Why Xavier Needs African History: Building Bridges, Not Burning Them

The humanities are under attack. Miami University is considering getting rid of eighteen majors! At the time of preparing this syllabus, there has not been a final decision. Neither History nor Africana Studies are on the list. But, of the proposed majors to cut Latin American Studies and Russian, East European and Asian Studies are on the list. In light of skepticism about the Humanities generally, either defend the study of African History or suggest its elimination at Xavier by writing a letter to President Hanycz. The letter should include specific historical information from at least four different sources and topics in our study of African history to support your argument for its relevance or irrelevance to a Xavier education. Your final paper should be five full pages long with proper Chicago Manual of Style citations (footnotes and bibliography) and use at least 4 different sources (Gooding, for example, is one source and Smythe another) from class material to make an overall argument. The key points about the final paper assignment: It's a 5 page letter to the Xavier University President (Colleen Hanycz) arguing either for keeping the study of African History as a major or eliminating it. - You need to use specific historical information and examples from at least 4 different sources/topics covered in your African history class to support your argument. - The purpose is to defend the relevance or argue for the irrelevance of African History studies to a Xavier education, in light of skepticism towards humanities majors. - You must properly cite all sources used in Chicago Manual of Style format, including footnotes and a bibliography. - Your sources should be drawn from the class materials, with authors like Gooding and Smythe counting as separate sources. - The overall paper should make a clear, well-supported argument one way or the other on whether African History should remain or be eliminated as a major. For this letter to president Colleen Hanycz of Xavier University ( I want to defend keeping African History as a major at Xavier University) These are the reading 4 sources that was discussed and went over in class. Find in the books/readings that will help for keeping the study of African History as a major at Xavier University for the letter to the president Colleen Hanycz. 1. Africa’s Past Our Future by Kathleen R. Smythe 2. On the frontiers of the Indian Ocean world by Philip Gooding 3. Gregory Maddox, “Case Study 1: The First Frontier: The Sahara Desert,” Sub-Saharan Africa: An Environmental History(Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO, 2006), pp. 169-181. (The professor only told us to read those pages but its not the whole portion of the document but if you find the full one then it can help you with the paper letter) 4. Gilbert and Reynolds, Africa in World History, pp. 4-13. ( This is not the whole portion of the book but if you find the full one then it can help you with the paper letter) I have attached in the files the readings to go look at to help even while writing this letter paper. The "Africa’s Past Our Future by Kathleen R. Smythe" book and "On the frontiers of the Indian Ocean world by Philip Gooding" book, Ive attached the picture of the books so you know the correct ones to read and look at to help you with the paper letter.