African-American History, 1865 - Present

Catalog description

This course examines the African American experience from emancipation to the present. The history of African peoples in the United States has primarily been a chronicle of strivings for liberation, justice, and equality. Much of this story represents Black people's desires to retain their racial identity and autonomy, to build community, and create a sense of nationalism, while simultaneously asserting their right to be treated as equal American citizens. During this course, student will gain insight into the conditions of life for people of African descent in America while also being introduced to the myriad ways in which African Americans have continually pushed for freedom. This course will discuss a variety of themes in African American history including slavery and freedom, politics, resistance, gender, culture, identity, economy, etc. The specific topics explored include: Reconstruction, the Racial Nadir, the New Negro Movement, Black Radicalism in the Depression Era, The Civil Rights and Black Power Movements, Black Feminism, Black Politics in the 1980s, and finally, the state of Black America in the New Century with particular emphasis placed on contemporary topics including mass incarceration and the rise of the #BlackLivesMatter Movement. Throughout the course, students will be exposed to lectures, readings, films, and class discussion that will enable them to analyze the impact of various forms of human difference on lived experiences and individual and collective choices made by black folks throughout American history. Offered as AFST 261 , ETHS 261 and HSTY 261 . Counts as a CAS Global & Cultural Diversity course. Counts as a Human Diversity & Commonality course.