Afro-American Studies
Faculty
Introduction
Major in Afro-American Studies
Minor in Afro-American Studies
Departmental Honors Program
Course Descriptions
Faculty
Chairperson
Professor John McCluskey
Martha C. Kraft Professor Emeritus
Herman Hudson
Professors
Phyllis Klotman (Emeritus), William Fletcher (Emeritus), William Wiggins (Afro-American Studies); Eileen Julien (Comparative Literature, French and Italian), David N. Baker, Jr. (School of Music)
Associate Professors
A. B. Assensoh, Claude Cligg (History), Valerie Grim, Audrey McCluskey, Frederick McElroy, Iris Rosa, Raymond Hedin (English) Carolyn Calloway-Thomas (Communication and Culture), James Mumford (part-time), Gary Sailes (HPER)
Assistant Professors
Dennis Rome, Yvette Alex Assensoh (Political Science), Quinton Dixie (Religious Studies), William Banfield
Academic Advising
Memorial East M33, (812) 855-3874
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Introduction
The Department of Afro-American Studies (AFRO) introduces students to a wide range of current research and scholarly opinion on the history, culture, and social status of black Americans and their African heritage. As an intellectual enterprise, the department provides an eclectic analysis of the Afro-American experience. As a humanistic discipline in the democratic tradition, Afro-American Studies seeks to dispel the myths and expose those attitudes that perpetuate racism in American life.
Students enrolled in any department or school may elect any course or sequence of courses in Afro-American Studies for which they are eligible. Many of the courses in the department may be used to satisfy distribution or culture studies requirements. A few courses may be used to fulfill intensive writing requirements.
For information on those requirements, consult appropriate sections of this bulletin.
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Major in Afro-American Studies
Purpose
The major prepares students for a variety of professional careers or for graduate study. Students planning to enter the workforce immediately after graduation may wish to select a double major.
Requirements
Students must complete a minimum of 30 credit hours of undergraduate course work selected from the department's three concentration areas: (1) arts, (2) literature, and (3) history, culture, and social issues. Not more than 6 credit hours at the 100 level and not more than 9 credit hours at the 200 level can be counted toward the major. At the time of admission to the department, each student and the undergraduate advisor together plan an individualized program of study, including the selection of a major concentration area.
Majors must complete the following:
- A150
- A355 or A356 (history)
- A379 or A380 (literature)
- 12 credit hours in one Afro-American studies concentration area (A355 or A356 and A379 or A380 may be included)
- 6 credit hours in each of the other two concentration areas (A355 or A356 and A379 or A380 may be included)
- A493 Senior Seminar in Afro-American Studies
Students must also complete the degree requirements of the College of Arts and Sciences.
Recommendations
During the freshman and sophomore years, students should take Afro-American Studies A141, A142, and A150. A141 and A142 satisfy the English composition and arts and humanities requirements. A150 satisfies the arts and humanities requirements. N141 and N142 do not count toward the major or minor in Afro-American Studies.
Students who plan to have a double major should make this decision as early as possible so that course selections in Afro-American Studies and the second major can be closely coordinated.
Majors in journalism, telecommunications, business, public and environmental affairs, pre-law, social work, education, and many other disciplines have found Afro-American Studies courses to be useful, interesting, and important to their chosen fields.
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Minor in Afro-American Studies
Requirements
Students must complete 15 College of Arts and Sciences credit hours in Afro-American studies, including:
- A355 or A356 (history).
- A379 or A380 (literature).
- At least one other course at the 300-400 level.
Students must take at least 9 credit hours in a single concentration area: (1) literature, (2) arts, or (3) history, culture, and social issues. Courses are selected in consultation with the academic advisor. At least 9 credit hours must be taken in residence at IU Bloomington.
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Departmental Honors Program
Afro-American Studies majors with a minimum 3.3 cumulative grade point average and a 3.3 grade point average within the Department of Afro-American Studies are eligible for the departmental honors program. Students must enroll in 9 credit hours of honors work consisting of 3 credit hours of supervised readings and 6 credit hours of supervised independent research. Independent research may take the form of research projects, field research, internships, or creative activities. Students should apply in the fall semester of their junior year. A copy of the student's transcript and a short letter of application describing the honors project in general terms will be required for admission.
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Course Descriptions
Arts
Performance courses (A100, A110, and A120) are marked with an asterisk (*). These are open to undergraduates only and may be repeated individually or in combination for a maximum of 12 ensemble credit hours.
African and Afro-American Art
A352 Afro-American Art II: Afro-American Artists (3 cr.) AHLA, CSA R: A351. A survey of the artistic traditions of the African in the New World, from the period of slavery in North and South America through contemporary Afro-American and expatriate black American artists.
