Africana Studies Concentration
Africana Studies at Holy Cross examines the cultures, identities, histories, politics, and economies of Africans and those of the African Disaspora. Africana has come to refer to the study of the past and present experiences of Africans and the African diaspora wherever people of African descent reside; people of African descent are found around the globe. The concentration draws upon disciplines in the social sciences, humanities, languages, and arts, and across different time periods and geographies. Students and faculty engage with ethnoracial identity construction, racism, colonialism, and power dynamics impacting Africans and Afro-descendants, immigrant, indigenous, and white populations historically and today. Courses address historical and contemporary intellectual and cultural traditions, social institutions, and political movements of the peoples of Africa and the African Diasporas within the interconnected global system. Coursework is enriched by on- and off-campus speakers, events, and Community-Based Learning opportunities showcasing the diversity of global African experiences.
Requirements
| Code | Title |
|---|---|
| One designated foundational course, such as: | |
| AFST 110 | Intro To Africana Studies |
| AFST 260 | Black Europe |
| ANTH 273 | Anthropology of Africa |
| HIST 198 | Modern Africa Since 1800 |
| HIST 277 | Afro-Latin America |
| MUSC 236 | From Blues to Rap |
| PHIL 111 | Intro to Africana Philosophy |
| POLS 270 | African Politics |
| SOCL 203 | Race & Power |
| Code | Title |
|---|---|
| Five elective courses from the list above or below, such as: | |
| AFST 260 | Black Europe |
| ANTH 251 | Informal Economies |
| ANTH 253 | Gender & Development |
| ANTH 255 | Gender & Sexualities |
| ANTH 260 | Medical Anthropology |
| ANTH 273 | Anthropology of Africa |
| ARAB 101 | Elementary Arabic 1 |
| ARAB 102 | Elementary Arabic 2 |
| ARAB 201 | Intermediate Arabic 1 |
| ARAB 202 | Intermediate Arabic 2 |
| ARAB 301 | Third Year Arabic |
| CISS 150 | Intro to Global Health |
| CISS 200 | Worcester and Its People |
| CISS 255 | Critical Issues/Global Health |
| CISS 272 | Health and Development |
| CISS 350 | HIV/AIDS in Global Perspective |
| CRES 374 | Toni Morrison |
| EDUC 273 | Complexities of Urban Schools |
| EDUC 340 | Multicultural Education |
| ENGL 368 | African American Literature |
| ENGL 372 | Contemporary African American Literature and Culture |
| ENGL 374 | Contemp. African Amer. Drama |
| ENGL 394 | The Black Urban Experience |
| FREN 472 | Race & Gender in French Cinema |
| HIST 126 | Colonial Latin America |
| HIST 137 | American Slavery, American Freedom |
| HIST 197 | Early Africa to 1800 |
| HIST 198 | Modern Africa Since 1800 |
| HIST 203 | Slavery, Industry, Empire 1815-60 |
| HIST 223 | Radicalism in America |
| HIST 225 | Th Civil Rights Movement |
| HIST 296 | South Africa & Apartheid |
| HIST 297 | History of Disease and Healing |
| HIST 365 | Resistance & Rev in Mod Africa |
| MUSC 150 | American Music |
| MUSC 218 | Jazz Improvisation 1 |
| MUSC 219 | Jazz/ Improvisation 2 |
| MUSC 233 | World Music |
| MUSC 236 | From Blues to Rap |
| MUSC 238 | Musical Cultures of Brazil |
| PHIL 111 | Intro to Africana Philosophy |
| PHIL 227 | Philosophy of Race |
| POLS 270 | African Politics |
| POLS 360 | Women, War, and Violence |
| RELS 107 | Islam |
| RELS 270 | The Quran |
| SOCL 203 | Race & Power |
| SOCL 213 | Race, Crime, and Justice |
| SOCL 269 | Education and Society |
| SOCL 313 | Freedoms & Unfreedoms |
| STWL 235 | Topics in African Cinema |
| THEA 121 | Decolonizing Dance |
| THEA 141 | Jazz Dance 1 - 2 |
| THEA 171 | Hip Hop/Breaking 1-2 |
| THEA 242 | Jazz 3-4 |
| VAHI 201 | Introduction to Islamic Art |
| VAHI 202 | Art of Africa and the Americas |
Of the five other elective courses that are required, the majority of which should be at the 200-level or above, at least two courses should be focused on a region other than the United States. Concentrators should try to take at least one 300 or 400-level course, or a course with an extensive research, performance, or writing component. Including the foundational course, no more than two should come from a single discipline or department.