2017 Fall: AFRICAM 164 001 Spoken Word: Oral Tradition & Transformation from Poetry to Hip Hop, Standup & Beyond

This course is designed to give students four vantage points on contemporary spoken word: 1) as a diverse, layered, and multicultural young adult arts movement 2) as an art form with African American roots, including Black church, Black power and hip hop traditions 3) as an opportunity to practice using spoken word as a tool for social commentary and to communicate personal experience, and 4) as an opportunity to utilize the process of creativity for self-exploration and community building.