AAAS - African American and Africana Studies
AAAS100 Introduction to African American and Africana Studies (3 Credits)
Significant aspects of the history of African Americans with particular emphasis on the evolution and development of black communities from slavery to the present. Interdisciplinary introduction to social, political, legal and economic roots of contemporary problems faced by blacks in the United States with applications to the lives of other racial and ethnic minorities in the Americas and in other societies.
Credit Only Granted for: AASP100 or AAAS100.
Formerly: AASP100.
AAAS101 Public Policy and the Black Community (3 Credits)
The impact of public policies on the Black community and the role of the policy process in affecting the social, economic and political well-being of minorities. Particular attention given to the post-1960 to present era.
Credit Only Granted for: AASP101 or AAAS101.
Formerly: AASP101.
AAAS187 The New Jim Crow: African-Americans, Mass Incarceration and the Prison Industrial Complex (3 Credits)
Students will examine the birth of the racial caste system following the abolition of slavery, the parallels between the racial hierarchy of the Jim Crow system and contemporary mass incarceration, and the rise of the prison industrial complex as a multi-billon business which thrives on the oppression of low-income populations and poor communities of color.
Recommended: AASP100.
Credit Only Granted for: AASP187 or AAAS187.
Formerly: AASP187.
AAAS190 HIV/AIDS in a Global Perspective (3 Credits)
Who is getting infected with HIV/AIDS? Who is dying from it? These are two questions that feature prominently on both the domestic and international health agendas. Even though the statistics from Africa garner the greatest global attention, the situation in the US, in particular the DC/Baltimore area and among certain groups, has recently raised concern and intensified the call for action. The goal of this "I" course is to engage students in a critical examination of 1) the factors that put people at risk for getting infected and 2) the factors that determine the type of treatment that people receive in the US as well as globally with a particular focus on Africa and the African diaspora.
Credit Only Granted for: AASP189I or AAAS190.
Formerly: AASP189I.
AAAS200 African Civilization (3 Credits)
A survey of African civilizations from 4500 B.C. to present. Analysis of traditional social systems. Discussion of the impact of European colonization on these civilizations. Analysis of the influence of traditional African social systems on modern African institutions as well as discussion of contemporary processes of Africanization.
Credit Only Granted for: AASP200 or AAAS200.
Formerly: AASP200.
AAAS202 Black Culture in the United States (3 Credits)
The course examines important aspects of African American life and thought which are reflected in African American literature, drama, music and art. Beginning with the cultural heritage of slavery, the course surveys the changing modes of Black creative expression from the 19th-century to the present.
Credit Only Granted for: AASP202 or AAAS202.
Formerly: AASP202.
AAAS210 Intro to Research Design and Analysis in African American and Africana Studies (3 Credits)
Introduces students to quantitative and qualitative research methods used in social science with a focus on Black populations and African American Studies Research. Uses practical exercises, such as class surveys and mock focus groups, to examine fundamental concepts of the research process from conceptualization of research questions to interpretation of data and research articles. The course is designed for undergraduate students with little or no background knowledge in social science research methods.
Credit Only Granted for: AASP210 or AAAS210.
Formerly: AASP210.
AAAS211 Get Out: The Sunken Place of Race Relations in the Post-Racial Era (3 Credits)
Prevailing thought suggests that we live in an era that is post-racial, particularly after the election of Barack Obama. Media often serves to drive our assessment of where our nation stands on issues like race, gender and sexuality. This course uses the film Get Out to delve into the production, evolution and significance of race in present day America. The course will engage multiple forms of media to investigate life in "Post-Racial" America, including but not limited to the role of stereotypes, interracial relationships, police-community relations, etc.
Credit Only Granted for: AASP211 or AAAS211.
Formerly: AASP211.
AAAS230 Social (In)Justice and African-American Health and Well-Being (3 Credits)
African Americans suffer worse outcomes than non-Hispanic whites on nearly every health measure and outcomes that link to overall well-being like depressive symptoms or homicides. Health disparities are experienced by other underrepresented minority groups, but because of the unique historic and current experiences of African Americans, the determinants and solutions to African American health disparities are unique. The premise of this course is that African American health disparities are due to social injustices perpetuated on the institutional level that have permeated the lived experiences of African Americans leading to racial disparities in health and well-being. As such, the solutions on the both policy, and community, level must have a social justice approach.
