A History of African Americans

A History of African Americans (Poster art by Black Panther Party Minister of Culture Emory Douglas, circa 1969) University of Central Oklahoma Coll...
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A History of African Americans

(Poster art by Black Panther Party Minister of Culture Emory Douglas, circa 1969)

University of Central Oklahoma College of Liberal Arts Tue/Thur 11.00-12.15, LAR 226

Department of History & Geography HIST 1333-26600, Spring 2015

Dr. Marc Goulding 405.974.2838 Office: LAR 202H [email protected] Office hours: Mon. 11.00-1.00, Tue. 2.00-3.00, Wed. 11.00-1.00 (or by appointment)

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“The African, because of the violent differences between what was native and what he was forced to in slavery, developed some of the most complex and complicated ideas about the world imaginable.” - Amiri Baraka

Professor’s Course Description This course introduces students to African American history from the earliest arrival of enslaved Africans in what would become the United States to today. Much of our class will focus on the efforts of black people to address slavery, the challenges of ‘freedom,’ and persistent inequalities in US society up to the present day. Because one must understand something of the cultures and societies from which people came in order to understand the history of African America, we will start with an introduction to African societies around the time of European incursion. By necessity we have to fit quite a lot into a single semester. Through the course of the semester we will survey the middle passage and the Atlantic slave system, enslaved peoples’ resistance to the system, the roles played by African Americans in the revolution, the Civil War, and twentieth century US history, the classic civil rights movement in the US South, the black power movement and African American/Third World solidarity, up to our current time. At the end of the semester, you will have achieved a broad working knowledge of the primary events of African American history, as well as its major themes. Since US history cannot be understood without understanding African American history, you’ll also learn a great deal about US history in a general sense along the way. Further, to limit any historical inquiry by national borders and boundaries is to distort peoples’ lives and experiences and so in this course we will strive to understand the history of Africandescended peoples in the United States within a broadly transnational and global context. Catalogue Course Description “This course develops an overview of the African American experience from the pre-colonial African period, into earliest contact with the Americas, down to the dawning of the 21st century. The student will learn to recognize, assess, and analyze the value of this rich heritage within the context of U.S. history.”

Prerequisites Freshman or sophomore standing Please, also, come with an inquisitive mind, a desire to learn, and be ready to embrace new ideas and perspectives.

Course Objectives After completing our course you will have been given the opportunity to:

--become familiar with the main events of African American history from the 17th century to the present --become familiar with the major themes of African American history across more than three centuries --become acquainted with the fundamental elements of historical inquiry and historical methods --have honed and developed your critical and analytical skills --have improved your ability to express yourself in writing --understand African American history in a broadly global context

Transformational Learning Objectives Our course addresses five of the University of Central Oklahoma’s six tenets of transformative learning. Engaging in a comprehensive overview of African American history from the first arrival of enslaved A History of African Americans (2015 SP) 2

Africans to today – and focusing on the skills of historical analysis – pertains to discipline knowledge. Participating in group discussions and assignments aligns with the tenet of leadership. Our focus on critical analysis, research, and writing contributes to research, scholarly and creative activities. Much of what we will cover during the semester will concern African American struggles for full civil rights, and this aligns with the tenet of service learning and civic engagement. Finally, our class approaches African American history from a global and diasporic perspective and thus addresses the tenet regarding global and cultural competencies.

Attendance I will accept four (4) unexcused absences. Excused means something documented and dire – medical, emergency, etc. Each unexcused absence will deduct 5 points from your overall grade for the class. Broken alarm clocks, sick cats or dogs or significant others, cars out of gas, and general cases of the sniffles will all be considered unexcused.

Professionalism and Academic Responsibility By “professionalism” I mean the manner in which we conduct ourselves in class, and in relation to our course. We should expect each other to arrive on time for class, to refrain from texting or checking FB (or whatever) during class, and to arrive for class having completed any reading or assignments. One part of professionalism is to be suitably prepared. Please do not use any technology in class – no phones or tablets or laptops. Please do not leave your phone on the desk during class, don’t have earbuds dangling from the side of your head, and please remember to shut off the ringer. No food in class. Coffee, water, soda, and whatnot are fine, but no food of any kind. Another part of professionalism is respecting our time in class and devoting it to the subject at hand. By “academic responsibility” I mean students taking charge of their own academic work. You are responsible for completing all assignments and submitting your work by the due date. It is your responsibility to keep track of your progress and grade. If you miss a class, miss a quiz or an assignment, it’s your responsibility to follow up with me or with another student. I am simply unable to keep track of what you may have missed. You should check your UCO email every day. The reason for this is that it’s the only way I have of contacting you. You should also regularly keep an eye on our course D2L site for information, readings, etc.

