Food Prof Fred Opie

My courses examine food traditions and how they change over time. I teach Race and Ethnicity in Latin America (through the lens of food), African History and Foodways, African Diaspora History and Foodways, African American History and Foodways, and Food in the African-American Canon.  My upper level seminar on Race and Ethnicity in Latin America explores questions such as: What does it mean to be Black or Indian or white in Latin America?; What are the barriers to immigration?; how has the explosive growth of export-oriented economies transformed race relations in Latin America?; And what is the relationship between race and politics? I use a variety of theoretical and inner-disciplinary approaches and case studies to answer these questions. The African History and Foodways survey course covers the major subjects, movements, and events that have shaped Africa since the 1400s. These include: African crops and animals, African political institutions and wars, gender, the spread of Islam, slavery, European colonization, and African independence movements. The thematic thread throughout the course is the role of African food plants and animals in intercontinental and global trade from the middle ages to the present. My courses are organized to achieve the pedagogical goals of improving student writing, critical thinking, and argumentation skills. Courses are also designed to equip students to do research using peer-reviewed materials in print and online. Lessons on how to do high-quality and ethically superb research, writing, and editing are integrated into my lesson plans. In addition to classic texts and new scholarly readings, I expose students to history, culture, and food via film scenes and documentaries, and primary sources.  

Professor Frederick Douglass Opie Talks About Food and Music on the Splendid Table: Listen Now [8 min]