Credit Only Granted for: AASP230 or AAAS230.
Formerly: AASP230.
AAAS234 African-American Literature and Culture (3 Credits)
An exploration of the stories black authors tell about themselves, their communities, and the nation as informed by time and place, gender, sexuality, and class. African American perspective themes such as art, childhood, sexuality, marriage, alienation and mortality, as well as representations of slavery, Reconstruction, racial violence and the Nadir, legalized racism and segregation, black patriotism and black ex-patriots, the optimism of integration, and the prospects of a post-racial America.
Cross-listed with: ENGL234.
AAAS254 African-American History to 1865 (3 Credits)
Survey of the principal developments in the history and culture of the peoples of African descent in colonial North America and the United States to 1865. Examines the African past, the Atlantic slave trade, variation in slavery, the growth of free black communities, the transformations of families and cultural forms, and patterns of resistance.
Cross-listed with: HIST254.
AAAS255 African-American History, 1865 - Present (3 Credits)
An introductory course in the African-American experience in the United States from 1865 to the present. Topics include the aftermath of the Civil War on US race relations, the rise of segregation, northern migration, World War I and II, Civil Rights Movements, and the Black Power Movement.
Cross-listed with: HIST255.
Credit Only Granted for: HIST255, AASP255, AAAS255 or AASP298A.
AAAS260 Africa in World Politics (3 Credits)
Introduction to the politics of Africa, especially Sub-Saharan Africa, on the world stage from the colonial period era to recent push towards democracy in Africa and the rise of religious extremism. It also engages such themes as culture, religion and progress, dictatorship, former colonial powers and international influence, etc.
Credit Only Granted for: AASP260 or AAAS260 .
Formerly: AASP260.
AAAS263 Introduction to Black Women's Studies (3 Credits)
Interdisciplinary exploration of Black women, culture and society in the United States. Drawn primarily from the social sciences and history with complementary material from literature and the arts.
Cross-listed with: WGSS263.
Credit Only Granted for: WMST263, AASP298I, WGSS263, AAAS263 or AASP263.
Formerly: WMST263.
AAAS264 Quare/Queer Contentions: Exploration of Sexualities in the Black Community (3 Credits)
Centering the subjectivities of queer people of color generally and more specifically, Black people (as the word "quare" invites us to do), Quare/Queer Contentions takes up key moments within the history of the Black community and asks us to consider the work and presence of LGBTQ people in these moments. The course also contends with the everyday experiences of LGBTQ subjects in the Black community. Quare/Queer Contentions, therefore, interrogates the material realities of Black queer people in the context of family, religion, cultural/creative work, among others. Interdisciplinary in orientation, the course will employ primary and secondary texts, film, art, autobiographical narratives and policy data.
Cross-listed with: LGBT264, WGSS264.
Credit Only Granted for: LGBT264, AASP264, AAAS264, WMST264 or WGSS264.
AAAS265 Constructions of Manhood and Womanhood in the Black Community (3 Credits)
Investigates the ways that African Americans are represented and constructed in public and private spheres and explores the social constructions and representations of Black manhood and womanhood from various disciplinary perspectives.
Cross-listed with: WGSS265.
Credit Only Granted for: WMST265, AASP298B, AAAS265, WGSS265 or AASP265.
Formerly: WMST265.
AAAS271 Monsters and Racism: Black Horror and Speculative Fiction (3 Credits)
The previous decade has been considered a renaissance for Black Horror. From Get Out to Lovecraft Country, the genre has enjoyed unprecedented mainstream media buzz and accolades. This course looks at contemporary Black horror and speculative fiction as cultural texts which put into question our notions of human(e) and inhuman(e) through critiques of white supremacy and accompanying oppressions. Students will learn a host of critical skills through close reading and analysis of literature and film by Black creators such as Jordan Peele, Misha Green, Toni Morrison, Jewelle Gomez, and Octavia Butler. With the ability to interpret cultural texts using literary criticism, film analysis, history, cultural studies, ethnic studies, feminist theory, and the social sciences, students will connect these texts to continuing historical and contemporary issues of racial and cultural oppression such as medical discrimination, policing and criminalization, misogynoir, and racialized capitalism.
Cross-listed with: WGSS271, ENGL289J.
