An introduction to the historical and cultural narratives that shape African American identities and experiences. The course focuses on such themes as African roots of African-American culture, freedom and inequality, black folklore and artistic expressions, migration, family and kinship, community and identity.
My Experience:
This course offered me an interesting and insightful window to an aspect of my own life that I previously had little knowledge about. Even though I grew up with an African-American mother, I knew little history beyond my mother's generation. Moreover, public education did not give me a full picture of the experience of African-Americans throughout history. Before taking this class, I actually knew more about Japanese-Americans' history than that of my own ancestry. One of the most characteristic lessons I learned from this class is that ancient African civilizations were very sophisticated and culturally advanced nations that existed for hundreds of years. However, because they did not meet with many European worldviews and fell behind in the industrial revolution, they were rebranded as savages in the passage of time. I was surprised to learn about how much of the African-American experience is untold in the story of the U.S. as a nation. While the overall narrative of African-Americans is often glossed-over or summarized in primary and secondary education, it is actually much more nuanced and complicated than many would initially believe. I now view Reconstruction (the time period immediately following the Civil War) as a missed opportunity for social equality and as one of the biggest stains on American history that still has repercussions today.