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