AncestryandMe Audit - Spring 2025
About the class:
This class will use the relationship between African-Americans and biometric technology as a precedent to open up conversations around how commercial DNA tracing plays a role in the lives of all people. Reading stories such as Octavia Butler’s Kindred, the story of Henrietta Lacks, Simone Browne’s account of early biometrics, and artist Devin Kenny’s experience with a DNA-based dating service, will inspire students to create written or visual responses to the course as a final project. This class is open to people of all backgrounds and education levels.
AncestryandMe was originally taught by American Artist and Zainab Aliyu in Coocoon 2021 and is presented this spring as a mixed synchronous/asynchronous audit course for SFPC alumni.
As an auditor, you will have access to:
- Syllabus and readings
- Weekly prompts for creative work and discussion questions
- Dedicated Discord text and voice channels with fellow auditors
Schedule:
This class runs from April 1 to June 3, 2025 on Tuesdays.
Week 1: April 1 – Asynchronous Study
Week 2: April 8 – Synchronous Discussion (12:00pm–1:00pm ET)
Week 3: April 15 – Asynchronous Study
Week 4: April 22 – Synchronous Discussion (12:00pm–1:00pm ET)
Week 5: April 29 – Asynchronous Study
Week 6: May 6 – Synchronous Discussion (12:00pm–1:00pm ET)
Week 7: May 13 – Asynchronous Study
Week 9: May 20 – Synchronous Discussion (12:00pm–1:00pm ET)
Week 10: May 27 – Asynchronous Study
Week 11: June 3 – Synchronous Discussion (12:00pm–1:00pm ET)
Tuition and payment:
We have three tuition rates available for this audit, please select the option that best describes you:
-Solidarity Rate ($100): If you do not have consistent work and/or struggle to consistently meet basic living expenses (10 seats available on a first come, first serve basis)
-Standard Rate ($200): Can consistently meet basic living expenses, some disposable income
-Redistribution Rate ($300+): Can consistently meet living expenses with ample disposable income, beneficiary of intergenerational wealth or if class can be paid for by your employer
Notifications and timeline:
Deadline to sign up: Thursday, April 3rd at 11:59pm EST
Auditing seats are guaranteed upon completion of this form and receipt of payment
Auditing materials will begin dispersal weekly on April 1st, with class ending June 3rd.