Introduction to Transnational Black Cultures: Britain and Germany
While the African Diaspora is generally associated with the history of the Americas, recent years have seen the proliferation of African descended communities in Europe due to the aftermath of colonialism and various forms migration. This course will introduce students to the cultural productions of Afro-diasporic groups in Britain and Germany. We will begin the course with some theoretical and historical readings about the emergence of these communities within their respective national cultures as well as their transnational conversations with other Afro-diasporic groups. Then we will discuss recent films, novels, and autobiographies in order to understand both the commonalities shared and differences between these diasporic formations.
Requirements
* Regular attendance
Students who miss more than one class will receive a lower grade.
*Final group multimedia project & presentation
*Weekly blog posts/comments
*Leading a discussion on the course blog & briefly presenting the topic in class.
*Active participation in class discussions.
*Contributing comments to non-class blogs
*Editing one Wikipedia article related to the class topic
Required Texts
Ayim--Blues in Black and White
Hügel-Marshall—Invisible Woman
Oguntoye, et al.—Showing Our Colors
Procter--Writing Black Britain 1948-1998
Selvon--The Lonely Londoners
Smith—White Teeth
Quarter Schedule