

373. Institutional Racism. SOC 100 or consent of instructor. (3)s. Analysis of racism within the basic institutions of American society. Emphasis on the way institutional racism affects members of various ethnic minorities. Also listed as SOC 373.

375. Community Building through Educational Involvement. AFA 101 or ANT/INT 100 or SOC 100 or SWR 100; at least junior standing; or consent of instructor. (3). Participation and observation in schools and community-based organizations, integrated with an interdisciplinary seminar on urban social issues and cultural variation. Skills required for various forms of community action; techniques include qualitative research methods, assessment, planning, intervention, and evaluation. Also listed as EDS 361 (EDU 375) and SWR 361 (SWK 375).

391. Directed Readings in Africana Studies. At least sophomore standing and consent of instructor. (1-3)s or h.

395. Topics in African Diaspora Studies. Consent of instructor. (3)s. Issues and problems in Africana Studies. Topic in the social sciences announced for each offering of the course. May be reelected once.

396. Topics in African Studies. Consent of instructor. (3)s. Issues in African studies. Topic in the social sciences announced for each offering of the course. May be reelected once. Graded ABCDE/Y.

399. Africana Studies for Teachers. Sophomore standing. (3). Overview of Africana Studies content useful to teachers in public schools.

400. 20th Century Major African Authors. At least junior standing, a course in literature, a course in African literature; or consent of instructor. (3)h. Intensive study of works by important 20th century authors from different African countries, including Wole Soyinka, Chinua Achebe, Ngugi Wa Thiong’o, Leepold Sedar Senghor, Nawal El Saadawi, Naguib Mahfouz, Dennis Brutus, Mariama Baa, Nadine Gordimer.. Focus on evolution of the author’s canon, impact on the literary context, relationship between imaginative creativity and biography, historical and cultural contexts. Also listed as CPL 400.

413. Gospel Choir. Consent of instructor, junior or senior standing. (1)f. Rehearsal and performance of works in the Gospel Music tradition. May be repeated for multiple credit. Also listed as MUS 413.

433. Muslims in North America. (3)s. Origins, conditions, cultural practices, and conflicts of Muslims in North America. Examination of the critical issues of adaptation, authenticity, and diversity confronting Muslims in the United States and Canada, focusing on the different African-American Muslim communities, especially the “Nation of Islam.” Investigation of existing stereotypes of Muslims in contemporary popular culture, including novels, films and comics. Also listed as HIS 433.

435. Black America Since the Civil War. At least junior standing. (3)s. Examination of movements, organizations, personalities, and leadership trends among Black Americans since the Civil War. Also listed as HIS 435.

475. Study Tour of Africa/African Diaspora. AFA 230 or consent of instructor. (3). Exploration of cultures of Africa and/or African Diaspora through study tour of select areas. For students with concentrations or minors in Africana Studies and others interested in first-hand cultural and intellectual experiences in Africa and/or the African Diaspora.

480. Africa in 20th Century Anglophone World Literature. At least junior standing, a 300-level course in literature, a course in African literature; or consent of instructor. (3)h. Depictions of Africa in multiple world literary traditions, by renowned writers including Joseph Conrad, Joyce Cary, Toni Morrison, V.S. Naipaul, Derek Walcott, Nawal El Sadaawi, Wole Soyinka, Chinua Achebe, Nadine Gordimer, Dennis Brutus, and Ngugi Wa Thiong’o. Analysis of changing perspectives, from Africa as “other world” to contemporary visions of acceptance and identification; connections between literary works and their socio-political/ideological contexts. Also listed as CPL 480.

490. Seminar in Africana Studies. At least junior standing. (3). Research papers and assigned readings designed to integrate techniques and materials of previous Black study. Topic announced prior to registration.

495. Honors Thesis I. Consent of the Honors Council or its designate; consent of Department Chair. Open only to Honors Program students in Africana studies. (4). Credit and grade are not given until successful completion of HON 496. Also listed as HON 495. Graded ABCDE/Y.

496. Honors Thesis II. Consent of the Honors Council or its designate; consent of Department Chair; prior or concurrent election of AFA 495. Open only to Honors Program students in Africana studies. (4). Also listed as HON 496. Graded ABCDE/Y.