English 400: African American Film Studies

Course Information
Fall 2021
Meeting Day(s), Time(s): Thursday 4:30-6:55pm
Class Location: Hubbard Hall 209
Course Credit Hours: 3

Instructor
Steph Robinson
Pronouns: She/Her
Office: Lindquist 613
Phone: 917-482-4650
Email: sjrobinson2@shockers.wichita.edu
Office Hours: W 2:00PM-4:00PM and by appointment [Zoom and Phone Call Meetings Optional]

Course description
An intensive study into contemporary African American film in current American Culture. This class will implement
elements of film analysis along with several frameworks to analyze the current state of African American film in America
through genre and race.

Prerequisites (if needed)

English 102 with a C or higher.
Textbook(s) and readings
Alexander, Lisa Doris. Expanding the Black Film Canon: Race and Genre across Six Decades. University Press of Kansas,
2019.

Additional Readings to be provided by instructor…

Berger, Carole. “Viewing as Action: Film and Reader Response Criticism.” Literature/Film Quarterly, vol. 6, no. 2, 1978,
pp. 144–151.

Bowser, Benjamin P. “Racism: Origin and Theory.” Journal of Black Studies, vol. 48, no. 6, 2017, pp. 572–590.

Hobson, Janell. “Viewing in the Dark: Toward a Black Feminist Approach to Film.” Women's Studies Quarterly, vol. 30,
no. 1/2, 2002, pp. 45–59.

Nadell, James. “Boyz N The Hood: A Colonial Analysis.” Journal of Black Studies, vol. 25, no. 4, 1995, pp. 447–464.

Ross, Marlon B. “Beyond the Closet as Raceless Paradigm.” Black Queer Studies: A Critical Anthology, edited by E. Patrick
Johnson and Mae G. Henderson, Duke University Press, Durham; London, 2005, pp. 161–189.

“Systematising Slavery: The Making of the Plantation System in the Eighteenth Century.” Race in the American South:
From Slavery to Civil Rights, by David Brown and Clive Webb, Edinburgh University Press, Edinburgh, 2007, pp. 35–62.

Taylor, Jack. “The Political Subjection of Bigger Thomas: The Gaze, Biopolitics, and The Court of Law in Richard Wright’s
Native Son.” CR: The New Centennial Review, vol. 16, no. 2, 2016, pp. 183–202.

Westerbeck, Ryan. “Police Brutality, Over-Policing, and Mass Incarceration in African American Film.” Journal of Black
Studies, vol. 51, no. 3, Apr. 2020, pp. 213–227.

Learning outcomes
Students should be able to identify key themes in contemporary African American film through the study of genre and
race. Upon successful completion of this course, students will be to articulate common themes and genres to identify
current and pressing themes in African American films. Students will then implement their own analytical abilities to
analyze these films through the critical lens of their choosing in a culminating film analysis paper.

By the end of the course, you will be able to:

1. Identify...
common themes explored in African American film.
2. Analyze...
these films through a critical lens of your choosing: viewer response, trauma studies, postcolonial studies,
Marxism, feminism, new historicism, deconstruction, or any other framework appropriate for the work. This will
require additional research outside of the course curriculum for your final project.
The ability to research outside sources to support claims related to original analysis.
3. Discuss...
complicated topics of race and systemic racism in a classroom setting with peers.
Interpretations in an open-forum setting that is respectful to the topics explored.
Cultivate original interpretations and analysis of contemporary African American films.
4. Develop...
a final paper that analyzes African American film through research, evaluation, and analysis.
Questions related to the film(s) to bring to our class discussion.
5. Research…
outside sources that can enhance our study and interpretation of contemporary African American films.
Instructor’s face-to-face office hours
I will be on campus every Wednesday from 2:00pm to 4:00pm. It is highly advisable that you email me in advance, but
walk-ins are welcome. If you require a time to meeting outside of this window, we can set up an individual appointment.
Email me at sjrobinson2@shockers.wichita.edu for more information on this.

