Active Outline

General Information

Course ID (CB01A and CB01B)
AFAMD011.
Course Title (CB02)
Sankofa: Roots of the African American Experience
Course Credit Status
Credit - Degree Applicable
Effective Term
Fall 2023
Course Description
This is an African American Studies course that introduces students to concepts of race, racialization, ethnicity, racial identity formation, and their impact on the lived experiences of Black people in the United States. The course will build upon African American Studies concepts in order to understand the experiences of the African Diaspora in the United States. This course will build upon this concept of Sankofa or “returning to the source” in order to understand the present state of the African Diaspora, specifically those individuals identifying as Black American or African American. Emphasis will be placed on the historical and psycho-cultural understanding of people of African descent throughout the Diaspora.
Faculty Requirements
Course Family
Not Applicable

Course Justification

This course is intended to meet the requirement of the A.A. Degree in Intercultural Studies. This course meets a general education requirement for °®¶ą´«Ă˝, CSU, and IGETC. This course is also UC and CSU transferable. It will introduce the student to the concept of "Sankofa" and explore what it means to be a Black American.

Foothill Equivalency

Does the course have a Foothill equivalent?
No
Foothill Course ID

Course Philosophy

Course Philosophy
It continues the Division's desire to develop a socially just curriculum as part of the ongoing effort to provide an academically rich, multicultural learning environment that challenges students of every background to develop their intellect, character, and abilities.

Formerly Statement

Formerly Statement
(Formerly ICS D011.)

Course Development Options

Basic Skill Status (CB08)
Course is not a basic skills course.
Grade Options
  • Letter Grade
  • Pass/No Pass
Repeat Limit
0

Transferability & Gen. Ed. Options

Transferability
Transferable to both UC and CSU
°®¶ą´«Ă˝ GEArea(s)StatusDetails
2GC2°®¶ą´«Ă˝ GE Area C2 - HumanitiesApproved
CSU GEArea(s)StatusDetails
CGC2CSU GE Area C2 - HumanitiesApproved
CGDYCSU GE Area D - Social SciencesApproved
CGFXCSU GE Area F - Ethnic StudiesApproved
IGETCArea(s)StatusDetails
IG3BIGETC Area 3B - HumanitiesApproved
IG4XIGETC Area 4 - Social and Behavioral SciencesApproved
IG7XIGETC Area 7 - Ethnic StudiesApproved

Units and Hours

Summary

Minimum Credit Units
4.0
Maximum Credit Units
4.0

Weekly Student Hours

TypeIn ClassOut of Class
Lecture Hours4.08.0
Laboratory Hours0.00.0

Course Student Hours

Course Duration (Weeks)
12.0
Hours per unit divisor
36.0
Course In-Class (Contact) Hours
Lecture
48.0
Laboratory
0.0
Total
48.0
Course Out-of-Class Hours
Lecture
96.0
Laboratory
0.0
NA
0.0
Total
96.0

Prerequisite(s)

Corequisite(s)

Advisory(ies)

EWRT D001A or EWRT D01AH or ESL D005.

Limitation(s) on Enrollment

Entrance Skill(s)

General Course Statement(s)

(See general education pages for the requirements this course meets.)

Methods of Instruction

Lecture and visual aids

Discussion of assigned reading

Quiz and examination review performed in class

Homework and extended projects

Other: In class debates

Assignments

  1. Critical thinking summary and reflective assignments
  2. Engaging class dialogue sessions (in triades), based on assigned course terms, content, and experiences to help facilitate the critical thinking process.
  3. An exploration of the “Sankofa” concept through an investigation of the genealogical past in synthesized with critical analysis of the African Diasporic experience.
  4. Film reviews based on the assigned films for the course.
  5. Analyze and reflect on the intersections of race, class, gender, sexuality, etc. that pertain to the African Diaspora and the key themes/issues they experience(d).
  6. Conduct an explorative interview with an important community elder, which compares and contrasts lived experiences of Black life in the United States

Methods of Evaluation

  1. Weekly reflective, reading assignments and open dialogue sessions to assess students ability to critically analyze the major themes of the course.
  2. A midterm and a final examination to test the student's comprehension, understanding and interpretation of concepts, issues, events, and varying experiences of Black people throughout the diaspora.
  3. Personal reflection paper, which students examine and summarize what they have learned and analyze the direct and indirect impact of that learning.
  4. Film reviews, which will allow the student to critically analyze and compare and contrast the impact of media and popular culture on the experiences and expectations of Black people throughout the diaspora.
  5. Explorative interview with an important community elder, which compares and contrasts lived experiences of Black life in the United States.

