Not offered 2007-2008
AFR 160 Defining the African Diaspora (Same as Comparative Literature 214 and English 251) *
What is the "African diaspora"? How are we to understand the nature of black belonging? Are the relationships across the African diaspora mutable? What factors facilitate or complicate black identity over time and space? This introductory course will take up these questions by turning to (a) key figures and essays and (b) the fiction, poetry, and film from
across the black world. To help better understand the conditions of transnational black identity, we will turn to the work of W.E.B. Du Bois, Kwame Nkrumah, Amie Cesaire, Paule
Marshall, Bessie Head, Toni Cade Bambara, Marcus Garvey, Frantz Fanon, Caryl Phillips,
and Julie Dash. In the process, we will take up defining cultural and political movements
that have emerged over the years: Ethiopianism, Pan-Africanism, Negritude, and other forms
of black internationalism.
Format: lecture/discussion. Evaluation will be based upon attendance and participation, two
exams, and two essays.
No prerequisites. Enrollment limit: 25 (expected: 20). Preference given to (potential) concentrators in Africana Studies.
ROBOLIN