About the Program

"The Afro/Black Paris FSP was everything Professor Keaton promised and more. Every space is a classroom, as she often said, so class was everywhere! This included museums, a jazz club, a hip-hop workshop, a culinary workshop, on walking tours and travel to other regions of France. These opportunities also connected us to prominent creatives and scholars in the Black Francophone world. Because the emphasis was on experiential learning, our classroom discussions were enriched by a variety of activities in every part of the city where we were immersed in the histories, cultures, and futures of Black French life. Most importantly, Professor Keaton was invested in our educational and personal development and encoruaged us to explore the city and sites mentioned in class to form our own conclusions. The thought and care put into FSP was evident, and I am forever grateful to have experienced it firsthand. Without a doubt, going on the Afro/Black FSP was the best decision that I have made at Dartmouth thus far." Esmeralda Abreu-Jerez, Dartmouth '25 

"The 2023 Afro/Black Paris Foreign Study Program was an incomparable experience, and it was easily the most rewarding term of my Dartmouth career. Professor Keaton was the epitome of a scholar-advocate, equipping us with the academic tools to understand France's most pressing issues. She worked tirelessly to reveal the Black experience in France, and I completed the program with a firm understanding of Black livability in and beyond the French/Francophone context. I found the jazz and spoken word workshop, coined The Black Experience in the City of Light, to be the highlight of the term. Another remarkable time during the FSP was our museum course which allowed us to reimagine some of the most venerated artworks in museums such as the Louvre and Quai Branly. I would recommend this program to anyone who desires to build a robust and nuanced understanding of French culture and the African diaspora in metropolitan France. Professor Keaton is the perfect scholar to guide students on this rigorous and rewarding journey. Jared Pugh, Dartmouth '25

Check out these short films about the FSP:

Postcards from Paris by Emilie Hong, Dartmouth '25 

Afro Black Paris by Kalia Hunter, Dartmouth '21

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The Department of African and African American Studies (AAAS) offers an FSP in Paris, France, entitled Afro/Black Paris: The African Diaspora in the City of Light. This FSP takes students on a journey not to an actual place per se in France, but rather through a lived experience in one of the most extraordinary destinations in the world. Nowhere to the same degree has a European city been so enriched and transformed by Africans and their descendants, including African Americans. Comprised of two courses taught in English and one French language course for beginners, this FSP offers a unique opportunity to explore "another Paris," an adventure described by former students as "life-altering!"

Check out "African Americans in France" to learn about the Afro/Black Paris experience. 

Professor Trica Keaton, Dartmouth College, is the Founder and Faculty Director. 

Prerequisites

Preference will be given to students who have taken at least one course in AAAS and with Professor Keaton. Priority will also be given to students who are interested in learning not only about Afro/Black Paris, but also, about Paris and France more broadly. 

Curriculum 

French Language for Beginning and Intermediate Learners 

AAAS 68 Afro/Black Paris

AAAS 68.20 French Museums and the African Diaspora

Student Life & Financial Information

Please visit the Guarini Insitute for International Education website for details on student life and financial information. 

For more information, please contact:

Professor Trica Keaton