Africana Studies Concentration
Africana Studies at Holy Cross examines the cultures, identities, histories, politics, and economies of Afro-descendants in Africa, the Americas, the Caribbean, and Europe. The concentration approaches these topics from 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 required foundational course: | |
| 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 |
| POLS 270 | African Politics |
| Code | Title |
|---|---|
| Five elective courses from the list above or below: | |
| ANTH 251 | Informal Economies |
| AFST 260 | Black Europe |
| ANTH 253 | Gender & Development |
| ANTH 255 | Genders & 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 |
| ECON 215 | African Economies |
| EDUC 169 | Schooling in the United States |
| EDUC 273 | Urban Education |
| EDUC 340 | Multicultural Education |
| ENGL 368 | African-American Literature |
| ENGL 372 | Contemporary African-American Literature and Culture |
| ENGL 393 | Toni Morrison |
| HIST 137 | American Slavery, American Freedom |
| HIST 197 | Early Africa to 1800 |
| HIST 198 | Modern Africa Since 1800 |
| HIST 223 | Radicalism in America |
| HIST 225 | Th Civil Rights Movement |
| HIST 227 | Muslim Africa |
| HIST 277 | Afro-Latin America |
| HIST 290 | Sex and Society in Africa |
| HIST 296 | South Africa & Apartheid |
| 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 |
| PHIL 111 | Intro to Africana Philosophy |
| POLS 262 | Latinx Politics |
| POLS 270 | African Politics |
| POLS 273 | Race& Politics in the Americas |
| POLS 320 | Political Violence |
| POLS 325 | Politics of the Undocumented |
| RELS 107 | Islam |
| RELS 270 | The Quran |
| SOCL 203 | Race & Power |
| SOCL 213 | Race, Crime, and Justice |
| SOCL 269 | Education and Society |
| THEA 141 | Jazz Dance 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 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.