IN THIS SECTION
Understand the diversity and history of Africa.
The African and African Diaspora Studies Minor gives you an understanding of the diversity and history of Africa and its peoples. Learn about African civilizations and the development of the African Diaspora and how they have shaped the world since antiquity. You will consider the movements, experiences, and exploits of ordinary people and celebrated figures of African descent and discuss such topics as Nubian queens in Egypt; the diffusion of Bantu languages; transcontinental trade networks; the spread of Islam and Christianity; the rise of West African empires; imperial expansion; slavery, resistance, and freedom; nationalism and the civil rights movement; and current global issues.
Explore sample courses in this program. -
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IS-100 Introduction to African and African Diaspora Studies
An interdisciplinary survey of the African continent and the African Diaspora.
3 credits
HI-221 African-American History I
The people of African descent from the emergence of the slave trade to the Civil War, focusing on race, gender, and power. Counts for Europe / United States in the history major.
3 credits
HI-222 African-American History II
The people of African descent from the end of the Civil War through the twentieth century, focusing on race, class, gender, and power. Counts for Europe / United States in the history major.
3 credits
HI-280 Introduction to African Diaspora History
Students learn about the development of the African Diaspora and how it has shaped the world since antiquity. Students consider the movements, experiences, and exploits of ordinary people and celebrated figures of African descent through such topics as imperial expansion; slavery, resistance, and freedom; nationalism and the civil rights movement; and current global issues. Counts for global/thematic/methodological in the history major.
3 credits
HI-278 African History Before 1800
An introduction to the history of societies and cultures of Africa up to 1800. Students consider such topics as Nubian queens in Egypt, the diffusion of Bantu languages, transcontinental trade networks, the spread of Islam and Christianity, the rise of West African empires, and the transatlantic slave trade. Counts for Africa / Latin America in the history major.
3 credits
HI-279 African History Since 1800
An introduction to the history of groups and countries within Africa from 1800 to the early 21st century. Like the rest of the world, Africa was also changing rapidly during these centuries. Topics include the extraction of wealth, European colonial rule, pan-Africanism, independence and development during the Cold War, and Africa today. Counts for Africa / Latin America in the history major.
3 credits
HI-274 The History of Gender and Sexuality in America
The history of sexuality and gender in America. Includes investigations of lesbian and gay histories; transgender histories; attempts to regulate and define sexuality; practices of birth control; the intersections of race, class, and gender; the social construction of gender; and the challenges of doing hidden histories.
3 credits
HI-375 Popular Music and Performance in Modern Africa
This course looks at changes in popular music in Africa since the late 19th century. Instead of studying the practice of traditional or art music in Africa, students gain a stronger understanding of the significance of global connections between Africa and other parts of the world by examining the performance of popular music in a variety of spaces, including streets, nightclubs, and ceremonies. Counts for Africa / Latin America in the history major.
3 credits
HI-213 Colonial Latin America
The people of Latin America from pre-Columbian societies to the wars for independence, focusing on race, sex, and power. Counts for Africa / Latin America in the history major.
3 credits
HI-214 Modern Latin America
The people of Latin America from independence to the present, focusing on race, sex, and power. Counts for Africa / Latin America in the history major.
3 credits
HI-221 African-American History I
The people of African descent from the emergence of the slave trade to the Civil War, focusing on race, gender, and power. Counts for Europe / United States in the history major.
3 credits
HI-222 African-American History II
The people of African descent from the end of the Civil War through the 20th century, focusing on race, class, gender, and power. Counts for Europe / United States in the history major.
3 credits
HI-247 Central America and the Caribbean
This survey examines the political, cultural, and social history of Central America and the Caribbean from pre-Columbian times to the present with an emphasis on the 20th century. Counts for Africa / Latin America in the history major.
3 credits
HI-248 Seminar on Globalization & Human Rights
A.I.D. program participants in their sophomore year explore globalization and human rights and issues of personal growth and academic development. Counts for global/thematic/methodological in the history major.
3 credits
HI-280 Introduction to African Diaspora History
Students learn about the development of the African Diaspora and how it has shaped the world since antiquity. Students consider the movements, experiences, and exploits of ordinary people and celebrated figures of African descent through such topics as imperial expansion; slavery, resistance, and freedom; nationalism and the civil rights movement; and current global issues. Counts for global/thematic/methodological in the history major.
3 credits
HI-373 African Immigration in the 20th Century
Why do we commonly hear about a “brain drain” in African countries or human rights violations of refugees entering Europe? This course examines how these current global issues developed through the history of immigration from the African continent to North America and Europe during the 20th century. Counts for global/thematic/methodological in the history major.
3 credits
PO-265 Racial and Ethnic Politics
This class analyzes the relationship between the United States government and racial and ethnic groups and explores the way that race is utilized in American politics. Students focus on issues affecting racial and ethnic communities in the United States, the politics behind racial and ethnic classification, and the use of racial and ethnic appeals in American political campaigns. The readings for this course covers topics such as affirmative action, criminal justice reform, and civil rights. It offers students an opportunity to analyze political speeches and advertisements that utilize race and ethnicity.
3 credits
SO-307 Puerto Rican Diaspora
This course surveys a wide range of Puerto Rican experiences and provides an overview of how social structures shape the daily lives of Puerto Ricans in the United States. Through a focus on diasporas, the course centers on migration as a key experience within Puerto Rican imaginaries. The course explores the sociological themes of identity, race, ethnicity, language, gender, sexuality, social class, and stratification through the lens of Puerto Rican struggle and resistance. Puerto Rican diasporic communities are examined at the intersections of colonialism, modernity, and neoliberal globalization.
3 credits
SO-320 Sociology of Race and Ethnicity
This course focuses on historical and contemporary discussions of race and ethnicity within sociology. The course familiarizes students with central threads in the study of race and ethnicity and works to identify gaps, particularly as they are relevant for the academic and social sphere of today.
3 credits
MU-222 African Drumming
An exploration of African music and drumming techniques from the culture of Ghana. Students develop performance skills and present a public performance during the course of the semester.
3 credits
EN-370 Antislavery Literature
This course traces the literary history of the antislavery movement in the Atlantic world: writing in a range of genres (journalism, history, fiction, poetry, drama, slave narratives), antislavery writers made a significant contribution to the campaigns to end the slave trade and slavery. While the Atlantic system of legal slavery ended in the 19th century, an even larger system of illegal slavery still exists, and so the course concludes by considering the work of 21st-century antislavery writers and what they might learn from their predecessors. In other words, can we use literary history to make slavery history?
3 credits
PH-178 Africana Philosophy
Explores the philosophy of the African Diaspora in African, African American, and Caribbean writings. The course addresses both historical and contemporary material across intersections of race, gender, and class using philosophy, history, and literature.
3 credits