History of the Black World (213-0-20)

Instructors

Kennetta Perry

Meeting Info

University Hall 122: Mon, Wed 9:30AM - 10:50AM

Overview of class

This course brings a global lens to the study of Black history. It aims to explore the various worlds and historical contexts that have shaped Black life, and it examines Black world-making over time and space. The course begins on the African continent in the period that would set the stage for the forced migrations of Africans to Spanish and Portuguese colonies in the Americas and moves into an exploration of how enslaved and unfree African labor became fundamental to the project of building European empires in the modern period with a focus on Britain and France. It will look comparatively at enslaving societies and processes of emancipation in the Caribbean and Latin America and devote significant attention to the historical legacies of slavery and colonialism in Europe, Africa and the Americas. The final weeks of the course will give students an opportunity to think about how Black populations outside of the U.S. have engaged in struggles for racial justice, citizenship and forms of Black liberation throughout the twentieth century and into the present.

Learning Objectives

1) Gain a global perspective of Black history and the role that Black people have played in shaping world history
2) Understand the development of the transatlantic slave trade and the relationship between enslaved labor and European empire-building
3) Compare and contrast different enslaving societies and processes of emancipation in the Americas
4) Understand some of the legacies of slavery and colonialism in Africa, Europe and the Americas
5) Engage and analyze primary sources
6) Develop and hone critical thinking and writing skills

Class Attributes

Historical Studies Foundational Discipline
Historical Studies Distro Area
Global Perspectives on Power, Justice, and Equity