Afro-American Studies 390M - Race and the American Story

This course is a collaboration between the W.E.B. Du Bois Department of Afro-American Studies at the University of Massachusetts and the Center for Political Thought and Leadership at Arizona State University. Building upon the evolving discussions of race and racism in our society, this course aims to serve as a model for improving diversity education on campuses across the country and contribute to a more informed and thoughtful national culture. This course consists of readings that tell the story of the confrontation between American political principles and the practice of racial injustice throughout our history. We will trace the ways that discourse on race has morphed in the United States and we will consider the ramifications of these ideas on the endurance of racism in our society. Students will read and discuss the Declaration of Independence, the slavery clauses in the Constitution, the poetry of Phillis Wheatley, the speeches of Frederick Douglass, Anna Julia Cooper, Abraham Lincoln, and Martin Luther King, Jr., among others. They will achieve a greater understanding of how diversity relates to humanity, and will learn to dialogue productively and civilly with others who may not share their background or opinions. The course will be taught on both campuses and students on both campuses will have an opportunity to interact and engage with each other virtually throughout the course of the semester. (Gen. Ed. AL, DU)