Black Studies

Why should I take this Trinity Elective?

College does not exist in a vacuum and staff and students alike are conscious of external events such as Black Lives Matter which need to be critically examined and contextualised within an academic forum. Conscious of the student demand for an elective of this type, this elective will take a multidisciplinary approach to provide a theoretical and empirical understanding of the field of Black Studies. Central to this is the need to highlight key moments of African history, its global diaspora and Black resistance.

The aims of the elective are to examine the origins, relevance and scope of Black Studies, and especially its relevance for students who will come to it in an interdisciplinary manner.

The elective will draw on understandings of Blackness in the diaspora through analysis of relevant texts to understand Black Studies as an intellectual examination of African history, current African political and intellectual processes and arts, as well as transformations of identities created by migration and interaction with Western culture.

What will I learn?

the place of Africa in world history
the current socio-cultural circumstances of Africa and its diaspora
major contemporary themes, such as Critical Race Theory, decolonising the curriculum and Black resistance movements (e.g. Pan Africanism, Civil Rights Movement, Decolonialism, Black Lives Matter)
contextualise the diasporic Black lived experience and the Black Irish experience (pre- and post-Celtic Tiger)

What will I do?

Attend lectures and weekly tutorials and participate in discussions on topics covering:

Black intellectual thought
Scientific racism
Black feminist theory/CRT
Race and representation
Queer theory
Medical racism
Racism and anti-racism

How will this be delivered?

11 lectures
Series of guest lectures/speakers (following the lecture)
Weekly tutorials)

How will this be assessed?

1. Formative assessment: 50%

There will be 4 journals of 500 words each between week 3 and week 12. You may use, televisual, video or newspaper article of your choice to support and enhance a ‘reflective’ piece of writing.

2. Summative assessment: 50%

Collaborative group project will consist of the following:

You will create poster for a video presentation that critically examines the topic chosen by your group. This should be 20/25 minutes long
As part of this group project, each group will provide one 500-word reflection piece on the material and sources used in the project, stating why they chose their topic and outlining the participation of each group member