Pan-African Political Philosophy In the late 1890s and early 1900s, a network of intellectuals from the Black Diaspora, horrified by the continued expansion of European colonialism into Africa, emerged to explain major developments in world politics. As they argued, colonialism replaced indigenous systems with European-style states, structured the international political economy, and shaped the emergence of contemporary racial divisions. We will read philosopher Charles Mills’s The Racial Contract, The Philosophy and Opinions of Marcus Garvey among others to ask: How did racism shape capitalism? What are the metaphysics of racial identity? Can Black people find liberation in post-colonial states? We will see how pan-African philosophy adapted to international events, such as the end of WWI, WWII, the UN, and eventual independence from colonialism.

International Environmental Politics What happens when the global economy outgrows the earth's ecosystem? This course surveys the consequences of the collision between the expanding world economy and the earth's natural limits: shrinking forests, falling water tables, eroding soils, collapsing fisheries, rising temperatures, and disappearing species. We will examine how countries with different circumstances and priorities attempt to work together to stop global environmental pollution and resource depletion.

Pan-African Political Philosophy In the late 1890s and early 1900s, a network of intellectuals from the Black Diaspora, horrified by the continued expansion of European colonialism into Africa, emerged to explain major developments in world politics. As they argued, colonialism replaced indigenous systems with European-style states, structured the international political economy, and shaped the emergence of contemporary racial divisions. We will read philosopher Charles Mills’s The Racial Contract, The Philosophy and Opinions of Marcus Garvey among others to ask: How did racism shape capitalism? What are the metaphysics of racial identity? Can Black people find liberation in post-colonial states? We will see how pan-African philosophy adapted to international events, such as the end of WWI, WWII, the UN, and eventual independence from colonialism. (Not open to students who have taken FYSE 1308.) Political Theory

Protest Music in Comparative Perspective In this course we will examine how marginalized populations around the world use music to interpret, explain, and respond to political, racial, socioeconomic, and gendered inequities.  Because music is produced for a wide audience, it is important for the construction of group identity and a useful means of protest. We will discuss the domestic politics of countries such as Nigeria, Jamaica, the U.S., and Brazil by reading the literature of comparative politics, sociology, and critical race and gender theory.  Our discussion of these topics will help us better understand how power in various forms is used to repress, and how music challenges existing hegemonies.

Ecocriticism and Global Environmental Justice Many global environmental problems—climate change, biodiversity, deforestation, clean water, and transboundary waste movement—are ineffectively managed.  In this course we will take a critical look at these failures and ask: do existing norms and attitudes make effective, sustainable environmental management more difficult?  In doing so, we will examine institutions and phenomena such as the sovereign nation-state, free market capitalism, and the authority of scientific knowledge. We will ask whether sustainable management is compatible with these institutions and phenomena, or whether they contribute to environmental injustice, racism, political marginalization, and gender and class inequity by studying contemporary and historic examples.

International Politics What causes conflict or cooperation among states? What can states and other international entities do to preserve global peace? These are among the issues addressed by the study of international politics. This course examines the forces that shape relations among states, and between states and international regimes. Key concepts include: the international system, power and the balance of power, international institutions, foreign policy, diplomacy, deterrence, war, and global economic issues. Both the fall and spring sections of this course emphasize rigorous analysis and set theoretical concepts against historical and contemporary case studies.

Gender and International Relations Many issues facing international society affect, and are affected by, gender.  Global poverty, for example, is gendered, since 70% of the world's population living below $1.25 per day is female. Women are far more vulnerable to rape in war and water scarcity, and they are moreover globally politically underrepresented.  In this course we will use theories of international relations, including realism, neoliberalism, and feminism, to study how international society addresses (or fails to address) these challenges through bodies such as the UN and treaties such as the Elimination of Violence Against Women.

Political Theory of the Black Diaspora In the 1900s, horrified by the expansion of European colonialism into Africa, a global network of Black intellectuals emerged to explain major developments in world politics. As they argued, the racial project of colonialism, which included replacing indigenous systems with European-style states, shaped the international political economy. We will read works by scholars including DuBois, Amilcar Cabral, and Walter Rodney, to address the following: How did racism shape capitalism? Can Black people find emancipation in imperial states? We will see how pan-African philosophy adapted to international events, such as the end of WWI, the establishment of the UN, and eventual independence from colonialism.

Introduction to International and Global Studies This is the core course of the International and Global Studies major. It is an introduction to key international issues and problems that will likely feature prominently in their courses at Middlebury and study abroad. Issues covered will differ from year to year, but they may include war, globalization, immigration, racism, imperialism, nationalism, world organizations, non-governmental organizations, the European Union, the rise of East Asia, politics and society in Latin America, and anti-Americanism.

Kemi Fuentes-George

Reviews and ratings for Kemi Fuentes-George at Middlebury College.Kemi Fuentes-George teaches Pan-African Philosophy, Intl Environmental Politics, Protest Music-Comparative and more.  Explore top rated instructors and find the best for you.Is Kemi Fuentes-George good ? Find out on MiddCourses.

Kemi is a wonderful professor! He taught the course with passion and that translated into well led discussions in the class. The class is reading heavy and it can take up to 3-4 hours to get through them, or even more if you want to take notes. However, most readings are extremely helpful for the midterm and end of term assignments- discussion paper where we discuss readings from multiple classes in relation to one another. The term paper is quite extensive but can be written in a week and still be very good. The course is self-graded but Kemi can adjust the grade if he thinks you did not engage in discussions or your presentation was poor quality.

Professor Fuentes-George was passionate about the material and made his lectures engaging. While the class was a bit fast paced and there were quite a few readings for the class, the work was doable and the required readings were helpful and informative. While the essays were not necessarily difficult, there was not a lot of guidance in the syllabus. The assignments were spaced apart nicely, but be sure to check the syllabus for the assignments because you are not always reminded of the essays in class. 

Lots of readings for each class that are labeled as mandatory but not really necessary for a good grade in the class. Wrote 4 total papers throughout the course around 1000 words for each plus a midterm that was timed and more writing. Self grading at the end of the course but professor has the authority to move grades up and down based on your assessment of yourself. 