African-American History History 2242

Billie Holiday and Coleman Hawkins. http://jazzinphoto.wordpress.com/category/billie-holiday/ 22 March, 2013.

Since the first African slaves landed at Jamestown in 1619, one year before the Mayflower, AfricanAmericans have helped shape and have been shaped by the economic systems, political structures, and culture of this country. This course will examine how the concept of race emerged along with the system of slavery. It will trace the role of slaves and free black people in the American revolution, the extension of slavery west across the continent, and the early movements against slavery and racism. It will explore how the slaves finally won their freedom, experienced a moment of hope during Reconstruction, and then had those hopes dashed as the Jim Crow system established itself. The course will follow the Great Migration of black people to northern cities like Chicago, their contradictory reception in those cities, and the cultural renaissance that AfricanAmericans created during and after that: blues, jazz, literature and art. It will examine the mass movements that finally smashed the Jim Crow system of the south and challenged the racism of the north. Finally, the course will explore the path to the present: the election and re-election of Barack Obama, despite the persistence of ghettos and mass incarceration of African Americans. In studying each of these periods, students will be challenged to think about the meanings of freedom, equality, and race, and to explore different factors that drove historical change. History 2242 African American History 3 credit hours Fall Examines the history, culture, and identity of African-Americans in the United States from the colonial era to the present. Explores the unique challenges faced by African-Americans, as well as their contributions to the history of the United States. Prerequisite: Course requires Reading Placement Test Score-Category One (3 lecture hours) Recommended for students who are interested in the study of history, culture, and further study in any academic discipline that examines the United States.