Professor: Dzidzienyo Course format: Lecture w/discussion Number of respondents: 14 Total Enrollment: 26 Class Composition: Froshs: 5 Sophs: 8 Jrs: 6 Srs: 7 Concs: 3 Non-Concs: 7 Don't Know: 4

Instructor Average: 1.18 Course Average: 1.23

Afro-Am 21, "Blacks in Latin American History and Society," approaches the history of Latin American countries from a novel perspective: that of the blacks. Although some experience in Latin American history of Afro-American studies would help in understanding some of the concepts, it was by no means necessary.

The students loved Professor Dzidzienyo, raving about his ability to make classes interesting and fun. As one students described it, "going to class was like therapy." His lectures were engaging and clear in addition to being full of energy and enthusiasm. He was also able to facilitate great discussions, for he raised great questions and made an effort to include everyone in the discussions. He kept the class at a reasonable pace although there was a decent amount of assigned reading.

The workload for Afro-Am 21 was moderate. The readings consisted of one book a week for a total of ten books. There was also a midterm paper and a take-home final consisting of three papers. In addition, there was a final group presentation and weekly critiques after each book. Although the majority of work was due to the readings, most students felt that the readings were very interesting and worth the effort.

All of the students were satisfied with having taken Afro-Am 21 because they felt that the amterial was genuinely interesting and that they learned about issues they had not been previously exposed to. Students described their higher level of racial consciousness after having completed this class and were appreciative of their newfound awareness. Professor Dzidzienyo"s teaching style and the class dynamics were great motivating factors. The interesting class discussions were an effective medium of ensuring that students kept up with the work and participated in the learning process. Presentations were given during reading period.

If you have never explored the Afro-American studies department and would like a taste of it, then Afro-Am 21 with Professor Dzidzienyo is a great class to take. It wil teach you new ideas and concepts you have never considered before. If you need an interesting and motivating class involving many class discussions, this is the course to take.

View AA/0021 in the Brown Online Course Announcement.