African Heritage

This course will examine the Afro Caribbean history, literature, and culture in the Dominican Republic from the colonial period up to the present. Throughout the course, students will read   articles—primarily in English—concerning slavery, race relations, Afro Caribbean religions, music, and Afro Caribbean political movements. These readings will provide a socio-cultural context from the analysis of selected texts by Caribbean authors from Trinidad, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Central America, Jamaica, and Cuba. The reading of the text, class discussions, and written assignments will be done in English. Students will visit locals where African American heritage remains a vital part of daily life, including Nigua, Villa Mella, and San Juan de la Maguana. There they will meet and interview brujos and curanderos, attend popular religious celebrations, and see first hand the manifestations of African influences in the Dominican Republic and throughout the region.