Afro-American Studies 590STB - Black Labor History

What is the relationship between work and freedom? This question lies at the heart of Black American liberation struggles, and at the heart of this course, which centers Black labor in the long arc of American history. Throughout the semester, we will explore the experiences of Black workers in a range of workplaces?from cotton fields to battlefields, from kitchens to factory floors, from schools to prisons. From slavery to the modern day, we will consider how the labor and labor struggles of Black men, women, and children have shaped individual Black lives and communities, as well as transformed the larger nation. Topics covered include slavery and capitalism; the Great Migration; the role of Black women in the workforce; the rise of the Black middle class; unions and racial labor politics; and carceral labor.