I. Entry Questions Why does Coates prefer to experience Dakar by himself, without the tourist frame of reference? How does Coates’s travel narrative resist or reproduce Western tourist’s gaze? What are some of the experiences and routines that make him feel more at ease in Dakar? II. Illustrating Diasporic Longing (Visual + Analytical Activity) Instructions:  III.… Continue reading On Pharaohs (Part 2)- Ta-Nehisi Coates

Ta-Nehisi Coates is an award-winning writer and journalist known for weaving personal and collective life stories into sharp critiques of US history and politics. Through memoir, essays, and cultural commentary, he exposes how racism, inequality, and historical memory shape Black life in the United States and beyond. See 3:00-10:00 Central Argument & Conceptual Framework Coates explains… Continue reading On Pharaohs (Part 1)- Ta-Nehisi Coates

Who’s Audre Lorde? Poet, author, and Black feminist activist Audre Lorde used her writing to shine light on her experience of the world as a Black lesbian woman and later, as a mother and person suffering from cancer. A prominent member of the women’s and LGBTQ rights movements, her writings drew attention to the multifaceted… Continue reading Poetry is Not a Luxury- Audre Lorde

I. A Poetic Entry to the Course by Lucille Clifton Lucille Clifton (1936–2010) was a prolific, award-winning poet and children’s author whose spare, powerful verse centered on endurance, family, and the complexities of ordinary Black life. She went on to publish numerous acclaimed collections, including Good Times (1969), Blessing the Boats (2000), which won the National Book Award, and… Continue reading Introduction