Department of African Studies and Afro-American Studies
JULIUS E. NYANG’ORO, Chair
Professors
Kenneth Janken, Julius E. Nyang’oro, Georges Nzongola-Natalaja, Bereket H. Selassie.
Associate Professors
Roberta Ann Dunbar, Perry Hall, Reginald Hildebrand, Joseph Jordan, Margaret Lee, Michael Lambert, Karla Slocum.
Assistant Professors
Charlene Regester, Eunice Sahle.
Adjunct Assistant Professors
Timothy McMillan, Alphonse Mutima.
Introduction
The Department of African and Afro-American Studies is an interdisciplinary program leading to the bachelor of arts degree. It is administered through the College of Arts and Sciences. Prospective majors should see the department chair.
The current goal of African and Afro-American studies at UNC–Chapel Hill is to give specific and precise attention to the histories, cultures, and cultural linkages of the peoples of Africa and their descendants in the New World. Although students must concentrate in either African or Afro-American studies, all majors must gain competence in both areas and thereby come to understand the cultural and historical continuities and contrasts between Africa and the African New World.
The purpose of the African studies concentration is to develop an analytical approach to contemporary Africa. Courses stress the importance of traditional values and institutions to the definition of modern African society, and they stress the historic range of commercial and political relationships with Europe and the New World. The purpose of the concentration in Afro-American studies is to develop a broad knowledge of the history and culture of the peoples of African descent in the Americas and the significant social, political, economic, and humanistic issues they face.
Programs of Study
The degree offered is bachelor of arts in African and Afro-American studies, with a concentration either in Afro-American studies or African studies. Minors in Afro-American studies and African studies are also offered.
Majoring in African and Afro-American Studies: Bachelor of Arts
All General Education requirements apply. A modern foreign language is required; Swahili is encouraged for students concentrating in AFRI. Prospective majors are encouraged to take AFAM 101 or 102 to satisfy the historical analysis Approaches requirement and AFRI 101 to satisfy the (nonhistorical) social and behavioral sciences Approaches requirement and the beyond the North Atlantic world and global issues Connections requirements.
Concentration in Afro-American Studies
The major requires the completion of 10 courses (30 hours) including five core courses: AFAM 101, 102, 398; AFRI 101; and AFRI/AFAM 474.
The remaining 15 hours should be chosen from any of the Afro-American studies courses offered by the department, including courses cross-listed with other units. At least one of these additional courses should be numbered 400 or above. Frequently offered courses include AFAM 190, 254, 258, 259, 266, 267, 276, 371, and 428.
Concentration in African Studies
Core Courses
• AFAM 101 or 102
• AFRI 101
• AFRI/AFAM 474
• ANTH 226
• POLI 241
• Plus one of the following: HIST 187, 278, or 479
• Plus two of the following: AFRI 190, 261, 262, 263, 264, 265, 266, and 296
• Plus one of the following: AFRI 520, 521, 522, or 523
• Plus one of the following: AFRI 396 (by permission only); ANTH 455 and 460; COMM 649; ECON 465; GEOG 268; or POLI 437
Minoring in African and Afro-American Studies
The undergraduate minor in Afro-American studies requires the completion of five courses (15 hours) including three core courses listed below.
• Core Courses: AFAM 101 and 102, AFRI 101
The remaining six hours may be chosen from any of the Afro-American studies courses offered by the department, including courses cross-listed with other units, such as AFAM/ANTH/FOLK/RELI 342, AFAM/SOWO 400, AFAM 412/JOMC 342, and AFAM/AFRI/WMST 430.
The undergraduate minor in African studies consists of 15 hours. Students are strongly encouraged to take AFRI 101 in their first two years.
• Required Course: AFRI 101
• Four additional courses, selected in consultation with the African studies advisor, at least two of which must be chosen from list A and at least one at the 400 level. As many as two courses may be chosen from List B.