Dance
*A100 Afro-American Dance Company (2 cr.) P: consent of instructor by audition. Emphasis on ethnic and jazz traditions, although other genres are regularly performed. Repertoire varies from semester to semester. Participation in on- and off-campus concerts, workshops, and lecture demonstrations required. Previous dance training desirable but not essential. May be repeated individually or in combination with A110 or A120 for a maximum of 12 credit hours.
A102 Introduction to Black Dance Styles (2 cr.) Jazz dance technique with an African American historical perspective. Instruction includes basic dance technique vocabulary and movements with syncopated rhythm patterns.
A300 Jazz Dance Movement Styles (2 cr.) P: minimum of two years of dance movement and consent of instructor. Advanced study in jazz dance technique. Emphasis on three jazz technique styles developed by well-known dance artists: Matt Mattox, Luigi, and free style.
Film Studies
A277 Images of Blacks in Films: 1903-1950s (3 cr.) AHLA, CSA Images of blacks in films, mainly American, from before The Birth of a Nation (1915) to the 1950s. Course will include segments as well as complete feature films (also "race films" when available), shorts, cartoons, and documentaries viewed in historical perspective.
A278 Contemporary Black Film (3 cr.) AHLA, CSA Problems raised by proliferation of films acted, authored, directed and/or produced by blacks. Exploration of legitimacy of "black film aesthetic" and its reception by various segments of the black community.
A359 Ethnic/Racial Stereotypes in American Film (3 cr.) AHLA A study in cross-cultural stereotyping as evidenced in the film medium. Analysis of native American, Asian, black, Hispanic, and Jewish groups. Features, shorts, and animations screened to illustrate the "classic" stereotypes of each group and to demonstrate their impact on American society.
A430 The Cinema of African American Women (3 cr.) AHLA, CSA Historical and critical overview of films produced by African American women from the 1940s to the present. The course emphasizes how black women filmmakers combine their creative abilities with a desire to capture dominant issues which impact upon black women's lives in America.
Music
*A110 Afro-American Choral Ensemble (2 cr.) P: consent of instructor by audition. Performance of music by and about blacks, including spirituals, gospel, art songs, and excerpts from operas and musicals. Repertoire varies from semester to semester. Participation in on- and off-campus concerts, workshops, and lecture demonstrations required. Ability to read music desirable but not essential. May be repeated individually or in combination with A100 or A120 for a maximum of 12 credit hours.
A112 Black Music of Two Worlds (3 cr.) AHLA, CSA Comparative study of black musics in West Africa, South America, the Caribbean, and the United States. Emphasis on interrelationships between musical forms, performance practices, ritual traditions, and aesthetics.
*A120 Soul Revue/Black Popular Music Ensemble (2 cr.) P: consent of instructor by audition. Introduces the richness and depth of black popular tradition through authentic performance practices. Repertoire varies from semester to semester. Participation in on- and off-campus concerts, workshops, and lecture demonstrations required. Ability to read music desirable but not essential. May be repeated individually or in combination with A100 or A110 for a maximum of 12 credit hours.
A290 Sociocultural Perspective of Afro-American Music (3 cr.) AHLA, CSA Survey of cultural, social, and political attitudes that influenced blacks in the development of and participation in blues, jazz, urban black popular music, and "classical" music.
A389 Motown (3 cr.) AHLA, CSA A comprehensive survey of the development of Motown Record Corporation, with emphasis on its Detroit era, 1959-1972. The course will explore issues related to the people, music, creative processes, management practices, events, media, technology, and sociocultural factors that contributed to the identity of Motown as an artistic, commercial, and cultural phenomenon.
A393 (MUS M393) History of Jazz (3 cr.) AHLA, CSA Periods, major performers and composers, trends, influences, stylistic features, and related materials. Credit not given for both A393 and M393.
A394 (MUS M394) Black Music in America (3 cr.) AHLA, CSA A survey of black music from its African origin to the present with special emphasis on its social, economic, and political implications. Credit not given for both A394 and M394.
A395 (MUS M395) Contemporary Jazz and Soul Music (3 cr.) AHLA, CSA P: consent of instructor. A survey of contemporary jazz and soul (rhythm and blues) music and musicians in the United States. Credit not given for both A395 and M395.
A396 (MUS M396) Art Music of Black Composers (3 cr.) AHLA, CSA A study of black music and musicians in the United States with emphasis on the black composer in contemporary music. Credit not given for both A396 and M396.
