African American Urban History

Catalog description

As the ravages of the Covid-19 pandemic gradually lifts, the plight of poor and working-class people of African descent will continue to occupy a prominent place in discussions of today's urban community. Effective contemporary public policies, movement strategies, educational programs, media campaigns, and sensitive philanthropic decisions will require deeper and more thoughtful perspectives on the history of urban race and class relations in the past. Focusing on the development of African American urban history from its colonial beginnings through today's "Black Lives Matter Movement," this course will emphasize the many ways that African Americans shaped American urban life through their roles as workers, community-builders, and social justice activists. In addition to weekly classroom discussions of assigned readings, students will write a series of short essays (based upon a mix of secondary and primary sources) on selected topics/themes in the development of African American urban life, culture, and politics. This course satisfies one of the elective requirements for the African and African American Studies minor.