CAR120Y1
Instructor Bio:
Kevin Edmonds is an Assistant Professor of Community Engaged Learning and Caribbean Studies (Teaching Stream) at the University of Toronto. He received his PhD in political science from the University of Toronto, specializing in Caribbean political economy, community histories of alternative/illicit development, foreign intervention and the region’s radical political tradition. His publications include “Beyond Racial Capitalism: Cooperatives in the African Diaspora” (co-authored with Caroline Shenaz Hosein and Sharon Austin), “Guns, Gangs and Garrison Communities in the Politics of Jamaica at the Turn of the Century”, and “Beyond Good Intentions: The Structural Limitations of NGOs in Haiti“. He also has extensive experience organizing with several grassroots organizations within the Caribbean as well as with Toronto’s Caribbean community.
What makes this course unique?
It's a place for students to learn while building community. It combines eye opening lectures, class discussions, guest speakers, field trips with a community research project which documents the history of the Caribbean community in Toronto.
Assessment Type (Disclaimer: These are subject to change):
Engagement & Participation (First Term) 12.5%
Engagement & Participation (Second Term) 12.5%
First Group Meeting, Preliminary Research & Drafting of Interview Questions 10%
First Term Test 15%
Community Archival Project 20%
Community Presentation 10%
Final Assignment 20%
Student Feedback:
"Prof. Edmonds was an amazing instructor who explained concepts well and cultivated an environment for students to discuss course content. He allowed us to connect with the Caribbean community through our research projects and by doing a walking tour, where we could see how the history we were learning connects to our current lives. He made connections to modern–day occurrences throughout his lectures, allowing students to connect with course concepts and helping students feel engaged. He was also approachable and welcomed creativity in our assignments so that we could all feel engaged in the course. Overall, he was an amazing instructor, and I learned a lot from him!"
"Kevin was probably the most helpful professor I've ever had during my undergraduate career. From helping us think through our ideas, giving helpful feedback, being willing to connect us with the right people to talk to and even helping us source video/audio equipment. His commitment to ensuring all students are successful and actually enjoy the content they are engaging in was evident, and his expert knowledge in the field was super valuable too."
CAR220H1
Instructor Bio:
Catia Dignard holds a PhD in Spanish from the University of Toronto. Her doctoral dissertation, Linguistic Representations of Racialized Voices in Modern and Contemporary Cuban Fiction (U of T, 2025) examines linguistic portrayals of Black characters since colonial times with focus on post-Soviet fiction, and how these reflect evolving notions of nationhood, class, and race relations on the Island. Catia has previously coordinated student cultural exchanges in Nicaragua, Cuba and Italy as an Economics and Intercultural Studies professor while living in the province of Québec. At U of T, she has taught Spanish with the Department of Spanish and Portuguese, as well as Caribbean Regionalism and Comparative Caribbean Literature at the Centre for Caribbean Studies. In addition to her academic work, Catia is a jazz and folk singer-songwriter, who’s past musical projects have included collaborations with Cuban artists and writers.
What makes this course unique?
This course opens a space of discussion on the broader topic of "what it means to inhabit the Caribbean" in regional and diasporic contexts. Students are encouraged to actively engage with the course materials and share their critical insight with their peers during class discussions and group presentations. These discussions are enriched by the presence of invited speakers in class and/or public readings organized by the Centre for Caribbean Studies. This semester, we will have the pleasure of attending the reading of the recently published novel, Paradise Once, with Jamaican writer Olive Senior, as part of the Forum for Caribbean Writers and Readers.
Assessment Type (**Disclaimer: These are subject to change**):
Presentation 20%
Conference and documentary commentary/report 15%
Two (2) Reading Response Papers (2 pages each) 20%
Final Paper Presentation and Group Discussion 5% + Paper 30%
Attendance, participation 10%
Student Feedback:
Stay Tuned!