A397 (MUS M397) Popular Music of Black America (3 cr.) AHLA, CSA A sociocultural and musical analysis of urban black popular music, its performers, producers, and composers from the 1940s to 1980-rhythm and blues, rock 'n' roll, soul, ballads, funk, disco, and rap. Credit not given for both A397 and MUS M397.
A489 Rap Music (3 cr.) AHLA, CSA P: junior or senior standing. Examines rap music as an artistic and sociological phenomenon with emphasis on its historical and political contexts. Discussions include the appropriation of these forms by the music industry and the controversies resulting from their exploitation as an entertainment commodity for mass consumption.
A496 Black Religious Music (3 cr.) AHLA, CSA An in-depth investigation of Negro spirituals and gospel music, with some treatment of the traditions of liningout and shapenote singing. Examination of genres will address and integrate both the musical and the sociocultural perspectives.
Theatre and Drama
A383 Blacks in American Drama and Theatre, 1767-1945 (3 cr.) AHLA, CSA Images of blacks as reflected in American drama from 1767 to 1945. Selected dramas of both white and black playwrights, such as Isaac Bickerstaffe, William Wells Brown, Eugene O'Neill, and Richard Wright, who depicted blacks on the stage.
A384 Blacks in American Drama and Theatre, 1945-Present (3 cr.) AHLA, CSA Images of blacks as reflected in American drama from 1945 to the present. Emphasis on the contributions of black playwrights such as Lorraine Hansberry, Langston Hughes, Imamu Amiri Baraka (LeRoi Jones), Ted Shine, and Ed Bullins.
A385 Seminar in Black Theatre (3 cr.) AHLA, CSA P: T120; or one of A379, A380, A383, A384; or consent of instructor. Contributions of blacks to the theater in America. Reading and discussion of selected dramas and critiques with opportunities for involvement in the oral interpretation of one or more of the plays.
A485 Lorraine Hansberry: Black Dramatist (3 ) AHLA, CSA In-depth study of Lorraine Hansberry's life and works with emphasis on her dramas and her essays on the theatre and the society that she knew.
Literature
A249 Afro-American Autobiography (3 cr.) AHLA, CSA A survey of autobiographies written by black Americans in the last two centuries. The course emphasizes how the autobiographers combine the grace of art and the power of argument to urge the creation of genuine freedom in America.
A379 Early Black American Writing (3 cr.) AHLA, CSA Afro-American writing before World War II, with emphasis on critical reactions and analyses. Includes slave narratives, autobiographies, rhetoric, fiction, and poetry.
A380 Contemporary Black American Writing (3 cr.) AHLA, CSA R: A379. The black experience in America as it has been reflected since World War II in the works of outstanding Afro-American writers: fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and drama.
A383 Blacks in American Drama and Theatre, 1767-1945 (3 cr.) AHLA, CSA Images of blacks as reflected in American drama from 1767 to 1945. Selected dramas of both white and black playwrights, such as Isaac Bickerstaffe, William Wells Brown, Eugene O'Neill, and Richard Wright, who depicted blacks on the stage.
A384 Blacks in American Drama and Theatre, 1945-Present (3 cr.) AHLA, CSA Images of blacks as reflected in American drama from 1945 to the present. Emphasis on the contributions of black playwrights such as Lorraine Hansberry, Langston Hughes, Imamu Amiri Baraka (LeRoi Jones), Ted Shine, and Ed Bullins.
A479 Contemporary Black Poetry (3 cr.) AHLA An examination of black poetry from Dunbar to the present, emphasizing the emergence, growth, and development of black consciousness as a positive ethnic identification.
A480 The Black Novel (3 cr.) AHLA, CSA R: A379 or A380. Analysis of the Afro-American novel from the Harlem Renaissance to the present: genesis, development, and current trends. Emphasis on traditions arising out of the black experience and on critical perspectives developed by black critics and scholars.
Writing
A141-A142 Introduction to Writing and the Study of Black Literature I-II (4-4 cr.) AHLA P for A142: A141. Composition and literature courses that teach the skills of writing. Structuring of ideas through analysis and practice of various techniques of paragraph and essay development. Reading and discussion of representative Afro-American writings, including poetry, short stories, sermons, novels, and drama. A141-A142 fulfill fundamental skills requirement; do not count toward major.
History, Culture, and Social Issues
A150 Survey of the Culture of Black Americans (3 cr.) AHTI, CSA The culture of blacks in America viewed from a broad interdisciplinary approach, employing resources from history, literature, folklore, religion, sociology, and political science. Does not count toward major.
A205 Black Electoral Politics (3 cr.) SHSI The course will explore black participation in the formal structures of American government and in the processes by which these structures are accessed. Black participation in local, state, and federal government arenas will be focused upon, and the political benefits to the black community of these involvements will be assessed.
