Fall 2020 Courses

AM 261D 002 - Peace Studies: Performing Communications
of Peace in Precarious Times

Jacque Micieli-Voutsinas
Wednesdays/Fridays, 12:20-2:10

The 21st century has seen the proliferation of terrorism, asymmetrical war, communal violence, and increasing economic and ecological precarity throughout much of the world. In these uncertain times, human and non-human exposure to vulnerability and violence has intensified. In a moment where coalescing fundamentalisms and right-wing populisms expand globally, what does it mean to be a ‘chisel of peace’? What does it mean, in other words, to resist mechanisms  of violence without reproducing their terms, at home or abroad? What are the institutions, ethical codes, and moral principals of non-violent resistance? And when is violence justified?

AM 264 001 - Themes in American Culture: African American Experience

Tammy Owens
Tuesdays/Thursdays, 2:10 - 3:30 p.m.

An investigation of the role African Americans have played in the history of the nation, including African-American contributions to, and exclusions from, various aspects of a “democratic” American society. Students will examine the critical issues and periods relevant to the African-American struggle toward freedom and equality. Topics include slavery, emancipation, and Reconstruction; the woman’s era; the age of Jim Crow and the new Negro; the civil rights movement; and the post-reform period. Primary and secondary sources include narratives, documents, photographs, and films.

BST 101 – Introduction to Black Studies

Winston Grady-Willis
Wednesdays/Fridays, 12:20-1:40 p.m. (Palamountain 201)

Introduction to this interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary field, providing students with an intellectual framework for contemplating global Black experiences historically and contemporarily.  In addition to illuminating the significance of institutional racism, the course also interrogates intraracial issues such as socioeconomic class, gender, sexuality and skin color.

GW 351D - Disease, Health, and Nation

Gwen D'Arcangelis
Tuesdays/Thursdays 11:10 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

In this course students will examine the role that gender and race/ethnicity play in relation to societal understandings of and institutional responses to infectious disease. Race/ethnicity and gender are understood as intersecting markers of social position (in concert with class and sexuality, among other markers) that shape conceptions of disease, health/illness, and national belonging. The course explores the racialization and gendering of healthcare and governance in both U.S. and global contexts, as well as social movements that seek to equitably distribute health care and medicine.

IG 251 – TAKING THE JOURNEY HOME

Lisa Grady-Willis
Tuesdays/Thursdays, 11:10 a.m.-12:30 p.m. (Tisch 208)

What does home mean to you?  This course examines the concept of home as it relates to the historical and contemporary realities of Black people in the United States. Using the work of scholars and writers such as bell hooks and Toni Morrison, students will explore notions of home as a catalyst for dialogue both within and between families and communities. Students will reflect on their own experiences of home as they grow as a community of writers and critical thinkers.

PL 251A – Contemporary African Politics

Emmanuel Balogun
Mondays/Wednesdays, 2:30-3:50 p.m. (Palamountain 300)

We will engage with the historical and present intricacies of the African continent. We’ll explore topics such as precolonial African governance, independence and democratization, and the growing presence of China on the continent, among others. We’ll also consider a variety of social identities and phenomena in Africa, including gender, race, ethnicity, and religion. We conclude with a set of case studies of critical issues facing the continent today.

TH 338 – Black Theater

Eunice Fereira

Tuesdays/Thursdays, 12:40-2 p.m. (Palamountain 303)

Students will explore the dramatic literature and performance of Black Theatre in the U.S. through readings, dramaturgical projects and various approaches to performance. The course considers the field of  Black Theater (in practice and in theory) and intersections of race, gender, sexuality, and politics in American  theater. Notions of community will also be examined and put into practice as the course content intersects  with other  campus events, courses of study, the life of the college, the local region and the nation. The course offers a  historical survey with special topics on hip hop theater and Black Lives Matter & performance.