• List A: AFRI 190, 261, 262, 263, 264, 265, 266, 520, 521, 522, 523; AFAM/AFRI 474
• List B: ANTH 226; GEOG 268; HIST 187, 479; POLI 241, 437
Honors in African and Afro-American Studies
Students with an overall GPA of 3.2 or higher at the beginning of their senior year are encouraged to apply for candidacy for the B.A. with honors. Students interested in undertaking honors research and the writing of a thesis should consult with the undergraduate studies advisor as early as possible. Candidates approved will enroll in AFAM or AFRI 691H and 692H (Honors Research I and II). These courses will count as part of the major requirements in lieu of one course to be determined in consultation with the advisor and with the approval of the chair.
Special Opportunities in African and Afro-American Studies
Departmental Involvement
The department works very closely with two important research units on campus: the African Studies Center and the Institute for African American Research. These two units provide an opportunity for the advanced study of issues concerning Africa and its diaspora. Two student organizations of note are the Black Student Movement (BSM) and the Organization for African Students’ Interests and Solidarity (OASIS). Finally, the Sonja Haynes Stone Center for Black Culture and History is a resource for students in terms of programming and a library on Africana studies.
Experiential Education
Students are encouraged to gain experiential education through a supervised internship at home or abroad. Students identify appropriate readings in consultation with a supervising professor and write a paper that integrates published studies and their experience.
Study Abroad
There are several opportunities for study abroad. Significantly, in collaboration with the Undergraduate Honors Office, every fall semester the department runs an honors study abroad program in Cape Town, South Africa. Through study abroad, students can spend a semester or year at the University of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, in Senegal, or in Cairo, Egypt.
Undergraduate Research
Faculty in the department support undergraduate research by supervising honors projects and encouraging independent research through summer internships and visits to Africa and other areas of the African diaspora. Opportunities for research are individually tailored.
Graduate School and Career Opportunities
The skills and perspectives of African and Afro-American studies provide an excellent background for students considering careers in international development, education, business, government or diplomacy. Students concentrating in African and Afro-American studies go on to a wide variety of managerial, teaching and research positions. Other careers for which an African and Afro-American studies concentration is excellent preparation include law, the foreign service or other positions in government, communication, social work, community development and public administration.
Contact Information
Dr. Julius Nyang’oro, Chair, CB# 3395, 109 Battle Hall, (919) 966-5496.
050 First-Year Seminar: Kings, Presidents, and Generals: Africa’s Bumpy Road to Democracy (3). An introduction to Africa’s modern history and politics with a special focus on types of leadership involved in governmental institutions.
101 [040] Introduction to Africa (3). Introduction to principal features of African civilization through examination of geopolitical context; historical themes; and selected social, political, economic, religious, and aesthetic characteristics of both traditional and modern Africa.
190 [060] Topics in African Studies (3). A seminar for junior majors in the curriculum and others with some background in the study of Africa. Discussion and research papers on one topic selected for emphasis each semester; e.g., urbanization, literature, etc.
261 [061] African Women: Changing Ideals and Realities (WMST 261) (3). Introduction to recent literature, theoretical questions, and methodological issues concerning study of women in Africa. Topics include women in traditional society, impact of colonial experience and modernization on African women.
262 [062] The Literature of Africa (3). An introduction to African literature. In addition to substantive themes, we will identify major stylistic characteristics of modern African literature with particular attention to the ways in which African language, literature, and traditional values have affected modern writing.
263 [063] African Belief Systems: Religion and Philosophy in Sub-Saharan Africa (3). The relationship between religion and society in sub-Saharan Africa is explored through ethnographic and historical readings. The Nilotic, Bantu, and West African religious traditions are examined in detail.
264 [064] African Art and Culture (3). Introduction to the plastic arts of sub-Saharan Africa through study of their relationship to the human values, institutions, and modes of aesthetic expression of select traditional and modern African societies.
265 [065] Africa in the Global System (3). A seminar that critically examines the historical and theoretical basis of the state’s centrality in economic development in African countries. Relevant case studies drawn from sub-Saharan Africa.
266 [066] Contemporary Africa: Issues in Health, Population, and the Environment (3). A seminar that introduces students to non-Western perspectives and comparative study of ecological, social, and economic factors that influence the welfare of contemporary African communities. Examination of famine, population growth, and health issues within the context of African cultural and social systems.
296 [090] Independent Studies (1-6). Permission of the instructor. Independent study project designed particularly in conjunction with overseas study.
353 African Masquerade and Ritual (ANTH 343, ART 353) (3). See ART 353 for description.
368 [068] Political Protest and Conflict in Africa (3). This course surveys contemporary forms of political conflict and protest in Africa. The nature, causes, and consequences of these conflicts will be examined.
370 [070] Policy Problems in African Studies (3). A seminar for senior majors and others with some background in the study of Africa. Lectures, readings, and research projects on one problem each semester concerning policy formation by African leaders or on United States–Africa policy issues.
375 [075] Politics of Cultural Production in Africa (3). Prerequisite, AFRI 101 or equivalent. Explores the role that the cultural realm plays in legitimizing, reproducing, resisting, and uncovering dominant structures of power in Africa.
395 [115] Field Research Methods in African Studies (3). Prerequisite, AFRI 101 or equivalent. This course will prepare students to conduct field research in Africa by looking at how to write a proposal, how to get research permission, and how to collect qualitative data.
396 [190] Independent Studies (1-6). Permission of the instructor. Independent study project defined by student and faculty advisor for advanced undergraduate and graduate students.
416 [116] Human Rights and Social Justice Movements in Africa (3). Prerequisite, AFRI 101 or equivalent. Examines key theoretical and philosophical debates on human rights and explores how they have informed major themes of human rights struggles in Africa.
430 [130] Comparative Studies in Culture, Gender and Global Forces (AFAM 430, WMST 430) (4). Permission of the instructor. Examines participatory development theory and practice in Africa and the United States in the context of other intervention strategies and with special attention to culture and gender. Requires two to four hours a week of community service.
453 Africa in the American Imagination (ART 453) (3). See ART 453 for description.
474 [174] Key Issues in African and Afro-American Linkages (AFAM 474) (3). For advanced undergraduates and graduate students. This course is intended to explore theoretical and methodological issues concerning the historical linkages between African and Afro-American peoples.
480 [080] Ethnography of Africa (3). By examining ethnographic texts, students will learn about topics in African studies such as systems of thought, aesthetics, the economy, politics, social organization, identity, and the politics of representation.
488 Contemporary African Art (ART 488) (3). See ART 488 for description.
520 [120] Contemporary Southern Africa (PWAD 520) (3). Prerequisite, AFRI 101 or equivalent. Study of the history, politics, and economic development of southern Africa in the 20th century.
521 [121] East African Society and Environment (3). Prerequisite, AFRI 101 or equivalent. Study of the history, politics, and economic development of Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania in the 20th century.
522 [122] West Africa: Society and Economy in the 20th Century (3). Prerequisite, AFRI 101 or equivalent. Interdisciplinary course on 20th-century West Africa. Topics vary but are likely to include demography and health, gender, urbanization, labor, religion and politics, and education.
523 [123] Central Africa: The Politics of Development (3). Prerequisite, AFRI 101 or equivalent. Study of the postcolonial political economies of central African states, with emphasis on the state’s role in development, the changing character of state–society relationships (including recent pressures for democratization), and the local impact of regional and global external linkages.
524 [124] North East Africa (3). Prerequisite, AFRI 101 or equivalent. This course covers the history of colonial governments between the end of World War II and the onslaught of decolonization (1919-1994) in north East Africa and the region’s political systems thereafter.
535 [182] Women and Gender in African History (HIST 535) (3). Analysis of historical transformations in Africa and their effects on women’s lives and gender relations. Particular themes include precolonial societies, colonialism, religious change, urban labor, nationalism, and sexuality.
540 21st-Century Scramble for Africa (3). Prerequisite, AFRI 101 or equivalent. Examines the 21st-century global competition for African resources and compares it to the 19th-century “scramble for Africa.” Major actors include the European Union, the United States and China.
691H [098A] Honors Research I (3). Readings in African studies and beginning of directed research on an honors thesis. Required of candidates for graduation with honors in African studies.
692H [098B] Honors Research II (3). Completion of an honors thesis under the direction of a member of the faculty. Required of candidates for graduation with honors in African studies.