Credit Only Granted for: AAAS271, ENGL289J, HONR299Y, HNUH238W, WGSS271 or WGSS298W.
Formerly: HNUH238W.
AAAS297 Research Methods in African American and Africana Studies (3 Credits)
Introduces African American and Africana Studies majors to the basic research skills, methodologies, sources, and repositories for studying African Diaspora. Students will be required to select a research topic, write a research proposal, develop an annotated bibliography, and in the process will be prepared for completing their senior thesis or other significant writing projects necessary to fulfill the requirements of the major.
Prerequisite: AAAS101 or AAAS202.
Restriction: Must be in African American and Africana Studies program.
Credit Only Granted for: AASP297 or AAAS297.
Formerly: AASP297.
AAAS298 Special Topics in African American and Africana Studies (3 Credits)
An introductory multi-disciplinary and inter-disciplinary educational experience to explore issues relevant to black life, cultural experiences, and political, economic, and artistic development.
Repeatable to: 6 credits if content differs.
Formerly: AASP298.
AAAS298M Martin Luther King Jr. (3 Credits)
Examines the life and work of Martin Luther King, Jr. We immediately rethink the image of King who liberals and conservatives construct as a dreamer of better race relations. We engage the complexities of an individual, who articulated a moral compass of the nation, to explore racial justice in post-World War II America. This course gives special attention to King's post-1965 radicalism when he called for a reordering of American society, an end to the war in Vietnam, and supported sanitation workers striking for better wages and working conditions. Topics include King's notion of the "beloved community", the Social Gospel, liberalism, "socially conscious democracy", militancy, the politics of martyrdom, poverty and racial justice, and compensatory treatment. Primary sources form the core of our readings.
Cross-listed with: HIST108C, AMST189C.
Credit Only Granted for: HIST108C, AASP298M, AAAS298M, or AMST189C.
AAAS299 Selected Topics in African American and Africana Studies (1-3 Credits)
An introductory multi-disciplinary academic exploration of the cultural, political, and economic issues relevant to Africans and African-Americans.
Repeatable to: 6 credits if content differs.
Formerly: AASP299.
AAAS301 Applied Policy Analysis and the Black Community (3 Credits)
Development and application of the tools needed for examining the effectiveness of alternative policy options confronting minority communities. Review policy research methods used in forming and evaluating policies. Examination of the policy process.
Prerequisite: AAAS101.
Recommended: Completion of one semester of statistics is recommended.
Credit Only Granted for: AASP301 or AAAS301.
Formerly: AASP301.
AAAS306 Race, Gender and Artificial Intelligence (AI) (3 Credits)
With the recent rise of accessible AI technologies, concerns about not only the potential flaws built into technology but also the impact of those issues on already marginalized communities loom large. From medical applications of AI in the personalizing of treatment and disease diagnosis, to the use of facial recognition software in the criminal justice system, AI is being integrated into all facets of everyday life. This class will explore the intersection of Artificial Intelligence (AI), race, and gender. There will be assigned readings on race, gender, difference, algorithms, and artificial intelligence. Students will engage with AI platforms, such as ChatGPT or Peo to gain hands-on experience about the platforms and how they work.
AAAS310 African Slave Trade (3 Credits)
The relationship of the slave trade of Africans to the development of British capitalism and its industrial revolution; and to the economic and social development of the Americas.
Prerequisite: AAAS202 or AAAS100; or permission of BSOS-African American and Africana Studies department.
Credit Only Granted for: AASP310 or AAAS310.
Formerly: AASP310.
AAAS313 Black Women in United States History (3 Credits)
Black American women's history from slavery to the present. Focused on gaining a fuller understanding of the effect of race, class and gender on the life cycles and multiple roles of Black women as mothers, daughters, wives, workers and social-change agents.
Cross-listed with: WGSS314.
Restriction: Sophomore standing or higher.
Credit Only Granted for: AASP313, AAAS313, WMST314 or WGSS314.
Formerly: WMST314.
AAAS317 Black in Latin America and the Caribbean (3 Credits)
The goal of this course is to have an understanding of race, color, and blackness across the Americas. We will compare and contrast forms of racial categorization, discrimination, and ideologies, whether in the form of nation-building projects, addressing racial inequality, or sexuality and family formation. We will draw primarily on social science perspectives, including the work of sociologists and political scientists.
