Introduction to the Course
Expository prose writing with a focus on both content and form. Specific emphases shall include the exercise of logical thought and clear expression, the development of effective organizational strategies, and the appropriate gathering and utilization of evidence. Includes instruction on diction, syntax, grammar, as well as the elements of prose style. Students receive credit for only 1 course chosen in AAS, CAS, CHS, ENGL, and AFRS. Individual tutoring is available through the AFRS Writing and Learning Resource Centers. More specifically, the students will learn how to properly write (including correct use of grammar, punctuation, etc.). Students are required to also enroll in UNIV 61 (1 credit). Individual tutoring is available though the AFRS Writing and Learning Resource Center. The materials used for this course will focus on the experiences of people of African descent.
Course Objectives:
- Students will demonstrate competence in university writing.
- Students will demonstrate the ability to use rhetorical strategies that include the appeal to audience, logic, and emotion.
- Students will understand writing as a recursive process and demonstrate its use through invention, drafting, and revision (creating, shaping, and completing).
- Students will demonstrate their ability to use conventions of format, structure, style, and language appropriate to the purpose of a written text.
- Students will demonstrate the ability to use library and online resources effectively and to document their sources.
The Theme: Black Consciousness
Black Consciousness, as you will experience in this class, focuses on the global experience of Blackness/Africanness. It centers Black people in their own experiences, with an appreciation for the history and culture of people of African descent. Though we will consider the global experiences of Black people, we will often review materials from the South Africa, the home country of Steve Biko, who is considered the father of Black Consciousness. In addition, the historical circumstances of Black people in South Africa and America share many similarities. We will begin by defining what Black Consciousness is through the readings and videos you will watch throughout Progression One. In Progression Two, you will be able to interact with visual representations of Black people. You will examine the symbols and songs expressed from a particular history and culture from the perspective of the participants. Your reflection on these ideas will become your essay. Progression Three presents a controversy centered on the African American experience. The Space Traders have a special offer for the United States government. The class will debate the possibilities of this "trade." The arguments that you develop will be used for your essay at the end of the progression. Each of the assignments in the progressions builds on the previous ones to help you in writing the essay for each of the progressions. All materials in the course will be examined from an African-centered perspective. I hope you will enjoy this journey!
About the Professor
Dr. Sheba Lo is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Africana Studies at California State University, Northridge. In addition to teaching, she serves on the African Studies Interdisciplinary Minor Program Committee in the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences and several department service committees. Dr. Lo looks forward to taking a select group of students to the Model African Union simulation in Washington, DC, hosted by her alma mater, Howard University. She is committed to student success both inside and outside the classroom. Dr. Lo's research interests include cultural expressions of the African world in oral, written and visual form. She is particularly interested in the way in which filmmakers, writers, poets, and hip hop artists act as agents of social and political change through their artistic expression and community activism. This interest in the intersection of politics and culture is the impetus for her current work with hip hop artists' contributions to nation-building and social change in Sénégal. The empowerment of women in these spaces is of particular importance to her work.
Graphic Syllabus
