African Literature
This course seeks to use African literature, autobiography, memoir, film, library and on-line sources to begin to understand the complexity of contemporary Africa, the challenges facing the continent, and the many common issues Africans and Americans confront. Those common issues include the climate crisis, health care and the global pandemic, economic inequality, racism/Black Lives Matter, government corruption and challenges to democracy, educational opportunity, religious extremism, women's rights, refugees, and more. A cornerstone of this course is the idea that we can make a difference through collaboration and mutual respect.
Africa is young and growing quickly; half of the population of Africa is under 20 years old. More than 70% of the world's population growth in this century will take place in Africa. Most of our reading will be about young people, many college age, their life experiences and how they are addressing issues and creating new possibilities.
Learning about Africa often reflects back to a learning about the United States and the rest of the world. We need to challenge the stereotypes that media and popular culture present to us about Africa - for example:
And we need to learn that there is more than a single story:
As the students in this class immerse themselves in learning about Africa, they will participate in developing collaboration and making a difference in Africa and America through a Collaboration Project. During our reading and study, students will focusing on specific issues, and engaging in additional reading, research, and collaborative action with African and international organizations.
Investigations of African literature, film, music, daily life, history, religion, news, politics, etc. will help students learn more about the the rich and diverse cultures of contemporary Africa.
Clearly, in this class students need to be informed about the world, especially Africa. Students are expected to read regularly the New York Times and other news sources, including African news sources. WMU provides a free NYT subscription. The Guardian Africa and the BBC. Africa are free. African news sources such as All Africa.com, Africa News, African News Links, African News Websites.
This course will follow WMU procedures regarding the COVID pandemic and academic honesty. Controversy and difference of opinion are vital to our understanding and welcomed.
Since the class is discussion-based, attendance and preparation are essential. Every student is expected to come to class every day having finished the reading and ready to discuss it. Missing any classes will affect your learning! Missing three classes will lower your final grade and missing five or more classes may lead to failing the course. Carefully study the discussion, preparation, participation, attendance, grading, and learning expectations for this class.
Dr. Webb's office is 723 Sprau Tower, 387-2605, and his office hours are Mon/Wed after class, and by appointment and email at allen.webb@wmich.edu.
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Electronic Syllabus
Jan 10: Monday Introductions
1. Join our class phone message system, Remind. From your phone text "7ec3ddh" to 81010.
Jan 12: Wednesday Google Earth, Africa Background
1. Study the syllabus and bring questions to class.
2. Spend (at least) an hour on Google Earth learning everything you can about Africa.
3. Bring a list of at least 20 things you learn about Africa from Google Earth.
4. Find 2 news articles about Africa you find interesting from the news sources listed above.
5. Study the map of Africa and try to learn the location of African countries.
Jan 17: Monday Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
Attend MLK Day Teach-In!
Jan 19: Wednesday Postcolonial Transition
1. Read: Unbowed Chapters 1-6
2. Due: 1st Investigation DUE
Jan 24: Monday Postcolonial Transition Con't
1. Read: Unbowed Chap 7-10
Jan 26: Wednesday Postcolonial Transition Con't
1. Read: Finish Unbowed2. Write: 3 pages of Activist Analysis Paper
Jan 31: Monday Climate Crisis in Africa
1. Watch: Dr. Karowe's lecture on Climate Change in Africa. Part I & Part II.
2. Pick at least 3 slides from each part of the lecture (Part I & Part II), and write one question or comment about each slide.
3. Activist Analysis Paper DUE
Feb 2: Wednesday Climate Change Cont'd
1. Read: McKibben review of Our Final Warning
2. Watch: Greta Thunberg Ted Talk
3. Read: An Exam Question
4. Second Investigation DUE
Feb 7: Monday Xala and Neocolonialism
1. Read: Xala
Feb 9: Wednesday Neocolonialism
View: Stealing Africa - Why Poverty? (58min English Subtitles) from Why Poverty? on Vimeo. This Community Atlas is also an interesting resource.
Feb 14: Monday South African Apartheid
1. Read: Born a Crime Part I (Chapters 1-8)
Feb 16: Wednesday Collaboration Project Planning Day
1. Investigation DUE
Feb 21: Monday Apartheid Transition
Read: Born a Crime Parts II & III (Chapters 9-18)
Feb 23: Wednesday Collaboration Project Planning Day
1. Investigation DUE
Feb 28: Monday Collaboration Project Planning Day
Mar 2: Wednesday Oil and the Niger Delta
1) Read: Niger Delta Background
2) View Sweet Crude promotion reel:
Also: this video about the Coltan trade in Congo Coltan trade, scramble for African oil, scramble for African iron ore, this student presentation on Oil Companies in the Niger Delta, and other sites, films or resources you can find via Google looking under "new scramble for Africa.
Mar 7-11 Spring Break
Mar 14: Monday Oil on Water
1. Read: Chapters 1-8
Mar 16: Wednesday Oil on Water Con't
1. Read: Chapters 9-15
Mar 21: Monday Oil on Water Con't
1. Read: Finish Oil on Water2. Investigation DUE
Mar 23: Wednesday Afrofuturism
1. Read: Lagoon Act I, Chapters 1-25
Mar 28: Monday Lagoon Con't
1. Read: Lagoon Act II, Chapters Prologue to 43
Mar 30: Wednesday Lagoon Con't
1. Read: Lagoon Act III, Finish the novel
Apr 4: Monday Colaboration Project Planning Day
1. Investigation DUE
Apr 6: Wednesday Global Refugee Crisis
1. Watch Human Flow Alert: the documentary is 2 hours 20 minutes. If you have Amazon Prime you can watch for free, or you can watch on YouTube and other sources for $3.
2. Come to class with a list of 8 or more scenes from different parts of Human Flow that you found interesting and 1-2 sentences about each scene and why it interested you.
Apr 11: Monday African Refugees
1. Read: Hope and Other Dangerous Pursuits "The Trip" & Part I: Before
Apr 13: Wednesday African Refugees Con't
1. Read: Hope and Other Dangerous Pursuits Part II: After
2. Write: 2 questions for the Final Exam
Apr 18: Monday Preparation for Final Exam
I-Search Paper DUE
Apr 20: Wednesday Present Collaboration Project
Presentation (slide show) to include: source of idea, planning process, how it went (what you did, who collaborated), hoped for impacts. Show off website/online documentation, provide URL.
Apr 25-28: Finals Week
Apr 27: Wednesday 2:45-4:45 Final Exam
Bring 2-3 page summary of your contribution to Collaboration Project and propose a grade.