Black Geographies: Space, Place and Ecologies of Power

3 units

From the gardens of enslaved women in 19th century Louisiana to 21st century racial justice marches in St. Louis, this advanced seminar will explore the emerging field of Black Geographies. We will explore questions such as: How have Black communities been both enclosed and liberated by spatial arrangements of earth, sea, and sky? How do Black Geographies challenge and re-imagine conventions of social and cultural geography? What interventions are cutting-edge interdisciplinary scholars making, and what methods are they using to articulate original research? We will also spend a significant portion of class critically engaging with Missouri Cartographies -how historians, sociologists, and designers have depicted Black resistance and unveiled dark stories within and beyond the boundaries of our city. Suggested for undergraduate students who have taken at least one AFAS course. Graduate students may enroll with instructor permission.