The Black Diaspora and Transnationality (245-0-20)

Instructors

Kennetta Perry

Meeting Info

Locy Hall 301: Mon, Wed 3:30PM - 4:50PM

Overview of class

What conceptual tools have scholars and Black thinkers employed to understand the global histories and cultures of the Black Diaspora? What can exploring Black life and the formation of Black constituencies in Europe and in other geographies outside of the U.S. tell us about the making of the Black Diaspora and the ways that transnationality is lived, experienced and mobilized? This course highlights histories of Black life and ideas of race and Blackness that exceed national boundaries. In addition to examining some of the ways that scholars have theorized and employed the concept of diaspora to account for Black realities, this course will also introduce students to some of the dominant conceptual geographies that are defining the study of the Black Diaspora and transnationality including oceanic frames such as the ‘Black Atlantic,' the ‘Black Pacific' and the ‘Black Mediterranean.' It follows the movement of Black peoples across borders and dwells on how Blackness is (re)made, contested, embodied and embraced culturally and politically. The final weeks of the course will focus on Black Britain as a case study for thinking about diasporic and transnational cultural and political formations. Through a combination of sources including popular films, reggae and lovers' rock music and the performances of dub poets, students will examine some of the historical conditions and expressive cultures that have shaped ideas about Blackness and how Black identifications have been claimed and represented during the twentieth century through the intersecting lenses of diaspora, empire, race, coloniality and nation.

Learning Objectives

• Understand key concepts and theories that have and continue to shape scholarship on the Black diaspora and transnationality
• Develop a more globally-oriented view of Black histories, cultural formations and political realities
• Engage and interpret a range of sources that inform how scholars analyze and explain the social, cultural, political and global dimensions of Black life
• Understand histories of race and Blackness comparatively and beyond national borders
• Exercise enhanced skills in critical and creative thinking, analytical writing and academic communication

Class Materials (Required)

All required readings and learning materials for this course will be made available on Canvas or through library services.