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In this course we explore African and African-derived folk traditions and examine how they have been transmitted from Africa to the Americas and the Caribbean. We will see how Africans and people of African descent have created and transformed their various oral, customary and material lore, including folk-tales, folk-art, music and dance, into mechanisms for cultural and physical survival. We will compare and contrast some African folktales with related stories from the Caribbean, North and South America. We will also explore the traditions expressed in music, food, celebrations and other expressions of folk culture.

In this course we explore African and African-derived folk traditions and examine how they have been transmitted from Africa to the Americas and the Caribbean. We will see how Africans and people of African descent have created and transformed their various oral, customary and material lore, including folk-tales, folk-art, music and dance, into mechanisms for cultural and physical survival. We will compare and contrast some African folktales with related stories from the Caribbean, North and South America. We will also explore the traditions expressed in music, food, celebrations and other expressions of folk culture.