ADS 295-01 - Special Topic: African Diaspora in the Indian Ocean

This course explores the African diaspora in the Indian Ocean world, in comparative perspective with the Atlantic. It examines the movement and contributions of Africans and their descendants in commerce, poetry, military, and religion along the coasts of East Africa, Arabia, and India. A site-based module in Bahrain highlights pearl extraction-once central to the Gulf economy before oil-as a focal point of historical memory and heritage practice among artists, curators, architects, and policymakers. This course includes travel.

Students interested in this course will need to complete an application by October 9, 2025 in addition to doing the normal registration process. The application materials are available here: https://travel.global.grinnell.edu/_portal/. There is a $1,115 course fee for participating in Course Embedded Travel classes that will be added to the
student’s bill. Scholarships are available for students who qualify for need-based financial aid at Grinnell and will be automatically provided. There is a $1,115 scholarship for very high need (net cost added to the bill $0), an $836 scholarship available for high need students (net cost added to the bill $279), a $558 scholarship for moderate need students (net cost added to bill $557), a $279 scholarship for low need students (net cost added to bill $836) and no scholarship for students with no need. If you have questions about your need level and scholarship eligibility, please contact Meg Jones at jonesmeg@grinnell.edu.

Prerequisite: Second-year standing.
Note: Plus-2 option available.
Instructor: Willis