Critical Social Thought 249BA - Topics in Critical Social Thought: 'Black Atlantic Diasporas: Departures, Travels, and Arrivals'

Black Atlantic Diasporas

Spring
2023
01
4.00
Karen Remmler,Lucas Wilson

TTH 03:15PM-04:30PM

Mount Holyoke College
120474
Skinner Hall 210
kremmler@mtholyoke.edu
lbwilson@mtholyoke.edu
120475,120473,120474
We explore modern encounters of African-Americans and Afro-Europeans in the spaces and peripheries of the Black Atlantic, as the spaces constitute diasporic practices. Diasporic Blackness serves as a critique of and community-based resistance to global anti-Blackness, largely in response to Europe's colonial and imperial activities. Our materials frame anti-Blackness as a source of trauma, travel, and resistance, where each of these is a vital part of an emancipatory movement. We include textual and visual materials that examine the consequences of representations of past, present, and future Black freedom dreams and their lived effects. How is diasporic Blackness constituted through time and space? How does the critique of Black-white binarist thought compel a rethinking of controlling narratives of race as nation? What about encounters with other racialized folks?

Prereq: Previous college-level coursework in history, literature or social theory.

Taught in English. Students interested in developing their German language speaking skills in conjunction with this course are encouraged to enroll in the GRMST-231BA-01 section of the course and in the 2-credit discussion section GRMST-295-01.

Permission is required for interchange registration during the add/drop period only.