Explore African history and its importance to that of the wider world. This course, which fulfills the College’s Division I requirement, explores how African peoples have experienced and shaped global histories alongside their own. Using London as a home base, students will gain a deep appreciation of African peoples’ historical experiences, initiatives, and understandings of the wider world. London is a rich site from which to explore world history from an African-centered lens. Indeed, Wake Forest’s Worrell House is a short walk from Primrose Hill and Camden Town, neighborhoods where several African intellectuals and political leaders lived as students in the 1930s and 1940s. During our time in London, we will integrate the city and surrounding area into our course. Students will visit a number of historical sites important to our course including Westminster Abbey, the London Dockyards, the WASU house. We will also visit a number of sites crucial to the production and preservation of historical knowledge about African societies, including the British Museum, the National Archives (Kew), and the Black Cultural Archives in Brixton. Early in the course, we will also travel to Liverpool to visit the International Slavery Museum and the contributions that African peoples made to maritime culture that shaped the city and the wider Atlantic World.

London is one of Europe’s largest and most cosmopolitan cities. Its famous sites include Buckingham Palace, the Tower of London, Trafalgar Square, Picadilly Circus, and Westminster Abbey. With a multitude of art galleries, museums, and pubs, London is endlessly interesting. The underground rail “tube” system provides easy access to all parts of the city. Students may conveniently visit Canterbury, Oxford, Bath, Dover, and other destinations (Scotland and Wales) via the excellent British railway system.

In 1977, Wake Forest purchased a large brick house in Hampstead for its London program. The house, a gift from Eugene and Ann Worrell, was named in their honor. Formerly known as Morven House, the building served as the home and studio of landscape painter Charles Edward Johnson.

Worrell House has four stories and is situated on Steele’s Road (named for essayist Sir Richard Steele) in a sector of suburban London known as Hampstead. Hampstead is primarily a residential neighborhood and home to Hampstead Heath, Regent’s Park, Primrose Hill, and the Keats Cottage. Two underground tube stops are within a 5-10 minute walk.

Dr. Nate Plageman
Associate Professor of History
Phone: (336) 758-4318
Email: plagemna@wfu.edu

Worrell House accommodates fifteen students. There are six student bedrooms, four bathrooms, a large kitchen, a student lounge, a living room, two libraries, and a seminar room. Modern kitchen facilities are available, and students often prefer to cook their meals together in the house. The house is wired for Internet access and students may bring their laptop computers. The living room, called the Churchill Room, was named in honor of the former prime minister and statesman. His daughter, Sarah Churchill, unveiled a bust of Churchill at the 1977 dedication of the house. A beautiful English garden is located behind the house. There is a ground floor apartment (flat) for the faculty director consisting of three bedrooms, two bathrooms, and a kitchen.

This draft itinerary outlines the major excursions during our time in London. These excursions will complement our conventional classroom work and provide us with an array of opportunities for discussion, engagement, and “hand on” activities. Because we have a full schedule, we will hold classroom activities Mondays through Thursdays (with exceptions for welcome and farewell dinners).

May 30: Student arrival at the Worrell House

May 31: Orientation and Welcome Dinner (catered by a West African or Ethiopian restaurant) 

June 2: Guest Lecture by Dr. Hakim Adi

June 3: Walking Tour: Locating Africans in London

June 4: Visit to the Africa Centre, Community Archive 

June 5: Tour of African exhibit at British Museum, Discussion of Repatriation

June 9: London, Africa and the Atlantic World: Visit to St. Margaret’s Cathedral

June 10: Travel to Liverpool: Visit the International Slavery Museum

June 11: Liverpool: Visit the Maritime Museum; Liverpool Black Community Trail; Tate Modern Art Museum

June 12: Return to London

June 16: Ignatius Sancho’s London: Digital Exhibit and Excursion

June 17: Visit to School of Oriental and African Studies, London

June 18: Visit to National Archives

June 19: Possible Visit to Kew Gardens: Botany, Empire, and African Knowledge

June 23: Africa and World War II: Visit to the Imperial War Museum

June 24: Visit to WASU Africa House

June 25: Visit to Black Cultural Archives, Brixton

June 26: Visit to Gallery 1957

June 28: Farewell Dinner (catered by a West African or Ethiopian restaurant)

June 29: Students Depart from Worrell House

The Faculty Directors are responsible for the selection of each group based on the following criteria:

• Be interested and open to traveling to Worrell House – London, England
• All students must meet with a faculty director in order to be accepted into the program
• No prerequisites are needed for this course

The total cost of summer study abroad can be broken down into four categories.  The Program Fee and Tuition costs will be billed by Wake University.  The estimated airfare and personal expenses will vary depending on the student and their personal spending habits.  These estimated costs are not included in the bill from Wake. 

Program Fee – Covers your room and board, travel expenses around London and to Liverpool, welcome and farewell dinner, entrances to museums and program sites.
Airfare (estimated) – Varies per location. Students are responsible for their own airfare to London, England and then getting to the Worrell House.  Plane costs can fluctuate depending on the airport you are departing from so please shop around. 
Personal Expenses (estimated) – This cost will vary depending on the students’ spending habits, cost of living in the destination country, and number of meals spent eating out verses cooking a meal at the Worrell House. 

Billed by Wake:
Program Fee (estimated) – $4,184
Tuition Cost – $2,850

Personal costs (will fluctuate per student):
Airfare (estimated) – $1,900
Personal Expenses (estimated) – $1,900

Estimated total cost – $10,834

Estimated total cost will be finalized in March 2025 and may fluctuate depending on number of students and changes made to the program.

Scholarships are available through the Center for Global Programs and Studies.

The deadline for summer scholarships is February 1st.   

Passport Information
Students need to check their passport’s expiration date and ensure that it will be valid for at least 6 months after the program’s end date.

Students going on a Summer I program need to make sure their passport is valid through at least February of the following year.

US passport holders who need to renew their passport should visit the U.S. Department of State’s passport website for information on this process.

Non-US passport holders who need to renew their passport should refer to their home country’s passport office.

Visa Information
If you are a US citizen, you most likely will not require a visa for your summer abroad program. If you do, details will be shared with you by GPS. Non-US passport holders should check with their host country’s embassy or consulate to find out if a visa is required for their program or not.

Dr. Nate Plageman
Associate Professor of History
Phone: (336) 758-4318
Email: plagemna@wfu.edu

Amanda Batten
Study Abroad Advisor
Center for Global Programs and Studies
Phone: (336) 758-3194
Email: battena@wfu.edu