Modern Africa | Spalding University Catalog

AAS-306: Modern Africa

3 credit hours

In the continuation of the African Civilizations course (AAS 300), Modern Africa takes a contemporary look at some of the same civilizations as its prerequisite such as Egypt (Kemet), Sudan (Nubia), Ethiopia (Kush), Ghana, Mali, and Songhai. An historical approach will track the post-dynastic developments in the aforementioned regions. Students will study realities of colonization, enslavement, mercantilism, racism, and imperialism to determine the roles that they play in current African regions. The course will also explore current concepts related to the African experience such as anti-colonists and political centralization movements, cultural continuity and developments, and African Diasporic unity. Students will also be introduced to the language of Swahili, which is the unofficial unifying language of Africa. Opportunities to bridge gaps between local African groups such as the Bantu, Wolof, Congolese, Eritrean, Kenyan, and others will be organized alongside the new, local organization called Unity of African Communities Living Together. This will help satisfy the “praxis” element for Applied Black Studies. (Meets University Studies Requirement for Social Sciences)