HST 209, 210 - Africa Since 1800

Course unit(s): 1
Meets GAR: Meets general academic requirements HU and DE (and W when offered as 210).
This course is a survey of processes of historical change in sub-Saharan Africa from the nineteenth century to the present. We will explore the final decades of the Atlantic slave trade, the rise of colonial rule, the fraught process of decolonization, neo-colonialism and the Cold War, and historicize contemporary issues in Africa. Students will analyze how Africans participate in discussions about race, gender, sexuality, politics, and change on local, regional, and global levels. By examining key historical texts in the field, music, art, and literature, this course will introduce students to the diversity of experiences that define the rich and complex history of Africa.