Course Syllabus

This course examines the struggles of Africans and African descendants for freedom, justice, equality, democracy, and power.  Pan-Africanism, the idea of unity and common purpose of people of African descent in Africa and the Diaspora, has been a core component of Black liberation thought.  We will analyze Pan-Africanism as an ideology and social movement, often in comparison to Black politics in the liberal, conservative, and feminist traditions.  The course will investigate a variety of social movements, prominent activists, and key organizations in the Black fight against slavery, colonialism, racial oppression, and discrimination.

How are you evaluated?

Point Scale

Extra Credit: Extra credit assignments will be granted at the discretion of the instructor.  Please discuss with instructor if you feel you need extra credit.

Assignment Details

Reading Questions  A total of 11 reading questions based on course readings, lectures, films, and class discussions will be assigned throughout the semester.  Students are strongly encouraged to complete each of these questions, as the lowest grade will be dropped and the next lowest will be used as extra credit.  Each question will be worth 2 points. Technically a student could decide to complete 10 questions and still receive all 20 reading question points, depending on the quality of the work. 

Participation  Class participation has two components: Attendance (50%) and Questions/Commentary (50%).  You will receive 10 points for attending class and 10 points for participating in class.  All students are expected to contribute to class discussing in the form of questions and commentary, verbally or in chat.

Midterm  Your midterm will be an essay examination. The exam will consist of several questions of which the student will chose two.  These questions will pertain directly to the readings, lectures, films, and class discussions. Each response should be at least 500 words, double spaced, 12-point font, with normal margins.

The midterm should be emailed to me by 11:59 pm on Wednesday, October 20, 2021.

Final Exam  The final exam will consist of a five to eight-page term paper and presentation on the topic of the student’s choice.  Any topics covered in course readings, lectures or films will be acceptable.  Students may also choose from topics outside of course materials that interest them and fall under the context of Pan Africanism. Topics must be approved by the professor no later than the 8^th week of class.  Papers should be double spaced, in 12-point font, with normal margins.

Final papers will be due no later than 11:59 pm Wednesday, December 15^th, 2021

Office Hours: By appointment.

 Late exams: one whole letter grade reduction will be assigned for each day or fraction thereof that an exam is late.

Course Calendar (Fall 2021)

COURSE OBJECTIVES

 As a result of mastering the course material, you will be able to:

• Define and discuss key concepts such as Pan-Africanism, Black Nationalism, and African Diaspora
• Explain the richness and complexities of the Black social and political experience throughout the African Diaspora
• Analyze various organizations, ideologies, and individuals who have shaped Black social and political thought
• Evaluate the strengths, limitations, and contradictions in various Black ideologies
• Examine the ways in which race and racism have intersected with gender and class in the Black political experience

COURSE POLICIES

Students in need of academic accommodations

If you have a documented disability that requires accommodations, you will need to register with Student Disability Services for coordination of your academic accommodations. The Student Disability Services (SDS) office is located at 1600 David Adamany Undergraduate Library in the Student Academic Success Services department. The SDS telephone number is 313-577-1851 or 313-202-4216 for videophone use. Once you have met with your disability specialist, I will be glad to meet with you privately during my office hours to discuss your accommodations. Student Disability Services’ mission is to assist the university in creating an accessible community where students with disabilities have an equal opportunity to fully participate in their educational experience at Wayne State University. You can learn more about the disability office at www.studentdisability.wayne.edu.

To register with Student Disability Services, complete the online registration form at: 
https://wayne-accommodate.symplicity.com/public_accommodation/

Academic Integrity

All work produced for this course must be produced exclusively for this course and be your own work.  The use of all sources (ideas, quotations, paraphrases) must be properly cited and documented (guidelines will follow).  For this course, the primary texts that you should refer to are our required books and related materials such as films and documents distributed in class.  Plagiarism and cheating will not be tolerated.  Those who do cheat will receive a failing grade for that assignment.  If you repeat this same mistake twice, I will report you to the proper authorities within your respective college.  If you have any questions regarding the university’s policies regarding academic dishonesty and its consequences, consult http://www.doso.wayne.edu/judicial/academic-integrity.htm/.  If you have any further questions regarding any aspect of these requirements and/or policies, please consult with me and/or the university’s policy BEFORE you complete and turn in your course assignments, as ignorance of these standards is not a valid excuse.