A210 Black Women in the Diaspora (3 cr.) SHSI, CSA Interdisciplinary examination of salient aspects of black women's history, identity, and experience, including policies, cultural assumptions, and knowledge systems that affect black women's lives. While the primary focus is North America, the lives of black women in other cultural settings within the African Diaspora are also examined.
A250 U.S. Contemporary Minorities (3 cr.) SHSI An interdisciplinary study of how members of four minority groups-native Americans, Asian Americans, blacks, and Hispanics-combine their struggle for social justice with their desire to maintain their own concepts of identity.
A255 The Black Church in America (3 cr.) SHSI, CSA The church's role as a black social institution from slavery to the present, its religious attitudes as expressed in songs and sermons, and its political activities as exemplified in the minister-politician.
A263 Contemporary Social Issues in the Afro-American Community (3 cr.) SHSI A seminar, primarily designed for sophomores and juniors, directed toward critical analysis of selected topics germane to the future socioeconomic and political position of Afro-Americans.
A265 Sports and the Afro-American Experience (3 cr.) SHSI, CSA The impact of Afro-American sports heroes, famous teams, and annual sporting events on the shaping of Afro-American culture and the combating of American racism.
A350 Black Atlantic (3 cr.) AHTI, CSA This course is an interdisciplinary and comparative study of historical, cultural, and political issues related to Africa and the African diaspora (the Americas and Europe). Emphasis will also be on team-teaching using IUB faculty. Course will be of interest to students in all university departments and schools.
A355 (HIST A355) Afro-American History I (3 cr.) SHHS, CSA History of blacks in the United States. Slavery, abolitionism, Reconstruction, and post-Reconstruction to 1900. Credit given for only one of A355 or HIST A355.
A356 (HIST A356) Afro-American History II (3 cr.) SHHS, CSA R: A355. 1900 to the present. Migration north, NAACP, Harlem Renaissance, postwar freedom movement. Credit given for only one of A356 or HIST A356.
A360 Slavery: Worldwide Perspective (3 cr.) SHHS, CSA Examines several aspects of the classical, indigenous, and modern political/social bondage.
A363 Research on Contemporary Afro-American Problems I (3 cr.) SHSI A research seminar, primarily designed for juniors and seniors, directed toward critical analysis of selected topics germane to the future socioeconomic and political position of Afro-Americans. Reading and discussion of relevant texts, studies, and articles. Includes theory construction, research design, and data collection.
A382 Black Community, Law, and Social Change (3 cr.) SHSI Legal evolution of civil rights and analysis of specific relevant legal decisions that stimulated social change (the role of slavery, racial segregation, inequality of educational opportunity, and voting laws).
A386 Black Feminist Perspectives (3 cr.) SHSI, CSA Examination of the history, development, and manifestation of feminist consciousness among African American women. The course is particularly concerned with how black women's lived experience defines that consciousness, and the differing impact it has among various groups of black women, and in their larger social, political, and cultural communities.
A391 Black Nationalism (3 cr.) SHSI Consequences of the black diaspora in North America; shifting views of blacks toward their native continent; analysis of current geographic, economic, and political relationships.
A392 Afro-American Folklore (3 cr.) AHTI, CSA Afro-American culture in the United States viewed in terms of history (antebellum to present) and social change (rural to urban). Use of oral traditions and life histories to explore aspects of black culture and history. Credit not given for both A392 and FOLK F394.
A400 Topics in Afro-American Studies (3 cr.) Intensive study and analysis of selected Afro-American studies problems and issues of limited scope, approached within an interdisciplinary format. Varied topics that cut across departmental concentration areas. May be repeated for credit if topic differs.
A405 Civil Rights and Black Power Movements, 1954-1974 (3 cr.) SHHS Examines the fight for civil rights by protest organizations such as Southern Christian Leadership Conference, Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee, and Congress on Racial Equality; the emergence of black leaders such as King, Farmer, and Malcolm X; the challenge posed by Black Power advocates in the Black Panthers and Black Muslims; and the changes in American society made by the black revolution.
A407 Afro-American and African Protest Strategies (3 cr.) SHSI, CSA An examination of the historical roles, structures, the impact of black protest strategies and the origins of black movements to assess their impact on communities in Africa and in the diaspora.
A408 Race, Gender, and Class in Cross-Cultural Perspective (3 cr.) SHSI, CSA Examination of the influence of race, gender, and class from a perspective of power and culture. Use of interdisciplinary sources, including essays, fiction, art, and social science research to examine how different social groups vie for representation, self-definition, and power in different social and cultural settings.
