African Diasporas in the Modern World
In this course we will study the diversities and commonalities of African diaspora communities from a global perspective using prisms of nationhood, gender, and color throughout the Americas and Western Europe. With the help of diverse texts in multiple languages, we will study four themes: the invisibility/visibility of “black-ness” in the formulation of nationhood; cultural production [particularly music], resistance and accommodation in places as diverse as Paris and Lima; relationships to police, authority, and the justice system through court cases in places such as New York and Rio de Janeiro; and challenges of transnational movements from pan-Africanism to U.N. conferences against racism. Students will consult and compare texts in multiple languages and IGS majors will be encouraged to write one of the papers in Spanish, French or Portuguese and focus on comparisons using sources in one these languages. 3 hrs. lect.