Academic Catalog

African American Studies (AFAS)

AFAS 1120 Introduction to African American Studies. An introduction to African American Studies, this course traces the African American experience, which spans four hundred years from the colonization of the US and the rise of trans-Atlantic slavery to the present day. Students will learn how African Americans have consistently created modes of self-fashioning even in the midst of institutionalized anti-black racism. Topics include African American rituals, traditions, music, art, dance, literature, and spiritual practices; kinship structures and communities; and political and social theories and practices that negotiate the contradiction at the core of the uneven experience of US democracy. 3 semester credit hour/s. 
Designation: Historical (QHT) 
Campus: LISLE (Typically Offered: Fall Term) 
AFAS 4398 Critical Race Theory: An Interdisciplinary Capstone. Critical Race Theory (CRT) is an analytical framework used across the Social Sciences, including Law and Education, that provides an essential theoretical lens for Ethnic Studies scholars. This course focuses on how CRT provides an explanatory framework or set of basic perspectives, methods, and pedagogy that accounts for the role of race and racism across contexts (i.e., Education, Law, Policy, etc.) and that works toward identifying and challenging racism within institutional contexts. In addition to classroom activities, a service/internship component will give students the ability to put their academic learning into practice. Prerequisite: minimum 9 hours in the African American Studies minor and 60 credits overall. 3 semester credit hour/s. 
Campus: LISLE (Typically Offered: Spring Term, Odd Years)