ABOVE CLASS CARRIES CULTURE STUDIES CREDIT
A PORTION OF THE ABOVE CLASS RESERVED FOR MAJORS
ABOVE CLASS OPEN TO UNDERGRADUATES AND
EDUCATION MA’S ONLY

In the last one-hundred years, people from all over the world have
increasingly come into contact with others who hold cultural and
historical backgrounds much different than their own.  In many
Western societies, however, the African continent stands as one of
the least understood places on the global stage.  Many Westerners
have received a variety of biased images and ideas that frame Africa
as a monolithic “dark continent” full of people and wild animals
that remain in a largely “primitive” state.  Only by digging further
into the realities of Africa and Africans can we obtain a more
accurate picture of the continent’s past and present.

This course introduces students to African history and touches on
the ways in which a wide variety of African peoples and cultures
navigated through over two hundred years of historical change.  And
while much of Africa experienced periods of foreign influence and
rule, course readings will emphasize African perspectives and
efforts to shape their own history.  As we focus on continent-wide
historical transformations, we will zoom into examples from diverse
regions, and further still into local examples.  By doing so, this
course will provide students with a broad introduction to African
history that fundamentally challenges the notion that Africa is
a “dark” or “primitive” continent.