Credit Only Granted for: AASP317 or AAAS317.
Formerly: AASP317.
AAAS320 Poverty and African American Children (3 Credits)
The United States has high levels of child poverty compared to other industrialized nations. Poverty rates are particularly high among African American children. This course focuses on how poverty and race intersect to influence the development of children and youth. Specific topics that we will consider include definitions of poverty, theories about the causes of poverty, racial disparities in child poverty, family functioning in the context of poverty, neighborhood influences, risk and protective processes, and social policies and programs designed to mitigate the impact of poverty.
Cross-listed with: SOCY320.
Credit Only Granted for: AASP320, AAAS320, AASP298P or SOCY320.
Formerly: AASP298P.
AAAS330 Music of the African Diaspora: From Jazz to Modern Black Music (3 Credits)
The goal of this course is to explore a myriad of musical traditions created by Africans in the Diaspora, especially the music of African Americans. Explorations will notably encompass the infusion of Western/Classical Music and its mixing with "Black Music." The traditions and musical styles are related to experiences of culture, history, customs, legends, aesthetic musical forms, and the functional use of this music (e.g., Blues, Jazz, Gospel, Spirituals, Black Message Music, Neo Soul, RAP, and Hip-Hop) as a cultural repository. This cultural repository has subsequently impacted American history, the arts, literature, global values, and Diaspora Studies.
Credit Only Granted for: AASP330 or AAAS330.
Formerly: AASP330.
AAAS361 Caribbean Women (3 Credits)
An interdisciplinary analysis of the lives and experiences of women across the Caribbean region, through an examination of their roles in individual, national, social and cultural formations. Special emphasis on contemporary women's issues and organizations.
Cross-listed with: WGSS360.
Credit Only Granted for: WGSS360, WMST360, AAAS361 or AASP361.
Formerly: WMST360.
AAAS371 Black Feminist Thought (3 Credits)
Examines the ideas, words and actions of Black women writers, speakers, artists, and activists in the United States.
Prerequisite: 1 course in AASP; or 1 course in WGSS.
Cross-listed with: WGSS370.
Credit Only Granted for: WMST370, WGSS370, AAAS371 or AASP371.
Formerly: WMST370.
AAAS386 Experiential Learning (3-6 Credits)
Updating course code to align with department name change
Restriction: Permission of BSOS-African American and Africana Studies department; and junior standing or higher.
Credit Only Granted for: AASP386 or AAAS386.
Formerly: AASP386.
AAAS395 Fundamentals of Quantitative Research in Socio-Cultural Perspective (3 Credits)
Introduction to quantitative methods for African American and Africana Studies majors in the cultural and social analysis concentration. Basics of survey design and experimental design and data analysis and use of statistical software programs.
Restriction: Must be in African American and Africana Studies program; and junior standing or higher.
Credit Only Granted for: AASP395 or AAAS395.
Formerly: AASP395.
AAAS397 Senior Thesis (3 Credits)
Directed research in African American Studies resulting in the completion and defense of a senior thesis.
Restriction: Permission of BSOS-African American and Africana Studies department.
Credit Only Granted for: AASP397 or AAAS397.
Formerly: AASP397.
AAAS398 Selected Topics in the African Diaspora (3 Credits)
Analysis of the historical experiences and cultures of African-descendant peoples globally.
Repeatable to: 6 credits if content differs.
Formerly: AASP398.
AAAS399 Research in African-American and Africana Studies (1-3 Credits)
African American Studies research labs are the settings in which the most recent scholarly work of each faculty member takes place with the enterprise of conducting and disseminating research. Faculty members operate as the team leader and faculty mentor working with undergraduate students around a specific research topic or project. Students will have the opportunity to assist with reviewing literature, data gathering, data management, coding analysis, and the preparation of conference presentations and scholarly publications while advancing their own scholarship and interests, cultivating integrative skills, and gain training in a specialized aspect of the African American Studies discipline, which may not be otherwise available from other experiences on campus.
Prerequisite: Two of the following courses: AAAS100, AAAS101, AAAS200, or AAAS202.
Recommended: AASP210 or equivalent.
Restriction: Must be in the Africa-American and Africana Studies major; and must have completed 30 credits; and must have earned a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.00.
