Black Queer Feminisms

3 Credits · Level: Graduate, Undergraduate

This course will explore the writing, music, art, media and cultural thought of queer feminist figures of the African Diaspora. Pairing important creative works with key texts in black queer and feminist theory from various Diaspora locations, we will explore the landscape of contemporary cultural production among black queer feminist communities on a transnational stage. Our work will take us through several genres including poetry, fiction, hip-hop music and videos, blogs and web communities, film, web series, and drama, and will take up the work of contemporary black LGBT and queer feminist artists from several Diaspora locales including South Africa, the UK, Germany, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, Jamaica, Canada, Cuba, the U.S. and others. Throughout our discussions, we’ll examine the shifting meanings of terms like “black,” “feminist,” and “queer” in each of the settings, and consider how they expand and challenge our own understandings of difference and power. Assignments include regular participation, in-class writing, a short paper, a final paper, a final project, and some creative work. Prior coursework in WGSS, Afro-American Studies, and/or English will be helpful.