CHWA
401 Elementary Chichewa I (3). The course introduces the essential elements of the Chichewa language. Emphasis is on speaking and writing grammatically acceptable Chichewa and on aspects of central African culture.
402 Elementary Chichewa II (3). Prerequisite, CHWA 401. Emphasis is on speaking and writing grammatically acceptable Chichewa to a proficiency level that will enable the student to live among the Chichewa-speaking people of central southern Africa.
403 Intermediate Chichewa I (3). Prerequisite, CHWA 402. Continued instruction in Chichewa following the materials introduced in CHWA 401 and 402.
LGLA
101 Elementary Lingala I (3). Introduces the essential elements of Lingala structure and vocabulary and aspects of African cultures. Aural comprehension, reading, speaking, and writing are stressed.
102 Elementary Lingala II (3). Prerequisite, LGLA 101. Continues the introduction of the essential elements of Lingala structure and vocabulary and aspects of African cultures. Aural comprehension, reading, speaking, and writing are stressed.
203 Intermediate Lingala III (3). Prerequisites, LGLA 101 and 102. Designed to increase reading and writing skills. Introduction of literature. Aural comprehension and speaking skills stressed.
SWAH
112 Intensive Kiswahili 1–2 (6). The 112 course covers the material in the SWAH 401 and 402 sequence in a single semester.
234 Intensive Kiswahili 3–4 (6). Prerequisite, SWAH 112 or 402. The course covers the material in the SWAH 403 and 404 sequence in a single semester.
401 [001] Elementary Kiswahili I (3). Introduces the essential elements of Kiswahili structure and vocabulary and aspects of African cultures. Aural comprehension, reading, speaking, and writing are stressed.
402 [002] Elementary Kiswahili II (3). Prerequisite, SWAH 401. Continues the introduction of essential elements of Kiswahili structure and vocabulary and aspects of African cultures. Aural comprehension, reading, speaking, and writing are stressed.
403 [003] Intermediate Kiswahili III (3). Third-semester Kiswahili, designed to increase reading and writing skills. Introduction of literature. Aural comprehension and speaking skills stressed.
404 [004] Intermediate Kiswahili IV (3). Prerequisite, SWAH 403. Fourth-semester Kiswahili, designed to increase reading and writing skills. Introduction of more compound structures. Emphasis on literature, including drama, prose and poetry, and creative writing. Aural comprehension and speaking skills stressed.
405 Advanced Kiswahili V (3). Prerequisite, SWAH 404 or equivalent. This course is offered to students who have completed SWAH 404. It is taught in Swahili and aims at enabling students with grammatical and communicative competence.
WOLO
101 Elementary Wolof I (3). Introduces the essential elements of Wolof structure, including present tense and commands, and vocabulary, with an emphasis on conversational skills. Also introduces the culture, artistic tradition, and geography of Senegal.
102 Elementary Wolof II (3). Prerequisite, WOLO 101. Continues introduction of conversational skills, building vocabulary and adding verb tenses. Also introduces Senegalese cinema and theater. Prepares students to travel to Senegal and enter in-country intermediate Wolof instruction.
203 Intermediate Wolof I (3). Prerequisites, WOLO 101 and 102. This course continues conversational and written Wolof and is especially appropriate for students planning to travel to Senegal. It will introduce students to Senegalese literature and proverbs.
050 [006E] First-Year Seminar: Defining Blackness (3). Blackness and whiteness as racial categories have existed in the United States from the earliest colonial times, but their meanings have shifted and continue to shift. Over the semester we will attempt to define and redefine blackness in the United States.
051 [006K] First-Year Seminar: Masquerades of Blackness (3). This course is designed to investigate how race has been represented in cinema historically with a emphasis on representations of race when blackness is masqueraded.
053 First-Year Seminar: African Americans’ Global Travel (3). This course examines the ways and reasons African Americans traveled across the United States and the world in the last 80 years. Research project and oral presentation required.
101 [040] Black Experience to 1865 (3). An interdisciplinary course designed to provide a broad survey of the black experience in the Americas with special emphasis on the 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries.
102 [041] Black Experience since 1865 (3). Special emphasis on postemancipation developments.
190 [065] Topics in Afro-American Studies (3). Intensive analysis of a selected topic related to the black experience. Topic will vary with the instructor.
