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Five Knarrative Courses to Check Out Today
As “the Largest Africana Studies Class in the World,” online learning platform Knarrative is leading a worldwide conversation on impactful figures and events in Black history.
Through multiple online courses, Knarrative helps students build a deep understanding of Black history in order to use their knowledge of the past to cultivate better futures.
“In Class With Dr.Carr” is one of the platform’s most popular courses. Led by Dr. Greg, the Associate Professor of Africana Studies and Chair of the Department of Afro-American Studies at Howard University, the class goes back throughout the decades to cover a variety of topics. It features lessons on topics such as the assassination of Fred Hampton, the life of Hank Aaron and the Haitian Revolution.
Here are five other courses offered by Knarrative that are deconstructing history and building skills for the future.
- The Global African Presence: Dedicated to Runoko Rashidi, the late anthropologist and historian, the course offers a look at the African presence around the world. Working off of Rashidi’s writing about the African presence in areas such as Asia, Australia and the Pacific Islands, “the Global African Presence” covers topics like African representation in India. The course also examines the impact of Joel Augustus Rogers, a Black journalist and self-taught historian who spent his life creating a comprehensive history of African ancestry around the world.
- Maroons’ Medicine Chest: Led by Dr. Sunyatta Amen, an herbalist and allopathic and naturopathic doctor, this course focuses on teaching people how to use food, spices and herbs as natural remedies. Through the instruction of natural methods of healing, Dr. Sunyatta Amen focuses on ways to better one’s relationship with the inner workings of the body. Previous lessons in the course include the spices, herbs and vegetables Dr. Amen incorporates into her diet as a plant-based eater, the history of sugar and how to break its hold as well as how to prevent kidney stones.
- Djembes and Koras: Named after the traditional African instruments, this course focuses on the role of music in Black history and the impact of Black musicians throughout time. Featuring Dr. Cornel West as the instructor, the philosopher, activist and Grammy-award winner explores the role of music as a vehicle in Black Liberation movements, makes a connection between different genres like hip-hop and jazz and deconstructs the classification of “genres.” The lessons also include tributes to the musical works and the impact of artists such as Curtis Mayfield and Prince.
- Dr: Carver’s Classroom: Agriculture and Farming: Led by Kamal Bell from Sankofa Farms, this course is inspired by the legacy of George Washinton Carver, a scientist and inventor who specialized in agriculture. By encouraging traditional farming techniques and teaching students the history of farming like how West Africans grew plants for grains hundreds of years ago, the course is meant to inspire people to turn to farming and agriculture as a way to combat food insecurity. Previous lessons include the basics of growing crops and looking after bee colonies to collect honey.
- Unlocking Astrology: Astrologist, former Baptist minister and founder of Unlocking Astrology, Samuel Reynolds, leads this course on astrology. While astrology may be a familiar word to many, the concept behind it may be confusing. Throughout the course, Reynolds demystifies the misconceptions and stereotypes about astrology to help people understand what it is by getting to the heart of its purpose. The lessons range in topics such as where astrology comes from, how the plants affect the signs and what the signs themselves mean.
