This course will detail Black women who have fought against colonialism and racism over the last 400 years and examine their varied spiritual belief systems. Mainstream history consistently ignores the contribution of Black women in general, but many of these women used indigenous spiritual belief systems to sustain their own ideologies and inspire their followers. African civilisations and belief systems were, and are, routinely denigrated by Europeans which has led to stigma and mis-representation.

Topics covered include:

• 40 more African women resistance leaders
• 20 films about heroic and empowering Black women and where to get them
• Institutional racism/sexism, how it works and how to fight it
• Specific African spiritual practices in England
• Black women in Latin America and Europe
• Understanding ‘whiteness’ and related behaviour

We will also revisit some the issues from Part One but in more depth and detail:

• Pre-colonial African belief systems
• Christianity as oppression and resistance
• Sanite, Mbuya, Nanny and Nanny Greg, Yaa, Fannie, Nzingha, Coretta, The Two Amys, Queen Mary Thomas, Queen Amar, Yemaja, Oya, Dandara, Nehanda and Graca
• 1970s women soldiers in Africa’s liberaton wars
• Black women’s resistance in English literature
• Jamaica, Zimbabwe, Ghana, Mississippi, Haiti, Angola, Brazil, Cuba, Nigeria: Civil and Human Rights
• Disparaging terms ‘Obeah’, ‘Juju’, the real history of Santeria, Candomble, and Jumbie
• African religious belief and Hollywood superheroes
• The African roots of the Zombie; movie metaphors
• White female fragility and the co-options of feminism

We will use obscure and modern film clips, archival documents, rare books and essays, interviews , testimony from the women and their followers, small and large group work.

Course Objectives:

• Provide political and spiritual context for 40 Black women leaders from 1680s to 2000s
• Explain pre-colonial belief systems and their survival in post-colonial African diaspora
• Analyse and explore white supremacist thought in mainstream media
• Promote the consumption of Black history and literature

Online course via Zoom. This is a ‘camera on’ event where all attendees are expected to participate visually and verbally.

This is a 6-week course, presented by Black History Walks. Every Tuesday from 7th July for 6 weeks, 6.30 PM -8.30 PM.

Course Leaders: Dr Michelle Asantewa and Tony Warner.

Click here to register