Introduction to Black Studies

Catalog description

The course serves as an examination of the events, movements, theories, and texts that have shaped the development of the African diaspora. Students will develop a conceptual framework -- involving "claims," "grounds," "warrants," "backing," "qualifiers," and "rebuttals" -- for making and analyzing arguments within a racial context. In addition, students will learn the critical and methodological tools to investigate topics including slavery; abolitionism; Pan-Africanism; the culture/race/politics nexus; structural and institutional racism; linkages among race, culture, and identity. The course complements students' work in their major fields of study by fostering greater understanding of the historical and social contexts that shape the multifarious experiences of traditionally marginalized peoples.