Academic Integrity “UCO subscribes to the Turnitin.com plagiarism prevention service. Students agree that by taking this course, all required assignments may be subject to submission for textual similarity review to Turnitin.com for the detection of plagiarism. All submitted assignments will be included as source documents in the Turnitin.com restricted access reference database for the purpose of detecting plagiarism of such assignments. Use of the Turnitin.com service is subject to the Terms and Conditions of Use posted on the Turnitin.com website. Turnitin.com is just one of various plagiarism prevention tools and methods which may be utilized by your faculty instructor during the terms of the semesters. In the UCO Student Handbook, there is a process for contesting any plagiarism allegations against you.” Plagiarism is a very grave violation of academic honesty. Anything that was not written by a student that appears in a paper under her or his name is considered plagiarism. If you copy something from a website (any site, even one with no author listed), if you purchase a prewritten paper, if you have your friend write A History of African Americans (2015 SP) 3

your paper for you, if you cut and paste from a website and change a few words – then you’ve committed plagiarism. To submit a paper in this class that you wrote for another class is considered self-plagiarism. At the least, plagiarism will result in a grade of zero for the assignment, and possibly failure of the course. At the worst, those who plagiarize will be reported to the University administration for formal disciplinary action. A quick bit of advice – don’t do it. If you fall behind and feel pressured, talk with me and we can maybe work something out. If you’re not certain what constitutes plagiarism, see me for a clarification. We will discuss this in class early in the semester.

Student Information Sheet Important information for students from the University of Central Oklahoma may be found at the following URL: http://www.uco.edu/academic-affairs/files/aa-forms/faculty/StudentInfoSheet.pdf This form contains information regarding academic integrity, important dates, etc. I urge all students to read it carefully. If you have questions, don’t hesitate to ask me.

Assignments/Grading Exam 1…………… 100 points Exam 2…………… 150 points Exam 3…………… 150 points News Essay…......... 150 points Synthesis Essay…... 150 points Quizzes…………… 200 points

1000 possible points total

A: 90-100% (900-1000 points) B: 80-89% (800-890 points) C: 70-79% (700-790 points) D: 60-69% (600-690 points) F: below 60% (below 600 points) News Essay: 2-3 pages, linking a news event to historical themes covered in class Synthesis Essay: 2-3 pages, following an idea across a given span of time covered in our class Participation is central to our course. I will offer lectures, but discussion and interaction will be critical here. So – obviously – you need to attend. If you do not attend class and try to simply show up for exams, you will not pass the course. Throughout the semester, we’ll have a number of in-class quizzes, readings, discussions, etc. NOTE: Quizzes and in-class assignments may not be made up if you miss class. With the exception of a valid and documented emergency (medical, etc.), makeup exams will not be offered. Similarly, late work will not be accepted. All assignments must be submitted by the due date.

A Note on What History Is To start with, I’d like to point out what history is not. History, the study of history, the craft and profession of history, the writing of history, is not the accumulation of names and dates. What historians do is analyze the past, and offer their interpretations on the significance of what happened based on A History of African Americans (2015 SP) 4

primary source materials. History is about interpretation – facts (the names and dates, etc.), are part of the tools of historical analysis. Writing history, thinking about history, debating history is about making an informed argument (this is the thesis) about what happened, certainly, but more importantly about the broader significance of what happened.

Climate Over the course of the semester, we will be discussing a number of controversial subjects here. I expect disagreements and I expect debate. All of our conversations, however, must be conducted in civil terms and tones, and with respect for others’ points of view. Anyone who behaves toward another with disrespect, disparagement, or verbal abuse will be asked to leave. We all bring different perspectives to this material – myself included – and we might completely disagree with one another. Disagreement is good, multiple viewpoints are good, debate is good. In our class I’ll encourage debate, and insist on mutual respect. Please note: the syllabus is subject to minor changes during the semester, though I will not push up any due dates

Text Darlene Clark Hine, William C. Hine, Stanley Harrold, African Americans: A Concise History (Combined Volume), 5th Edition (Boston, MA: Pearson, 2014). Other readings will be made available as PDF files on D2L Throughout the semester I’ll introduce a number of film clips, music/audio, and other sources. All readings must be completed before our Tuesday meeting.

