Faculty First Year Seminars 191COMM4 - Radical America: the history

American left-wing, radical traditions have been central to pushing forward ongoing struggles for equal rights: "liberty and justice for all." Among Millennials and Gen Z, the popularity of democratic socialists Bernie Sanders, AOC, and Zohran Mamdani are signifiers of the interest among youth to left wing ideas and movements. Yet long-term, anti-communist and anti-labor ideologies have largely buried widespread consciousness of the rich spectrum of dynamic, impactful, U.S. radical traditions. This course will engage a dialogue between past and present, considering specific historical movements and ideologies: 19th-century Utopian socialism and militant industrial unionism, 1930s communist organizing, 1960s civil rights and anti-war movements, feminism, Black Lives Matter, Queer and Trans liberation, indigenous rights, and climate justice. Through readings and media offerings, we?ll discuss some of these movements including attention to current activist streams.

First-year (R1ST)