French 341NE - Courses in Francophone Studies: 'Revisiting the Negritude Movement: Origins, Evolution, and Relevance'

In the interwar period, 1920-1940, black students from Africa and the Caribbean met in Paris to pursue their education. Galvanized by the colonial situation at home and the political situation in France, Aimé Césaire (Martinique), Léopold S. Senghor (Sénégal), and Léon Damas (French Guyana) formed the cultural movement called Négritude. This course will survey the emergence, goals, evolution, achievements, and legacies of that movement. Discussions will be based on major texts by the founders. Their influence on the works of a new generation of African and Caribbean writers will also be examined.

Prereq: Two of the following courses: FREN-215, FREN-219, FREN-225.