African-American Studies
For questions about specific courses, contact the department.
For questions about specific courses, contact the department.
Courses
Prerequisites: Students need to register for a section of AFAS UN1010, the required discussion section for this course. From the arrival of enslaved Africans to the recent election of President Barack Obama, black people have been central to the story of the United States, and the Americas, more broadly. African Americans have been both contributors to, and victims of, this “New World” democratic experiment. To capture the complexities of this ongoing saga, this course offers an inter-disciplinary exploration of the development of African-American cultural and political life in the U.S. but also in relationship to the different African diasporic outposts of the Atlantic world. The course will be organized both chronologically and thematically, moving from the “middle passage” to the present so-called “post-racial” moment—drawing on a range of classical texts, primary sources, and more recent secondary literature—to grapple with key questions, concerns, and problems (i.e. agency, resistance, culture, etc.) that have preoccupied scholars of African-American history, culture, and politics. Students will be introduced to a range of disciplinary methods and theoretical approaches (spanning the humanities and social sciences), while also attending to the critical tension between intellectual work and everyday life, which are central to the formation of African-American Studies as an academic field. This course will engage specific social formations (i.e. migration, urbanization, globalization, etc.), significant cultural/political developments (i.e. uplift ideologies, nationalism, feminism, Pan-Africanism, religion/spirituality, etc.), and hallmark moments/movements (i.e. Harlem Renaissance, Civil Rights movement, etc.). By the end of the semester, students will be expected to possess a working knowledge of major themes/figures/traditions, alongside a range of cultural/political practices and institutional arrangements, in African-American Studies.
Course Number
AFAS1001C001Format
In-PersonPoints
4 ptsFall 2022
Times/Location
Mo 10:10-11:25We 10:10-11:25Section/Call Number
001/14857Enrollment
86 of 100Instructor
Josef SorettCourse Number
AFAS1002W001Format
In-PersonPoints
4 ptsFall 2022
Times/Location
Th 12:10-14:00Section/Call Number
001/13511Enrollment
12 of 12At each discussion section meeting, one or more students will be responsible for leading the section in a general discussion about that week's readings. They will present the key ideas within the assigned readings, making connections with information from previous readings and lectures from class. Each student's initial presentation should be about 10 minutes in length, and accompanied by a one or two page outline or short paper. If more than one student is assigned to a particular week, they should meet together prior to class to determine which topics or readings each individual will present. All grades are based on individual performances, not by the group as a whole.
Course Number
AFAS1010C001Format
In-PersonPoints
0 ptsThis course focuses on a central question: how do we define “African-American music”? In attempting to answer this question, we will be thinking through concepts such as authenticity, representation, recognition, cultural ownership, appropriation, and origin(s). These concepts have structured the ways in which critics, musicians and audiences have addressed the various social, political and aesthetic contexts in which African-American music has been composed (produced), performed (re-produced) and heard (consumed).
Course Number
AFAS3030W001Format
In-PersonPoints
3 ptsFall 2022
Times/Location
Th 10:10-11:25Tu 10:10-11:25Section/Call Number
001/13512Enrollment
12 of 12Instructor
Kevin FellezsCourse Number
AFAS3901C001Format
In-PersonPoints
4 ptsFall 2022
Section/Call Number
001/13518Enrollment
1 of 5Instructor
Kellie JonesCourse Number
AFAS3901C002Format
In-PersonPoints
4 ptsFall 2022
Section/Call Number
002/13520Enrollment
0 of 5Instructor
Mabel WilsonCourse Number
AFAS3901C003Format
In-PersonPoints
4 ptsFall 2022
Section/Call Number
003/13521Enrollment
0 of 5Instructor
Robert Gooding-WilliamsCourse Number
AFAS3901C004Format
In-PersonPoints
4 ptsFall 2022
Section/Call Number
004/13522Enrollment
0 of 5Instructor
Frank GuridyCourse Number
AFAS3901C005Format
In-PersonPoints
4 ptsFall 2022
Section/Call Number
005/13523Enrollment
0 of 5Instructor
Farah GriffinCourse Number
AFAS3901C006Format
In-PersonPoints
4 ptsFall 2022
Section/Call Number
006/13524Enrollment
0 of 5Instructor
Josef SorettCourse Number
AFAS3901C007Format
In-PersonPoints
4 ptsFall 2022
Section/Call Number
007/13525Enrollment
0 of 5Instructor
Kevin FellezsCourse Number
AFAS3901C008Format
In-PersonPoints
4 ptsFall 2022
Section/Call Number
008/13527Enrollment
0 of 5Instructor
Samuel RobertsPlease refer to Institute for Research in African American Studies for section course descriptions: http://iraas.columbia.edu/
Course Number
AFAS3930C002Format
In-PersonPoints
4 ptsCourse Number
AFAS3940W001Format
In-PersonPoints
4 ptsFall 2022
Times/Location
We 14:10-16:00Section/Call Number
001/15136Enrollment
0 of 0Course Number
AFAS3943W001Format
In-PersonPoints
4 ptsFall 2022
Times/Location
We 16:10-18:00Section/Call Number
001/13513Enrollment
8 of 10Instructor
Robert Gooding-WilliamsPlease refer to Institute for African American and African Diaspora Studies Department for section-by-section course descriptions.
Course Number
AFAS4080G001Format
In-PersonPoints
4 ptsFall 2022
Times/Location
Tu 16:10-18:00Section/Call Number
001/18349Enrollment
3 of 15Instructor
Jonah Mixon-WebsterPlease refer to Institute for African American and African Diaspora Studies Department for section-by-section course descriptions.
Course Number
AFAS4080G002Format
In-PersonPoints
4 ptsFall 2022
Times/Location
Tu 12:10-14:00Section/Call Number
002/18350Enrollment
1 of 15Instructor
Maboula SoumahoroPlease refer to Institute for African American and African Diaspora Studies Department for section-by-section course descriptions.