Welcome to the African American Experience

Instructor: Mr. L-Mani S. Viney M.A. ED

The African American Experience: Connecting the Pieces of the Puzzle

This course is designed in a way that reframes the perspective in which we will understand the African American Experience.  Whereas most courses are constructed to teach Black studies through historical events, this course turns that approach upside down. 

Instead this course is designed to ask the question of whether or not the true understanding of the African American Experiences lies outside of America. That, to understand the African American Experience, one must understand it is a microcosm of the experiences of the African Diaspora. 

The African American Experience is a piece to a greater puzzle of the African Diaspora and our objective will be to connect all the pieces together to expand and rethink how we understand and interpret our ex

About the Course & Learning Objectives

The Theme for the Fall Course of the African American Experience is Connecting Across the Diaspora. It consists of six weekly lessons across 8 weeks. 

Each weekly lesson is constructed for you to learn at your own pace but does conclude with a live lesson at the end of each course week (Day 10) Listed below is the description of the curriculum and learning objectives.

Week 1: The African American Experience: The Diaspora Disconnected

We explore why and how the African American Experience is a microcosm of the experiences of the people of the African Diaspora.


Week 2: The African American Experience: Power.

We explore why the root of racism & oppression of African Americans can be traced back to European exploration and exploitation of Africa.


Week 3: The African American Experience: The Economics of Enslavement 

We explore how globalized enslavement developed the paradigm for low wage/ free labor and how this system has evolved and still exists today


Week 3: The African American Experience: Baldwin's N***er

We Explore why James Baldwin's perspective of the N-word opens the door to understanding the more problematic issue of ideology and purpose of the systemic dehumanization of people of African descent. 




Week 5: The African American Experience:  Of Class and Colorism

We explore the ideology of Colorism and how it is used to reinforce systems of cultural disruption, oppression and class segregation. 


Week 6: The African American Experience: The Diaspora Reconnected

We explore the argument that the way to advance African American's in America is by connecting-reconnecting-the experiences of African Americans to the greater African Diaspora. 


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The African American Experience can be purchased per lesson, season of the for the year. Because of the nature of the course it is STRONGLY encouraged that you consider the seasonal or year package.