African Anti-Colonial Thought” Fall 2020 Semester
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UGS302, “African Anti-colonial Thought” Fall 2020 Semester Class Meets: Tuesdays and Thursdays, 12:30-2pm Remote/Zoom Instructor: Professor Alagraa (pronounced Allegra) Pronouns: She/Her/Hers Email: [email protected] Office: Gordon White Building (GWB), 3.200D Office Hours: Thursdays, 3-5pm, and by appointment Course Description: This course will engage key texts in African anti-colonial thought in the long 20th century. We will discern some of the key predicaments for African anti-colonial thinkers, including armed struggle, sovereignty, African socialism, Black transnationalism, Pan-African thought, and more. This seminar will conduct close readings of texts by Steve Biko, Thomas Sankara, Winnie Mandela, Kwame Nkrumah, Marcus Garvey, Patrice Lumumba, Julius Nyerere, Leopold Senghor, Amilcar Cabral and others. What will I learn? Main skills and attitudes to be developed • Close reading • Presentation skills • Critical thinking • Academic writing Learning Outcomes 1. Students will be able to conduct close readings of complex theoretical and literary texts. 2. Students will be able to offer a cogent oral presentation on the content of the reading(s). 3. Students will be able to think in concert with their peers during classes, and will extend these conversations to their research more broadly. How will I learn? 1. Classes will consist of students presenting on the contents of the reading, and brief remarks offered by the instructor. The remainder of the class will consist of guided discussion regarding the texts. Students are encouraged to use the discussions to seek clarification, assist one another, and raise questions that might enhance their understanding of the material. Pre-requisites for the course: Must be enrolled in a degree-granting graduate program. 1 How to succeed in this course: 1. Completion of all readings, assignments, and assessments to the best of your ability. 2. Engaging in class discussions thoughtfully and with respect for fellow classmates. 3. Synthesizing information across weeks to draw theoretical connections, highlight divergences, and build a general understanding for the broader intellectual tradition. Course Requirements: Assignments: Grading for this Course: Students will be responsible for giving a 10-minute presentation based on one of the readings (or two readings if they happen to be shorter). Students will also be responsible for vocal participation in class seminars. In addition, each student will be required to submit one 5 page paper proposal, discussing a possible topic the final paper. This critical reflection will consist of the readings and theme from one particular week, and will synthesize the group of readings into a coherent reflection of the organizing theme for said week. Finally, students will be responsible for submitting one 20-25 page final paper, reflecting the themes from the course and drawing on the readings from the syllabus and elsewhere. All assignments must be submitted via email, to [email protected], in PDF form. Assignments Points Possible: Percentage of Total In-class presentation 20 20% Class Participation 10 10% Paper proposal, (due October 15, 2020) 20 20% Final Paper (Due December 10, 2020) 50 50% Course Outline All instructions, assignments, readings, rubrics and essential information will be onthe Canvas website at https://utexas.instructure.com. Check this site regularly and use it to ask questions about the course schedule. Changes to the schedule may be made at my discretion and if circumstances require. It is your responsibility to note these changes when announced (although I will do my best to ensure that you receive the changes with as much advanced notice as possible). 2 Weekly Readings & Topics: Week 1 (August 27, 2020): Introduction, Orienting Questions Week 2 (September 1 & 3, 2020): Colonialism Eduardo Mondlane, The Struggle for Mozambique (Chapter 1 & 3) (digital source). Walter Rodney, How Europe Underdeveloped Africa (Chapters 4 & 6). Oyerunke Oyewumi, “Colonizing Bodies and Minds: Gender and Colonialism” (digital source). Week 3 (September 8 & 10, 2020): Pan-Africanism Kwame Nkrumah, Africa Must Unite (Chapters 15 & 16). “Resolution of the Pan-African Congress, Paris, 1919” (digital source). W.E.B. Du Bois “Address to the Nations of the World by the Pan-African Conference in London, 1900” (digital source). Week 4 (September 15 & 17, 2020): Nationalism Frantz Fanon, The Wretched of the Earth, (Chapter 3) Malcolm X, “Message to the Grassroots” (digital source), https://www.blackpast.org/african- american-history/speeches-african-american-history/1963-malcolm-x-message-grassroots/ Week 5 (September 22 & 24, 2020): Black Consciousness: Steve Biko, I Write What I Like, (Chapters 1, 6, 9, 14, 15). Week 6 (September 29 & October 1, 2020): Black Power Stokely Carmichael, “Black Power” (speech, digital source) https://www.blackpast.org/african-american- history/speeches-african-american-history/1966-stokely-carmichael-black-power/ Stokely Carmichael, Stokely Speaks: From Black Power to Panafricanism (Chapters 14 & 15) 3 Week 7 (October 6 & 8, 2020): African Socialism and Marxism (1) JOSH MYERS Julius Nyerere, “UJAMAA: The Basis for African Socialism” (digital source). Walter Rodney, “Marxism and African Liberation” (digital source). Kwame Nkrumah, “Neocolonialism: The Last Stage of Imperialism: The Mechanisms of Neocolonialism” (digital source). Week 8 (October 13 & 15): Black Transnationalism Marcus Garvey, “Declaration of the Rights of the Negro Peoples of the World” (digital source). Jane Nardal, “Black Internationalism” (digital source). John Henrik Clarke, “The New Afro-American Nationalism” (digital source). Week 9 (October 20 & 22, 2020): Theorizing Armed struggle (1) Frantz Fanon, The Wretched of the Earth, (Chapters 1 & 5). Amilcar Cabral, “The Weapon of Theory” (digital source). Week 10 (October 27 & 29, 2020): Theorizing Armed Struggle (2) BRIAN MEEKS Nelson Mandela, “I am Prepared to Die” (court transcript, digital source). ANC Youth League, Manifesto of Umkhonto We Sizwe (digital source). Eduardo Mondlane, The Struggle for Mozambique (Chapter 6, “The Need for an Armed Struggle”) (digital source). Week 11 (November 3 & 5, 2020): African Women, Global Perspectives: Shamara Alhassan Winnie Mandela, “Speech to Mark the 1976 Soweto uprisings” (digital source). Filomina Chioma Steady, “Black Women Cross-Culturally: Conclusions” (digital source). 4 Week 12 (November 10 & 12, 2020): African Women, Global Perspectives (2) Ama Ata Aido, “To Be a Woman” (digital source). Miriam Makeba, “Speech to the UN Special Committee On Apartheid” (digital source) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WlIM3msOJcc&feature=emb_logo Week 13 (November 17 & 19, 2020): Culture and Politics Amilcar Cabral, “National Liberation and Culture” (digital source). Frantz Fanon, The Wretched of the Earth (Chapter 4) Week 14 (November 24 & 26): Thanksgiving Break (no class). Week 15 (November 30 & December 2, 2020): Contemporary Struggles Thomas Sankara, “Dare to Invent the Future” (in Thomas Sankara Speaks, digital source). “Fees Must Fall: A Manifesto” (digital source). Bedour Alagraa, “Now is the Time: Black Struggle from Sudan to the US” https://roarmag.org/essays/now-is-the-time-black-struggle-from-sudan-to-the-us/ ** FINAL PAPER DUE December 10, 2020* Policies: Classroom Policies Statement on Learning Success Your success in this class is important to me. We will all need accommodations because we all learn differently. If there are aspects of this course that prevent you from learning or exclude you, please let me know as soon as possible. Together we’ll develop strategies to meet both your needs and the requirements of the course. I also encourage you to reach out to the student resources available through UT. Many are listed on this syllabus, but I am happy to connect you with a person or Center if you would like. 5 Grading Policies As I hope you can see, flexibility is built into the assignments to support your success in this course. If you miss a smaller assignment or don’t do as well on your earlier journal entries, your grade will not be impacted significantly. Consequently, the final grades are firm, and no additional curve is available. Grade Cutoff Points A 94% 940 A- 90% 900 B+ 87% 870 B 84% 840 B- 80% 800 C+ 77% 770 C 74% 740 C- 70% 700 D 65% 650 F <65% <650 GRACE POLICY: Time-bank options Sometimes we have bad days, bad weeks, and bad semesters. In an effort to accommodate any unexpected, unfortunate personal crisis, I have built “time banks” into our course. You do not have to utilize this policy, but if you find yourself struggling with unexpected personal events, I encourage you to e-mail me as soon as possible to notify me that you are using our grace policy. You may use this policy one of two ways (please choose, and let me know): You may have a two-day grace period for one assignment, OR You may have 2 one-day extensions for two different assignments. Absences If you are absent on the day that your team meets, you are responsible for providing your team with the necessary information to compensate for your absence. It is crucial to keep in communication with your team members; you are responsible for letting both us and your team know if you cannot make it to a class. Excused Absence: The only absences that will be considered excused are for religious holidays or extenuating circumstances due to an emergency. If you plan to miss class due to observance of a religious holiday, please let us know at least two weeks in advance. You will not be penalized for this absence, although you will still be responsible for any work you will miss on that day if applicable. Check with us for details or arrangements. If you have to be absent, use your resources wisely. Ask your team and other classmates to get a run-down and notes on any lessons you miss. If you find there are topics that we covered while you were gone that raise questions, you may come by during office hours or schedule a meeting to discuss.