Panafricanism: Histories, Aesthetics, and Politics

Undergraduate / Graduate

Pan-Africanism, a concept first theorized during the late nineteenth century, has been widely understood as a political movement claiming solidarity and freedom for African and African diasporic peoples around the world. What are the cultural dimensions of Pan-Africanism's drive for self-determination, civil rights, and political emancipation? What forms and formats have been important vectors for the circulation of Pan-African idea(l)s? How might we differentiate Pan-Africanism from related concepts such as Afropolitanism and Black Internationalism? This course is designed to coincide with the Art Institute exhibition, Project a Black Planet: The Art and Culture of Panafrica (December 15-March 30). There will be at least two class trips to the exhibition and students will also have an opportunity to participate in related programming.