Essential Student Materials/Essential College Facilities

Essential Student Materials: 
  • None.
Essential College Facilities:
  • None.

Examples of Primary Texts and References

AuthorTitlePublisherDate/EditionISBN
Purnell, Derecka.Becoming Abolitionists: Police, Protests, and the Pursuit of FreedomPenguin Books2021ISBN 9781662600517
Smith, Adrienne.American Sankofa: Unlearning Racism. Digging up our Roots. A Brief Introduction to American Racism & African Civilization Before Slavery,Bronzedmoon.com2020
Ed. Gates, Henry L. and Burton, Jennifer.Call and Response: Key Debates in African American StudiesNorton2011
Roland Owen Laird, Taneshia Nash Laird, Elihu Bey.Still I Rise: A Graphic History of African AmericansSterling Publishing2009

Examples of Supporting Texts and References

AuthorTitlePublisher
Breaking the Chains of Psychological Slavery.
True-Born Maroons
Back to Africa, George Ross & the Maroons: From Nova Scotia to Sierra Leone
Beyond Slavery: The Multilayered Legacy of Africans in Latin America and the Caribbean
The Many Costs of Racism
More than Chattel: Black Women and Slavery in the Americas
Manichean Psychology: Racism and the Minds of People of African Descent
Salvation: Black People and Love.
The Black Jacobins
Introduction to Black Studies
Freedom is Not Enough: The Moynihan Report and America's Struggle over Black Family Life from LBJ to Obama
History of Africa.
In Search of Our Roots: How 19 Extraordinary African Americans Reclaimed Their Past
The Slave Ship: A Human History
Inheriting The Trade
African Roots/American Culture: Africa in the Creation of the Americas
Capitalism and Slavery

Learning Outcomes and Objectives

Course Objectives

  • Analyze and articulate concepts such as race, racism, racialization, ethnicity, equity, ethnocentrism, Ethnic Studies, eurocentrism, white supremacy, liberation, decolonization, sovereignty, imperialism, settler colonialism, anti-Blackness, anti-racist, and misogynoir as analyzed through African American Studies.
  • Apply Ethnic Studies theories, like intersectionality, liberation theory and knowledge produced by African American individuals and the larger cultural community to describe the critical events, histories, cultures, intellectual traditions, contributions, lived experiences and social struggles of African Americans, with particular emphasis on agency and group-affirmation.
  • Analyze critically the intersections of race, and white supremacy (racism) as they relate to class, gender, sexuality, sexual orientation, religion, national origin, immigration status, relationship status, ability, language and/or age in African American communities.
  • Review critically how struggle, resistance, racial and social justice, solidarity, and liberation, as experienced, enacted, and studied by African Americans are relevant to current and structural issues such as communal, national, international, and transnational politics, law, and societal expectations.
  • Describe and actively engage with anti-Blackness, white supremacist, anti-racist and anti-colonial issues and the practices and movements in African American communities to build a just and equitable society.
  • Examine critically the origin and development of various ideologies concerning the social, political, and economic oppression of people of African descent in the United States
  • Compare and contrast the similarities and differences between Africans and Black/African Americans in such areas including religion, philosophy, spirituality, psychology, and world view

CSLOs

  • Analyze and articulate concepts such as race, racism, racialization, ethnicity, equity, ethnocentrism, eurocentrism, white supremacy, liberation, decolonization, sovereignty, imperialism, settler colonialism, anti-Blackness, anti-racist, and misogynoir as analyzed through African American Studies.

