Roots & Routes of African Diaspora Resistance ((4 Credits))

Catalog description

African Diaspora religions such as Voodoo and Santeria are featured in horror films. Why do some people find it so scary? What historical dynamics generated fearful misrepresentations? What do race and gender have to do with it? Global implications of power and privilege and cultural issues such as stereotyping all play roles as we dismantle the terror factor around African religions and consider what that fear obscures. The scope of this course is broad, moving from West Africa, through slavery, and throughout the Americas. It achieves focus, depth, and specificity by following one cultural strand, culminating with texts produced by members of that culture. Using a rich mix of history, the arts, and cultural studies, we study Yoruba influence on American resistance to racism and sexism. Deeper relevance is self-selected by the student as you research any related topic, from religious diversity to arts to political situations. Prerequisites: Solid writing skills *The three tracks of this course overlap. No more than ONE of these three should be included in a degree program. This course was previously CUL-224124 Roots and Routes of African Diaspora Resistance: Arts.