Week 01. Introductions and Groundings in the African Continent Jan. 13 & 15

Ethel Waters, “What Did I Do To Be so Black and Blue” (1930) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ELb0dQiV5w Gil Scott-Heron, “The Revolution Will Not Be Televised” (1970) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qGaoXAwl9kw https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rGaRtqrlGy8 Hine, Hine, and Harrold, African Americans: A Concise History Ch. 1, “Africa, ca. 6000 BCE – ca. 1600 CE”

Week 02. The Perilous Journey and Early Euro-Colonized America Jan. 20 & 22

Hine, Hine, and Harrold, African Americans: A Concise History Ch. 2, “Middle Passage, ca. 1450 – 1809” Ch. 3, “Black People in Colonial North America, 1526 – 1763” A History of African Americans (2015 SP) 5

Eric Robert Taylor, If We Must Die: Shipboard Insurrections in the Era of the Atlantic Slave Trade (Baton Rouge, LA: Louisiana State University Press, 2006) Ch. 4, “Revolt”

Week 03. Colony to Slave-Holding State of Independence Jan. 20 & 29

Hine, Hine, and Harrold, African Americans: A Concise History Ch. 4, “Rising Expectations: African Americans and the Struggle for Independence, 1763 – 1783” Ch. 5, “African Americans in the New Nation, 1783 – 1820” Ch. 6, “Life in the Cotton Kingdom, 1793 – 1861”

Week 04. Antebellum Social/Political Order Feb. 3 & 5

Hine, Hine, and Harrold, African Americans: A Concise History Ch. 7, “Free Black People in Antebelleum America, 1820 – 1861” Ch. 8, “Opposition to Slavery, 1730 – 1833” News essay due Tuesday Feb. 3

Week 05. Black Resistance: Abolition Work Feb. 10 & 12

Hine, Hine, and Harrold, African Americans: A Concise History Ch. 9, “Let Your Motto Be Resistance, 1833 – 1850” Ch. 10, “‘And Black People Were at the Heart of It’: the United States Disunites Over Slavery, 1846 – 1861”

Week 06. Contested Meanings of the US Civil War and Its Aftermath Feb. 17 & 19

Hine, Hine, and Harrold, African Americans: A Concise History Ch. 11, “Liberation: African Americans and the Civil War, 1861 – 1865” Ch. 12, “The Meaning of Freedom: The Promise of Reconstruction, 1865 – 1868”

Week 07. Feb. 24 & 26

Exam 1 Week 08. Reconstruction – Possibilities… then Dismal Failure March 3 & 5

Hine, Hine, and Harrold, African Americans: A Concise History Ch. 13, “The Meaning of Freedom: The Failure of Reconstruction, 1868 – 1877” Ch. 14, “White Supremacy Triumphant: African Americans in the Late Nineteenth Century, 1877-1895”

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Week 09. Jim Crow Barges on With the New Century March 10 & 12

Hine, Hine, and Harrold, African Americans: A Concise History Ch. 15, “African Americans Challenge White Supremacy, 1877 – 1918” Ch. 16, “Conciliation, Agitation, and Migration: African Americans in the Early Twentieth Century, 1895 – 1928”

Week 10. Spring Break – no class March 17 & 19

Week 11. Cultural/Political Renaissance and Economic Depression March 24 & 26

Hine, Hine, and Harrold, African Americans: A Concise History Ch. 17, “African Americans and the 1920s” Ch. 18, “Black Protest, the Great Depression, and the New Deal, 1929 – 1940”

Week 12. Another War, Similar Questions, and More of the Same March 31 & April 2

Exam 2 Hine, Hine, and Harrold, African Americans: A Concise History Ch. 19, “Meanings of Freedom: Culture and Society in the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s, 1930-1950” Ch. 20, “The World War II Era and the Seeds of a Revolution, 1936-1948”

Week 13. Black Resistance: The Southern Civil Rights Movement April 7 & 9

Hine, Hine, and Harrold, African Americans: A Concise History Ch. 21, “The Long Freedom Movement, 1950 – 1965” Ch. 22, “Black Nationalism, Black Power, Black Arts, 1965 – 1970”

Week 14. Black Resistance: Black Power Movements, 1960s-1970s April 14 & 16

Peniel E. Joseph, Waiting ‘Til the Midnight Hour: A Narrative History of Black Power in America (New York: Henry Holt, 2006) Ch. 6, “‘Black’ is a Country” Ch. 7, “‘What We Gonna Start Sayin’ Now is Black Power!’”

Week 15. Reversals and Further Challenges: The 80s to the Election of Obama April 21 & 23

Hine, Hine, and Harrold, African Americans: A Concise History Ch. 23, “African Americans in the Twenty-First Century, 1980 – 2010” Ch. 24, “Black Politics from 1980 to the Present: The President Obama Era, 1980-2012”

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Week 16. Final Discussions – Summation April 28 & 30

Danielle Henderson, “We’re not a ‘post-racial society. We’re the ‘innocent until proven racist’ society,” The Guardian, 10 August 2014. Synthesis essay, due Tuesday April 28

Exam 3: Thursday May 7, 11.00-12.50, LAR 226

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