A415 The Political Impact of Black Religion (3 cr.) SHSI The course will focus upon politically oriented Afro-American and African religious activity including protest movements, nationalist groups, and electoral involvements. Course goals include familiarizing students with important actors and events in black religious and political affairs and developing critical thinking by students about politics and religious involvement in politics.
A425 The Black Family in Twentieth-Century Rural America, 1900-1970 (3 cr.) SHHS Examines the economic, social, cultural, and political development of black families residing primarily in rural areas of the southern United States prior to 1970. Primary attention given to institutional development, race relations, population, and migration.
A447 Race, Crime, and Media (3 cr.) Focus on crime reporting in America, addressing the question of whether or not the media distort the picture of crime. In particular, this course explores the mass media treatment of African Americans in the coverage of crime.
A452 Historical Issues in Black Education (3 cr.) SHSI Education of black Americans and its relationship to the African American experience. Trends and patterns in the education of black Americans as they relate to the notions of education "for whom and for what."
A481 Racism and the Law (3 cr.) SHSI Contemporary racial problems in American society with regard to law and constitutional principles of basic freedoms and associated conflicts. Effects of societal norms and impact of racism.
A486 Internship in Afro-American Studies (3 cr.) P: junior or senior status with 15 credit hours of Afro-American Studies credit, and project approved by instructor. Directed readings, field research, research papers. Certain internship experiences may require research skills. May be repeated once for a total of 6 credits.
Senior Seminar
A493 Senior Seminar in Afro-American Studies (3 cr.) P: senior status as Afro-American Studies major. Lecture/discussions on Afro-American studies as an interdisciplinary field of inquiry and scholarship. Students will develop individual or group projects that synthesize their experiences as majors by demonstrating the interrelated nature of the department's concentration areas.
Reading Courses
Each reading course must be taken for 3 credit hours. Students may repeat the same course once or elect a second reading course for a combined maximum of 6 credit hours.
Students who wish to enroll in any of the following courses must: (1) secure the written consent of the instructor and the departmental chairperson, and (2) file with the departmental secretary an approved list of readings completed during the semester.
A495 Reading in Afro-American Fiction
A495 Reading in Afro-American Film Studies
A495 Reading in Afro-American Folklore
A495 Reading in Afro-American History
A495 Reading in Afro-American Nonfiction
A495 Reading in Afro-American Poetry
A495 Reading in Afro-American Sacred Music
A495 Reading in Afro-American Secular Music
A495 Reading in Afro-American Social Issues
A495 Reading in Afro-American Theatre and Drama
A499 Honors Thesis (3 cr.) P: approval of instructor and departmental honors advisor. Development, completion, and defense of honors thesis. May be repeated for a maximum of 6 credit hours.
A student may choose one of the following courses or other approved courses to satisfy requirements for an Afro-American studies major with a concentration in:
Arts
A250 (Fine Arts) Introduction to African Art (3 cr.) AHLA, CSA
A453 (Fine Arts) Art of Sub-Saharan Africa I (4 cr.) SHHS, CSA
A454 (Fine Arts) Art of Sub-Saharan Africa II (4 cr.) SHHS, CSA
T120 (Theatre and Drama) Acting I (3 cr.)
Literature
C261 (Comparative Literature) Introduction to African Literature (3 cr.) AHLA, CSA
C361 (Comparative Literature) Literature and Cultures of Africa (3 cr.) AHLA, CSA
C464 (Comparative Literature) French Language Literatures of Africa and the Americas (3 cr.) AHLA, CSA
W301 (English) Writing Fiction (3 cr.)
History, Culture, and Social Issues
A347 (History) American Urban History (3 cr.) SHHS
E310 (Anthropology) Introduction to the Cultures of Africa (3 cr.) CSA
E331 (History) History of Africa I (3 cr.) SHHS, CSA
E332 (History) History of Africa II (3 cr.) SHHS, CSA
F301 (Folklore) African Folklore/Folklife/Folk Music (3 cr.) AHTI, CSA
P425 (Criminal Justice) Women in the Criminal Justice System (3 cr.)
P457 (Psychology) Topics in Psychology: Women: A Cross-Cultural Psychological Perspective (1-3 cr.)
P493 (Criminal Justice) Seminar in Criminal Justice: Minorities in Criminal Justice (3 cr.)
R160 (Religious Studies) Religion and American Culture (3 cr.) AHTI
R336 (Religious Studies) Religion in America II (3 cr.)
C238 (Communication and Culture) Communication in Black America (3 cr.) AHTI, CSA
C427 (Communication and Culture) Cross-Cultural Communication (3 cr.)
Y338 (Political Science) African Politics (3 cr.) SHSI, CSA
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