252 [052] Blacks in the West (3). An interdisciplinary course designed to provide a broad survey of the black experience in the Americas with special emphasis on postemancipation developments.
254 [054] Blacks in Latin America (3). The majority of people of African descent in this hemisphere live in Latin America. This course will explore various aspects of the black experience in Latin America.
258 [058] The Civil Rights Movement (3). An examination of the struggle by black Americans for social justice since World War II and of the systemic responses.
259 [059] Black Influences on Popular Culture (3). This course examines the influence of African American expressive culture, particularly popular music, on American mainstream culture.
262 [062] Foundations of Black Education (3). The first semester deals primarily with sources of education for slaves and free blacks before the Civil War while the second semester addresses policy considerations underlying public education for blacks since the Civil War.
263 [063] Foundations of Black Education (3). Special emphasis on the post–Civil War period.
266 [066] Black Women in America (WMST 266) (3). An examination of the individual and collective experiences of black women in America from slavery to the present and the evolution of feminist consciousness.
267 [067] Afro-American Leadership Styles (3). From a vast array of leadership styles students are expected to research a major figure and analyze his or her leadership behavior. Studies will examine critically the ideological and programmatic responses of black leaders to the socio-politico-economic problems of black people.
269 [069] Black Nationalism in the United States (3). This course traces the evolution of black nationalism, both as an idea and a movement, from the era of the American Revolution to its current Afrocentric expressions.
274 [055] African American Political Philosophy (PHIL 274) (3). Race, identity, discrimination, multiculturalism, affirmative action, and slave reparations in the writings of Walker, Delany, Douglass, Cooper, DuBois, King, and Malcolm X.
276 [076] The African American in Motion Pictures: 1900 to the Present (3). This course will analyze the role of the African American in motion pictures, explore the development of stereotypical portrayals, and investigate the efforts of African American actors and actresses to overcome these portrayals.
278 [078] Black Caribbeans in the United States (3). This course will look at the experiences of black Caribbean immigrants in the United States and the activities in which they participate, as well as their shifting senses of their identities.
280 [080] Blacks in North Carolina (3). This course is an overview of the black experience in North Carolina with special emphasis on Chapel Hill and Wilmington.
285 [085] African American Women in the Media: Identity, Politics, and Resistance (WMST 285) (3). This course will acquaint students with how African American women have been depicted (and how they depicted themselves) in 20th- and 21st-century media. The course will examine representations of African American women in several aspects of culture, including film, art, print, television, theater, and music.
287 [045] African American Art Survey (ART 287) (3). An introduction to African American art and artists and their social contexts from early slavery through the 20th century.
293 [095] The African Diaspora in the Americas (3). Prerequisite, one AFAM or Latino/a class. An interdisciplinary survey of African descendant communities and the development and expression of African/black identities in the context of competing definitions of diaspora.
294 [096] African Americans and Native Americans: Explorations in Narrative, Identity, and Place (3). Prerequisite, one AFAM class. Interdisciplinary exploration of the interactions that characterized African American and Native American lives in what is now the United States.
297 [097] Pan-Africanism in the Americas (3). Prerequisite, one AFAM class. Explores the philosophical and intellectual origins of Pan-Africanism in the Africa diaspora.
304 Blacks in Britain and British North America to 1833 (3). This course looks at blacks in the British world to 1833, with particular attention on the thirteen colonies and the lands that would eventually form the Dominion of Canada.
340 [140] Diaspora Art and Cultural Politics (3). Prerequisite, one AFAM class. Examines the socio-political dimensions of African diaspora art and culture with a focus on African Americans in the 20th century.
342 [090] African American Religious Experience (ANTH 342, FOLK 342, RELI 342) (3). Prerequisite, at least one course in AFAM, ANTH, or RELI. An introduction to the diversity of African American beliefs, experiences, and expressions from the colonial era to the present. Exploration will be both historical and thematic.
371 [074] Emancipation in the New World (HIST 371) (3). Will examine the way that the process of emancipation unfolded in Haiti, Jamaica, and Cuba, with major emphasis on emancipation in the United States.
