Slavery, Gender and Colonial Legacies in the Caribbean

Catalog description

This course examines the legacies of colonialism across the Caribbean, from the unspeakable violence that began with the genocide of the autochthonous communities and the enslavement of populations forcibly imported from Africa to the various modes of ideological justifications and their spiraling effects across the region over time. A focus on gender will explore questions of miscegenation, women’s refusal of forced reproduction, and various modes of rebellion that culminated with the Haitian Revolution—an event that, like a domino effect, dismantled an entire system across the Americas and intervened in renewed debates on human rights. We will also see how colonialism is not a thing of the past—it persists to this day through legislation, state-sponsored violence, extractive economies, environmental depredation, and anti-Black narratives. Classic and recent scholarship in history, social theory, cultural studies, environmental studies, and literary works will animate our class discussions and writing assignments over the semester.