The Arts in Jamaica: Exploring Knowledge Production, Community, and Resistance

Take a journey through the vibrant artistic landscape of Kingston, Jamaica, including public art, visual arts, music, dance, storytelling, DJing and sound systems, theater, and culinary traditions. Emphasizing the themes of knowledge production, community, and resistance, students will analyze how artistic expressions in Jamaica have historically shaped representations of Black identity, liberation, and cultural heritage through theoretical exploration, field trips, and sustained interaction with local artists, scholars, and students. This course invites students to deepen their understandings of Jamaica by immersing themselves in its rich culture and history, engaging critically with its artistic expressions and traditions, and appreciating how art can be used as forms of knowledge production, community-building, and resistance in their own lives.