387 [077] 20th-Century African American Art (ART 387) (3). Prerequisite, any introductory art history course or permission of the instructor. This course will focus upon the expression of African Americans in the United States in the 20th century with some discussion of Caribbean and South American art.
392 [092] Afro-America: Contemporary Issues (3). This course will allow students to research, analyze, and engage some pressing political, economic, and social issues confronting black people in North America and elsewhere in the diaspora.
395 [071] Field Research in the Black Experience (3). Permission of the instructor. Individual research and practicum.
396 [190] Independent Studies (1–6). Permission of the instructor. Independent study projects defined by student and faculty advisor for advanced undergraduate and graduate students.
398 [070] Seminar in Afro-American Studies (3). An examination of the historical, philosophical, theoretical, and methodological issues underlying the field of Afro-American studies. For senior AFAM majors. Major research paper required.
400 [106] Racism: Implications for Human Services (SOWO 400) (3). The organizing focus for this course will be how to work with minority groups, especially African Americans. The conceptual framework will be directed toward relationship building to enhance service delivery.
408 [088] Black Thought and Black Intellectuals in the 19th and 20th Centuries (3). An examination of the principal intellectual trends in black life during the 19th and 20th centuries as well as the life and work of the intelligentsia.
412 [112] The Black Press and U.S. History (JOMC 342) (3). A chronological survey of the African American press in the United States since 1827. Emphasis is on key people and issues during critical eras in the African American experience.
428 [128] Bioethics in Afro-American Studies (3). Will examine the process involved in resolving moral dilemmas pertaining to people of the African diaspora.
430 [130] Comparative Studies in Culture, Gender, and Global Forces (AFRI 430, WMST 430) (4). See AFRI 430 for description.
474 [174] Key Issues in African and Afro-American Linkages (AFRI 474) (3). For advanced undergraduates and graduate students. This course is intended to explore theoretical and methodological issues concerning the historical linkages between African and African American peoples.
487 [081] The African Impulse in African American Art (ART 487) (3). This class will examine the presence and influences of African culture in the art and material culture of Africans in the Americas from the colonial period to the present.
491 Individual Internships for AFAM Majors/Minors (1). Students work internships and develop an academic project relating to their internship experience. Course can help students answer the question, What can I do with an AFAM or AFRI major?
522 [122] DuBois, Howard Thurman, and Malcolm X (3). Examines the ideas of the scholar W. E. B. DuBois, theologian Howard Thurman, and political theorist Malcolm X. Major issues will be conceptualized from the distinct perspectives represented by those leaders.
530 Race, Culture, and Politics in Brazil (3). Examines race, culture, and politics in Brazil from historical and contemporary perspectives. Focuses on dynamics of race, gender, class, and nation in shaping Brazilian social relations.
550 [150] The Black Church in America (3). A survey of the historical development of the black church in America, beginning during the antebellum period and continuing to the present day.
554 Imagining Otherness in Visual Culture in the Americas (ART 554) (3). See ART 554 for description.
560 The Harlem Renaissance (3). This course provides an overview of some of the outstanding themes of the Harlem Renaissance through readings, prints and photographs, lectures, and class discussion.
569 [169] African American Women’s History (HIST 569, WMST 569) (3). The course covers the history of black women in the United States from the 18th century to the present. It deals with such themes as work, family, community, sexuality, politics, religion, and culture.
580 [091] African American Islam (RELI 580) (3). An historical examination of African American Islam in the United States. Explores the intellectual, cultural, social, and political roots of black Islam in addition to its diverse doctrinal, ritual, and institutional manifestations.
610 [180] Vernacular Traditions in African American Music (FOLK 610) (4). See FOLK 610 for description.
691H [098A] Honors Research I (3). Readings in Afro-American studies and beginning of directed research on an honors thesis. Required of all candidates for graduation with honors in Afro-American studies.
692H [098B] Honors Research II (3). Completion of an honors thesis under the direction of a member of the faculty. Required of all candidates for graduation with honors in Afro-American studies.
697 [094A] Black Arts and Black Aesthetics (3). The concept of the black aesthetic as it is manifested in black American performing, visual, literary, and musical arts.