Repeatable to: 6 credits.
Formerly: AASP399.
AAAS400 Directed Readings in African American and Africana Studies (3 Credits)
The readings will be directed by the faculty of African American Studies. Topics to be covered will be chosen to meet the needs and interests of individual students.
Prerequisite: AAAS202 or AAAS100.
Credit Only Granted for: AASP400 or AAAS400.
Formerly: AASP400.
AAAS402 Classic Readings in African American and Africana Studies (3 Credits)
Classic readings of the social, economic and political status of Blacks and other minorities in the United States and the Americas.
Prerequisite: AAAS202 or AAAS100.
Credit Only Granted for: AASP402 or AAAS402.
Formerly: AASP402.
AAAS403 The Development of a Black Aesthetic (3 Credits)
An analysis of selected areas of black creative expression in the arts for the purpose of understanding the informing principles of style, techniques, and cultural expression which make up a Black aesthetic.
Prerequisite: ENGL443 or AAAS302; or permission of instructor.
AAAS410 Contemporary African Ideologies (3 Credits)
Analysis of contemporary African ideologies. Emphasis on philosophies of Nyerere, Nkrumah, Senghor, Sekou Toure, Kaunda, Cabral, et al. Discussion of the role of African ideologies on modernization and social change.
Credit Only Granted for: AASP410 or AAAS410.
Formerly: AASP410.
AAAS411 Black Resistance Movements (3 Credits)
A comparative study of the Black resistance movements in Africa and America; analysis of their interrelationships as well as their impact on contemporary pan-Africanism.
Prerequisite: AAAS100.
Credit Only Granted for: AASP411 or AAAS411.
Formerly: AASP411.
AAAS413 Gentrification: Have You Met the New Neighbors?: Issues of Belonging and Displacement in Urban Areas (3 Credits)
Explores and considers current scholarship on the history, modes and implications of the process of gentrification in various areas within the United States. The course will engage with history, culture, and policy factors related to the redevelopment of urban areas. Course texts will be interdisciplinary in their methodology and genre, and will include themes of race, gender, and class. These texts, combined with student engagement, class discussion, and directed assignments will help to develop a theoretical framework for the understanding of gentrification as systematic, profound and in most if not all cases, irreversibly detrimental.
Credit Only Granted for: AASP413 or AAAS413.
Formerly: AASP413.
AAAS441 Science, Technology, and the Black Community (3 Credits)
Scientific knowledge and skills in solving technological and social problems, particularly those faced by the Black community. Examines the evolution and development of African and African, African American, and Africa Diasporic contributions to science. Surveys the impact of technological changes on minority communities.
Prerequisite: HIST255, AAAS202, or AAAS100; or permission of BSOS-African American and Africana Studies department.
Credit Only Granted for: AASP441 or AAAS441.
Formerly: AASP441.
AAAS443 Law and the Black Community (3 Credits)
The relationship between Black Americans and the law, particularly criminal law, criminal institutions and the criminal justice system. Examines historical changes in the legal status of blacks and changes in the causes of racial disparities in criminal involvement and punishments.
Prerequisite: HIST255, AAAS202, or AAAS100; or permission of BSOS-African American and Africana Studies department.
Credit Only Granted for: AASP443 or AAAS443.
Formerly: AASP443.
AAAS468 Special Topics in Africa and the Americas (3 Credits)
Cultural, historical and artistic dimensions of the African experience in Africa, the Americas and the African Diaspora.
Repeatable to: 6 credits if content differs.
Formerly: AASP468.
AAAS498 Special Topics in Black Culture (3 Credits)
Advanced study of the cultural and historical antecedents of contemporary African and African American society. Emphasis on the social, political, economic and behavioral factors affecting blacks and their communities. Topics vary.
Prerequisite: AASP100, AAAS100, AASP202, or AAAS202.
Repeatable to: 6 credits if content differs.
Formerly: AASP498.
AAAS499 Advanced Topics in Public Policy and the Black Community (3 Credits)
Examination of specific areas of policy development and evaluation in black and other communities. Application of advanced tools of policy analysis, especially quantitative, statistical and micro-economic analysis.
Prerequisite: AASP301 or AAAS301; or permission of BSOS-African American and Africana Studies department.
Repeatable to: 6 credits if content differs.