Unit 1
1.1 : What is African American Studies?
Diaspora : a group of people that now reside outside their place of origin
The dispersion or spread of a people from their original homeland
Hard History : refers to the uncomfortable aspects of a country’s history
What is the racial wealth gap?
● $147,000 / $4,000 - African Americans have been denied the ability to
accumulate wealth and pass it down through generations
African American Studies
● The study of African Americans has a long history
● Early African Americans taught each other the contributions of blacks in covert
ways that still exist today (cooking, music, dance, spirituality)
● Carter G. Woodson wrote ‘The Miseducation of the Negro’ and was the founder
of Negro History Week in 1926
● Black educators stressed the history of the African Diaspora secretly
● The 1960s Civil Rights Movement launched formal Black Studies courses in
college and universities
Why do we use sources?
● Primary Sources : first-hand accounts of history
● Secondary Sources : heavy research on a topic
Thelma Johnson Streat
● Renaissance Individual (artist, dancer, educator)
● Her work reflected the tribulations and contributions of African Americans
● Made portraits of famous black and white Americans
● First African American woman to be included in the MOMA permanent collection
● Smithsonian 2016 Medicine and Transportation
● Four fields : industry, transportation, medicine, farming
● The black laborers are on the bottom and the new industry is on the top
● Intended audience : all Americans
1.2 : How has the geography of Africa created diversity?
The African Continent : A Varied Landscape
, Diverse Continent : Africa is a diverse continent full of different cultures, languages, histories,
and societies. It is the second-largest continent, covering a vast area and comprising 54
recognized countries, along with numerous territories and regions
● Stretches 4600 miles east to west
● Stretches 5000 miles north to south
● Africa is 20% of the Earth’s land mass
● Has over 2,000 distinct ethnic groups in Africa
● Linguistic diversity : There are around 2,100 different languages spoken across
Africa
● Five primary climate zones : desert, semiarid, savanna grasslands, tropical
rainforests, and the Mediterranean zone
● Is bordered by the Red Sea, Mediterranean Sea, Atlantic Ocean, and the Indian
Ocean
● Five major rivers : Niger River, Congo River, Zambezi River, Orange River, Nile
River
● The proximity of the Red Sea, Mediterranean Sea, and Indian Ocean to the
African continent supported the emergence of early societies and fostered early
global connections beyond the continent
Population centers emerged in the Sahel and the Savanna Grasslands of Africa for 3 important
reasons:
● Major water routes facilitated the movement of people and goods through trade
● Fertile land supported the expansion of agriculture and domestication of animals
● The Sahel and Savannas connected trade between communities in the Sahara
with regions in the South
Climate Zones
● Deserts cover ⅓ of Africa’s area
● The Sahara desert is the size of the U.S
● Deserts are expanding : desertification
● In desert and semiarid areas, herders were often nomadic, moving in search of
food and water, and some traded salt
● In the Sahel, people traded livestock
● In the Savannas, people cultivated grain crops
1.3 : How did Africa Become Populated?
The Bantu Migrations
● Between 3,000 and 1,000 B.C
1.1 : What is African American Studies?
Diaspora : a group of people that now reside outside their place of origin
The dispersion or spread of a people from their original homeland
Hard History : refers to the uncomfortable aspects of a country’s history
What is the racial wealth gap?
● $147,000 / $4,000 - African Americans have been denied the ability to
accumulate wealth and pass it down through generations
African American Studies
● The study of African Americans has a long history
● Early African Americans taught each other the contributions of blacks in covert
ways that still exist today (cooking, music, dance, spirituality)
● Carter G. Woodson wrote ‘The Miseducation of the Negro’ and was the founder
of Negro History Week in 1926
● Black educators stressed the history of the African Diaspora secretly
● The 1960s Civil Rights Movement launched formal Black Studies courses in
college and universities
Why do we use sources?
● Primary Sources : first-hand accounts of history
● Secondary Sources : heavy research on a topic
Thelma Johnson Streat
● Renaissance Individual (artist, dancer, educator)
● Her work reflected the tribulations and contributions of African Americans
● Made portraits of famous black and white Americans
● First African American woman to be included in the MOMA permanent collection
● Smithsonian 2016 Medicine and Transportation
● Four fields : industry, transportation, medicine, farming
● The black laborers are on the bottom and the new industry is on the top
● Intended audience : all Americans
1.2 : How has the geography of Africa created diversity?
The African Continent : A Varied Landscape
, Diverse Continent : Africa is a diverse continent full of different cultures, languages, histories,
and societies. It is the second-largest continent, covering a vast area and comprising 54
recognized countries, along with numerous territories and regions
● Stretches 4600 miles east to west
● Stretches 5000 miles north to south
● Africa is 20% of the Earth’s land mass
● Has over 2,000 distinct ethnic groups in Africa
● Linguistic diversity : There are around 2,100 different languages spoken across
Africa
● Five primary climate zones : desert, semiarid, savanna grasslands, tropical
rainforests, and the Mediterranean zone
● Is bordered by the Red Sea, Mediterranean Sea, Atlantic Ocean, and the Indian
Ocean
● Five major rivers : Niger River, Congo River, Zambezi River, Orange River, Nile
River
● The proximity of the Red Sea, Mediterranean Sea, and Indian Ocean to the
African continent supported the emergence of early societies and fostered early
global connections beyond the continent
Population centers emerged in the Sahel and the Savanna Grasslands of Africa for 3 important
reasons:
● Major water routes facilitated the movement of people and goods through trade
● Fertile land supported the expansion of agriculture and domestication of animals
● The Sahel and Savannas connected trade between communities in the Sahara
with regions in the South
Climate Zones
● Deserts cover ⅓ of Africa’s area
● The Sahara desert is the size of the U.S
● Deserts are expanding : desertification
● In desert and semiarid areas, herders were often nomadic, moving in search of
food and water, and some traded salt
● In the Sahel, people traded livestock
● In the Savannas, people cultivated grain crops
1.3 : How did Africa Become Populated?
The Bantu Migrations
● Between 3,000 and 1,000 B.C