  • Apply Ethnic Studies concepts, like intersectionality, liberation theory and knowledge produced by African American individuals and the larger cultural community to describe the critical events, histories, cultures, intellectual traditions, contributions, lived experiences and social struggles of African Americans, with particular emphasis on agency and group-affirmation.

  • Critically analyze the intersections of race, and white supremacy as they relate to class, gender, sexuality, sexual orientation, religion, national origin, immigration status, relationship status, ability, language and/or age in African American communities.

  • Review critically how struggle, resistance, racial and social justice, solidarity, and liberation, as experienced, enacted, and studied by African Americans are relevant to current and structural issues such as communal, national, international, and transnational politics, law, and societal expectations.

  • Describe and actively engage with anti-Blackness, white supremacist, anti-racist and anti-colonial issues and the practices and movements in African American communities to build a just and equitable society.

Outline

  1. Analyze and articulate concepts such as race, racism, racialization, ethnicity, equity, ethnocentrism, Ethnic Studies, eurocentrism, white supremacy, liberation, decolonization, sovereignty, imperialism, settler colonialism, anti-Blackness, anti-racist, and misogynoir as analyzed through African American Studies.
    1. Define Ethnic Studies, African American Studies, and their key issues.
    2. Analyze the significance of key Ethnic Studies terms like race, racism, racialization, eurocentrism, white supremacy, and decolonization.
    3. Identify different ways people within the African Diaspora experience anti-Blackness and misogynoir.
  2. Apply Ethnic Studies theories, like intersectionality, liberation theory, and knowledge produced by African American individuals and the larger cultural community to describe the critical events, histories, cultures, intellectual traditions, contributions, lived experiences, and social struggles of African Americans, with particular emphasis on agency and group-affirmation.
    1. Analyze the influence of geopolitical conditions and the sociocultural influences of western Africa, the Caribbean Islands, and Latin America on American descendants of slavery.
    2. Compare and contrast the experiences of people of African Ancestry around the world versus the experiences of those living in the United States.
    3. Critique the experience of people of African Ancestry in the United States.
  3. Analyze critically the intersections of race, and white supremacy (racism) as they relate to class, gender, sexuality, sexual orientation, religion, national origin, immigration status, relationship status, ability, language, and/or age in African American communities.
    1. Explore and examine the aspects of United States society's norms, mores, and belief systems.
    2. Compare and contrast the function of expressive modalities of Black people in West Africa, the Caribbean, Europe, and the United States.
    3. Summarize the historical similarities and differences between value systems of people from western Africa and Europe and the impact of these differences on African Americans.
  4. Review critically how struggle, resistance, racial and social justice, solidarity, and liberation, as experienced, enacted, and studied by African Americans are relevant to current and structural issues such as communal, national, international, and transnational politics, law, and societal expectations.
    1. Assess the historical development of the United States and the role African Americans have played in that development.
    2. Critically analyze the impact the African Holocaust, or Maafa, has made on American descendants of slavery.
    3. Understand and illustrate the psychological impact of slavery in the present-day United States. Including ideologies such as post-traumatic slave syndrome, mental slavery, internalized oppression, and social justice.
    4. Describe and actively engage with anti-Blackness, white supremacist, anti-racist and anti-colonial issues and the practices and movements in African American communities to build a just and equitable society.
      1. Analyze the concepts Anti-Blackness and white supremacy.
      2. Compare and contrast anti-racist and anti-colonial issues and their impact on members of the African Diaspora
      3. Identify the different liberation/resistance movements that impacted the abolition of the institution of slavery 
    5. Examine critically the origin and development of various ideologies concerning the social, political, and economic oppression of people of African descent in the United States
      1. Examine the development of de facto forms of slavery
      2. Assess the origins of de jure forms of slavery
      3. Analyze the historic and current forms of systematic oppression facing people of African ancestry living within the United States.
    6. Compare and contrast the similarities and differences between Africans and Black/African Americans in such areas including religion, philosophy, spirituality, psychology, and worldview
      1. Examine the belief systems and religious practices of African societies affected by the slave trade
      2. Understand the religious practices of southern plantation owners as a method to perpetuate the institution of slavery
      3. Discover the role of the African American Church for people of African Ancestry in the United States.
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