African American and African Diaspora Studies (ADS)

ADS 200 African American Art History 3

The development of African American art placed within the context of mainstream American art and the history of the blacks in this country.

MAC: MAC CritThink Hum and Fine Art

ADS 201 Introduction to African American Studies 3

Introduction to African American culture through a historical and social perspective.

MAC: MAC CritThink Soc and BehavSci

ADS 210 Blacks in American Society: Social, Economic, and Political Perspectives 3

Social, political, economic experience of blacks in the United States. Topics include the black family, Civil Rights Movement, black politicians, and blacks in the labor market.

MAC: MAC Diversity and Equity

ADS 260 Understanding Race 3

Race is among the most fundamental, yet profoundly misunderstood, aspects of socioculture. This course seeks to provide a comprehensive look at race, especially in its sociopolitical and biocultural dimensions.

MAC: MAC Diversity and Equity

ADS 305 Special Topics in African American Studies 3

An in-depth study of a selected topic or topics in African American Studies involving directed reading and research.

Notes: May be repeated for credit when topic varies.

ADS 306 Special Topics in the African Diaspora: Africa, the Indian Ocean, and the Americas 3

Special topics course explores the histories, cultures, politics, and societies of the African Diaspora across the Indian Ocean and Atlantic worlds.

Notes: May be repeated once for credit when topic varies.

ADS 310 The Portrayal of African Americans in Film 3

An examination of African American film roles as a reflector of America's perception of black character and behavior. Various film genres will be considered for insight into movie portrayals as social commentary.

ADS 315 Theories and Paradigms in African American Studies 3

A concentrated examination of the theories or systematic explanations of the social, cultural, and historical phenomena and/or experiences of African Americans.

Prerequisites: ADS 201 or ADS 210, or permission of instructor.

ADS 320 The African American Athlete 3

An examination of the lives and careers of African American athletes and their struggles to gain acceptance in both competitive and social settings.

ADS 325 Black Women in the U.S. 3

Explores the historical experiences of women of African descent in America through an evaluation of relevant literature, film, and/or music.

Prerequisites: ADS 201 and ADS 210 recommended.

ADS 330 Black Music as Cultural History: 1960-1980 3

African-American urban music from the 1960s and 1970s as cultural history and as a reflector of social, political, and economic movements of the era.

ADS 340 Africana Research Methods 3

This course serves as an introduction to interdisciplinary research methods and addresses specific concerns related to research in BIPOC communities.

ADS 350 Contemporary Africa 3

This course will serve as a general introduction to the contemporary social, economic and political facets of the African continent and its people post-independence. Students will gain theoretical perspectives for the critical understanding of the continent and its peoples and highlights the interconnections between Africa and the world at large.

ADS 351 Race and Gender in Black Performance 3

Focus on the history of a relation between race and gender in Black performance as it relates to the enactment of and resistance to neocolonial, patriarchal control and captivity.

ADS 356 The Making of the African Diaspora 3

Explores the making of the African Diaspora in the Atlantic and Indian Ocean worlds through a combination of historical and ethnographic studies.

ADS 376 Africana Literature 3

Critical survey of literature written by people of Africa and the Diaspora and their cultures, ideas, and experiences from the eighteenth century to the present.

CIC: CIC College Writing

Prerequisites: Sophomore, junior, or senior standing .

ADS 400 Independent Study 1-3

Intensive independent study on special topics related to the African American experience.

Prerequisites: Permission of Director of African American Studies and faculty mentor.

ADS 410 Seminar in African American Studies 3

Capstone seminar on issues in African American Studies and their significance to American society and the world.

CIC: CIC College Writing

Prerequisites: ADS 201 and ADS 210. junior or senior status; AADS major or minor status.

ADS 454 Independent Black Politics 19th Century 3

The origins, rise, and collapse of Black Populism, the independent black political movement between Reconstruction and the consolidation of Jim Crow, in the South.

ADS 492 Internship in African American Studies 1-6

Practical experience at sites serving populations of people of African descent. Two semester meetings with program director. Students must complete 8 to 15 hours per week at site.

Prerequisites: ADS 201 and ADS 210. ENG 374 or ENG 376; HIS 301 or HIS 302 or HIS 389; AADS major or minor. For AAD minors: ADS 201, ADS 210, and two AAD-related courses;

Notes: Interns must show 40 on-site hours each semester for each s.h. of credit sought. may be repeated a maximum of 3 times for course credit, but may not exceed 6 credit hours in total.

ADS 600 Independent Study 3

A supervised research project related to African American Studies at the graduate level.

ADS 610 African American Theoretical Perspectives 3

Historical and theoretical approaches to analyzing race, gender, and class as related to African Americans.

ADS 650 Topics in African American Gender Studies 3

Constructed gender identity of African Americans and intersections of race, gender, class, and sexuality. Politics of African American gender construction, historical notions of gender performance, and aspects of black sexuality.

ADS 652 Topics in Black Performance Studies 3

Implications of historical displays of Black people in relation to contemporary black performance, particularly as it involves a shift in bodies and terms.

ADS 653 Perspectives on the African American Experience 3

Investigates selected individuals, events, and social and cultural movements that have fundamentally shaped the course of African American advancement in mainstream society.