Information Session: February 11th, 5pm
Lincoln Hall Room 1026
Spring/Summer 2015 Faculty-Led Program
ENGL 274/AFRO 298: BENIN
Literature & Society: Slavery & Identity
Sponsored by the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences and the Study Abroad Office
Students in the course will explore slavery in the Americas through its representation in literature and film over time. The course focuses on all human components involved in the slave trade, including the enslaved, the enslavers, and the middle merchants. Furthermore, it will examine the experience of slavery and the economic, political, religious, and scientific justifications used to maintain slavery.
Students will interact and learn from Beninese students and the environment of the culture.
Course material also covers the West African cultural traditions from where the slaves originated and the aspects of it they brought to create a new African-American (and, later, United States) cultural identity. This component of the course will be further explored by traveling to Benin, formerly called “The Slave Coast.”
PROGRAM DATES: May 17 – May 31, 2015
On-campus meetings: Every Wednesday from 5-7:30pm from March 16th-May 15th
APPLICATION DEADLINE: extended to March 1, 2015
Faculty Leader: David Wright (dstauffe@illinois.edu)
Study Abroad Advisor: Adam Heinz (heinz2@illinois.edu)
More information available at: https://app.studyabroad.illinois.edu/index.cfm?FuseAction=Programs.ViewProgram&Program_ID=11098