African Diaspora Themed

Units

Andrew Geathers
Bedford Academy HS
Brooklyn, New York

Summer 2021
 WHAT IS BLACKNESS?

Expressions of Blackness Throughout the Diaspora

Teaching African Diaspora
INSERT image of class?
Andrew Geathers—Bedford
Academy HS
1 section of AP Seminar is offered:
over 90% of our students identify
themselves as Black (Caribbean,
American, African)

For our students, the theme of the

African Diaspora is a high interest
area. Students are eager to be
apart of the class due to word of
mouth from other students.
About this Unit
• This unit allows students to see the fluidity of the expression of Blackness. Students use this as
an opportunity to bring into question of authenticity when it comes to understanding Blackness as
an identity.
• This unit is the first unit that is taught at the beginning of the year as it is the frame to understand
the structural position of Black within the Diaspora.
• Approx. number of lessons/teaching hours

Essential
Essential Questions
Questions for
for this
this unit:
unit:
•• What
What does
does itit mean
mean totobebe Black?
Black?
•• Who
Who gets to determine how
gets to determine how Blackness
Blackness isis performed?
performed?
•• How
How do I see myself? How does the world see
do I see myself? How does the world see me?
me?
•• Who
Who is represented (in the media, public institutions etc.)?
is represented (in the media, public institutions etc.)? Who
Who gets
gets their
their story
story told?
told? Who
Who decides? 
decides? 
•• How do stories and experiences differ (intersectionality)
How do stories and experiences differ (intersectionality)
•• Who
Who decides
decides what
what is
is “normal”?
“normal”?

4
Learning Sequence

Sources
Activity 11
Activity
Socratic Seminar:
Socratic Seminar: Using
Using “The
“The Danger
Danger
of aa Single
of Single Story”,
Story”, “Children
“Children of
of
Diaspora” and
Diaspora” and “Dis
“Dis Poem”,
Poem”, students
students
discuss the
discuss the following
following question:
question: How
How
can we
can we counter
counter the
the narratives
narratives that
that are
are
often told
often told about
about Afrikan
Afrikan peoples?
peoples?

What is
What is the
the purpose?
purpose? Learning
Learning how
how to
to
compare perspectives,
compare perspectives, argument
argument
analysis, argument
analysis, argument development
development

5
Learning Sequence

Countering Images and Narratives

Activity 2:
Activity 2:
Students are
Students are asked
asked to
to
generate presentations
generate presentations about
about
instance where
instance where images
images can
can
create instances
create instances of
of Black
Black self-
self-
hatred
hatred

What is
What is the
the purpose?
purpose? Presentation
Presentation
skills, synthesis,
skills, synthesis, Comparing
Comparing
perspectives
perspectives
6
Learning Sequence
Looking at Black
Authenticity Activity 33
Activity
Mock EoC
Mock EoC Part
Part BB followed
followed by
by
Socratic Seminar/Debate
Socratic Seminar/Debate

What is
What is the
the purpose?
purpose?
Identifying themes,
Identifying themes,
Argument synthesis,
Argument synthesis,
Comparing perspectives,
Comparing perspectives,
argument development
argument development

7
Student Topics/Research Questions

•• When
When this
this unit
unit was
was taught,
taught, one
one student
student group
group for
for the
the Performance
Performance Task
Task 1,
1,
decided
decided to
to look
look at
at Post
Post Traumatic
Traumatic Slave
Slave Syndrome
Syndrome as as aa problem
problem that
that needed
needed
some
some form
form ofof solution.
solution. Another
Another group
group decided
decided to
to look
look at
at antiblackness
antiblackness and
and its
its
impact
impact on
on the
the entertainment
entertainment industry.
industry.

•• When
When we
we started
started this
this unit,
unit, the
the students
students were
were very
very interested
interested in
in our
our discussions
discussions on
on
ratchetness
ratchetness and
and why
why itit is
is the
the wrong
wrong way
way to
to assign
assign that
that representation
representation toto Black
Black
women.
women. This
This unit
unit produces
produces many many high
high quality
quality conversations
conversations on on the
the expression
expression of
of
Blackness
Blackness and
and what
what itit means
means to to be
be authentically
authentically