HSTAFM 253 A: African History in Real Time

60th anniversary re-enactment of women's protest during Women's War of 1929, Aba, Nigeria. Courtesy National Museum of Uyo. Fair use image. To learn more, see BlackPast 

HSTAFM253, African History in Real Time

Spring Quarter 2025, 5 credits     

CMU 228, Mon. and Wed. 10:30-12:20                                             

Professor Lynn M. Thomas (she/her)

Email: lynnmt@uw.edu (best way to contact me)

Office: Smith 212B

Office Hours: Mon. 12:30-1:30 and by appointment

Zoom link for scheduled appointments: https://washington.zoom.us/j/8953579053

TA: Hannah Scherr

Email: hlscherr@uw.edu

Office: Smith 214

Office Hours: Tue. 10:30-11:30 and Wed. 3:30-4:30

Welcome! This course will introduce you to the history of Africa from roughly 1850 to the present. These years encompass European colonization and African resistance to it, the emergence of independent African nations, and the ongoing achievements and challenges of the postcolonial period.

All too often, Americans assume that Africa is all the same across the continent, that its past has included much more continuity than change, and that its present includes nothing but bad news. A major objective of this course is to combat such stereotypes by examining:

• diversity both across the continent and within particular countries,
• the enormous changes that African societies have participated in over the past 170 years, and
• Africans’ agency in addressing the issues that shape their lives.

Our objective is to study the complexities and specificities of African history so that we can better understand Africa today.

The second objective of this course is to strengthen skills of analysis and communication. History, as a discipline, teaches skills that are essential to your success as a university student, professional employee, and citizen of the world. These skills include:

• questioning assumed knowledge,
• examining sources carefully and critically,
• constructing evidence-based arguments,
• placing current events in historical perspective, and
• communicating effectively in both written and oral form.

Class sessions and assignments will help hone all these skills.

We will tackle these two objectives – one content-based and one skills-based – through a fresh approach: African History in Real Time. This course is “in real time” because we’ll be placing current events in Africa – that you identify, select, and research – in historical perspective.

The first four weeks of this course will provide you with an overview of the past 175 years of African history and various representations of that history. The remaining six weeks will be devoted to identifying current events from on-line news sources and then diving in deep to learn more about those events and the histories that produced them through secondary and primary sources, lectures, and discussions.

Acknowledgements: I’m grateful to Professor Carina Ray of Brandeis University for providing the model of African History in Real Time. I’m also grateful to UW Librarians Theresa Mudrock, Jessica Albano, and Aubrey Williams for all their assistance in developing and implementing it.

COURSE POLICIES

Readings

There’s only one required book for this course: Richard J. Reid, A History of Modern Africa, 1800 to the Present, Third Edition (Hoboken, NJ: Wiley Blackwell, 2020). It’s available for purchase at the University Book Store and as an e-book through UW Libraries.

All other readings for this course are freely available as pdfs posted in Canvas. See links below in the week-by-week class schedule and in modules on Canvas.

In-Person Meetings and the Importance of Class Participation

This class will meet in person twice per week, Mon. and Wed., 10:30-12:20. Participation in class sessions is a vital aspect of this course. You are expected to come to class on-time and prepared to participate in an engaged and respectful manner. This means being ready to discuss and debate assigned readings. Your participation grade will be based on your contributions during our class meetings. It will count for a maximum of 30 points out of the course total of 200 points.

Please let me know if a situation arises that requires you to miss more than one class in a row. As a teacher, I’m committed to working with you to ensure your success at UW. If something comes up in your life that makes it challenging to participate in class or complete assigned work, please come to see me during my office hour (Mon. 12:30-1:30) or, if that time doesn’t suit your schedule, email me (lynnmt@uw.edu) to set up an alternative time to meet. I’m also always available to talk right after class as I walk back to my office. Successful teaching and learning depends on clear and consistent communication between all of us so let’s make that happen!

Quizzes, Assignments, and Exams + AI Prohibition and Late Penalties

Quizzes, assignments, and exams will count for a maximum of 175 points of the course total of 200 points. Out of those 175 points, 35 will be determined by work in small groups; all other grades will be individually assigned.

Below and on our Canvas site, you’ll find more information about quizzes, assignments, and exams, and whether they are in-class or out-of-class. The use of artificial intelligence (AI) is prohibited for the completion of all graded assignments. AI includes programs based in large language models used to generate text and images, including ChatGPT, GPT4, Bing Chat, and “Write with AI” in Google Docs. Suspected use of AI will be referred to the Office of Community Standards & Student Conduct for possible disciplinary action.

While you are welcome and even encouraged to discuss graded assignments with classmates and otherrs, the written work you submit should be your own. UW policies regarding plagiarism and cheating will apply in this class. Please see History Department attachment.

Except in cases where I’ve authorized exceptions, late out-of-class assignments will receive a 10% deduction for each day after the due date. If challenges arise and you find it difficult to meet a due date, please let me know as soon as possible to determine whether an exception might apply.

If due to illness or an emergency, you are unable to attend an in-class quiz and exam, you must let me know by email in advance to avoid receiving a zero. We will then work to schedule a make-up as soon as possible.

See here for UW/History Policies on COVID-19, Student Resources, Plagiarism and Incompletes, Grading Procedures, Sexual Harassment, Equal Opportunity, Accommodations, Departmental Diversity Committee, Conduct and Academic Integrity, Safety and Evacuation, and Course Concerns.

For your final course grade, your point total will be converted to the 4.0 scale according to this chart: