Women of Color in the United States

Catalog description

An exploration of the intellectual traditions, struggles, and contributions of Women of Color in the United States through an examination of philosophical, historical, literary, aesthetic, religious, and cultural works produced by and about Women of Color, with attention to American Indian/Native American, Chicana/o/x or Latina/o/x, African American, and Asian American perspectives. Students will engage with womanist and feminist scholarship, media, and lived experiences to explore frameworks such as intersectionality, colonialism, white supremacy, abolition, and liberation. Emphasis is placed on analyzing how race and racism intersect with class, gender, sexuality, immigration status, and other identity markers to shape oppression, resistance, and survival. Attention will be given to both historical struggles and contemporary issues, including settler colonialism, reparations, immigration, and transnational movements for justice. Course activities—such as journals, essays, case study analysis, collaborative projects, and integrative works (presentations, multimedia projects, or research papers)—highlight Women of Color’s epistemologies, knowledge traditions, and contributions to equity and liberation movements. By centering diverse perspectives and womanist thought, the course fosters critical reading and writing skills, develops intersectional analysis, and emphasizes strategies of solidarity, resistance, and envisioning just futures. 54.00 hours lecture. (Letter grade only)