Need One More Course? Consider HIS 440: Black Migrations to the United States

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HIS 440: Black Migrations to the United States
Spring 2024

Tuesday / Thursday 9:40 11:20AM (on campus)
Taught by Prof. Ibrahim Hirsi

An estimated 48 million people in the United States identify as Black. Their migrations—forced and voluntary—began in 1619 and continue to the present day. They came from Africa, Europe, the Caribbean, and South and Central America. Many are descendants of enslaved people; others have emerged from places like Somalia and Ethiopia and Ghana and Jamaica. This course provides an overview of the journeys and experiences of African Americans and Black migrants and examines their unbroken ties—imagined and real—to the African continent. The course draws from a wide range of interdisciplinary sources, exposing students to major historical themes and significant Black figures. Through lectures, discussions, and thesis-driven writing assignments, students gain a substantive understanding of the African diaspora’s historical formation and develop critical reading and writing skills essential to successful careers. (Prerequisite: ENL 111)

Prof. Ibrahim Hirsi is finishing his Ph.D. in Immigration History at the University of Minnesota, after working as a journalist for the Sahan Journal, MinnPost, and Minnesota Public Radio. In addition to English, he speaks Somali, Arabic, and Swahili.