Classical Reception in the Black Diaspora

From the ancient oral epics to contemporary literature from Africa, the Caribbean, and the USA, this seminar will examine the significance of Classics in the literatures and arts of Africa and the Black Diaspora. This course will also investigate the ways that Black diasporic artists have engaged with, revised and re-imagined Greco-Roman classics, both in order to expose and critique discourses of racism, imperialism, and colonialism, and as a fertile source of mythological material. It is the hope that the diverse array of material (collage, graphic novels, novels, oral literature, poetry) will invite diverse intellectual engagement. With this in mind, this course has been designed for students interested in Classics, African American Studies, African Studies, and Comparative Literature.