Instructor’s online hours

Online hours are flexible and will take place on Zoom or through phone call. It is recommended that you schedule an
appointment during Monday through Friday, but under pressing circumstances, I am willing to make an exception to
have an online appointment during the weekend. I am available on email and generally respond within 24-48 hours.
Remember to put the course name in your subject of your email (e.g. English 230 – Assignment 4 Question).

Assignments (Course requirements)

This class is mostly a discussion-based course, so participation is incredibly important. Participating means being in
attendance, participating in the conversation, expanding on a peer’s ideas, and explaining outside research to the class.
If you do not participate in the discussions we have during class, you will lose participation points that are calculated
during mid-semester and towards the end of the semester. I understand that some of you may find it difficult to speak in
class, but please arrange a time to meet with me if this worries you. It is important to bloom from a wallflower in this
class to get the most out our discussions.

Assignments Due Percentage

Participation Ongoing 20%
Scholarly Source Assignment TBD 10%
Reading Response Packets (10 packets total) Ongoing 20%
Paper 1 – 5 pages TBD 20%
Final Paper – 8-10 pages 12/03/2021 30%
Total 100%

 Participation (20% of your grade; ongoing). This percentage represents the ongoing discussions we will have in
class. If you have to miss a class for any reason, please email me how to “make up” any missing participation
points.
 Scholarly Source Assignment (10%; due date is determined by you). This assignment involves doing outside
research and adding a scholarly framework to one of the films we watch. For example, you might use an
academic article about trauma studies to frame the film analysis Us by Jordan Peele. You must bring a scholarly
source to class and present how it might aid in our interpretation. You may present this source through
PowerPoint or have printouts to handout to the class—but you must be knowledgeable and lead a discussion of
what we can take away from the source and how we can apply it to our film interpretation. Your presentation
need only be ten minutes maximum and a works’ cited page must be submitted to me for full credit. It is
important to sign up for which film you will be presenting for by 09/03/2021.
 Reading Response Packets (20%; due date is for the each week we have a reading). These assignments consist
of only a few short questions from our textbook and additional readings provided by me. Collectively the reading
response packets are worth 20% of your grade total.
 Paper 1 (20%; due date is determined by you). This assignment involves picking a film from our course and
analyzing it using a theoretical lens. For example, you may choose to interpret Native Son through a Marxist
interpretation or The Hate U Give through a viewer response interpretation. The framework is entirely up to
you, but will require additional research outside of the course to support your argument. You are only required
two additional sources to support your claims. The page must be a total of five pages minimum, not including a
works’ cited page.
  Final Paper (30%; due 12/03/2021). The final paper of this course is a film analysis paper that uses a theoretical
framework we’ve either discussed in class or one that you’ve researched outside of our course. You must have a
total of four sources. The paper length will be 8-10 pages, not including a works’ cited page.

Policies
 Excessive absences of 20% will result in failure of the course.
 Plagiarism is absolutely NOT tolerated in this course, and if you plagiarize even one sentence, you will fail the
assignment. In the most egregious cases of plagiarism, you will fail the entire course. Do not plagiarize. If you’re
unsure how to use a source, reach out to me. There is absolutely no excuse for plagiarism of any kind and it
absolutely will not be tolerated in this course.
 Late work may be accepted at my discretion, but you must reach out to me in advance if you foresee an issue.
Losing contact with me about what might be causing a late assignment or a decline in work and performance
will cause issues for your success in this course. Communicate your needs.

Grading scale

A+ 97 - 100% of points
A 94 - 96% of points
A- 90 - 93% of points
B+ 87 - 89% of points
B 84 - 86% of points
B- 80 - 83% of points
C+ 77 - 79% of points
C 74 - 76% of points
C- 70 - 73% of points
D+ 67 - 69% of points
D 64 - 66% of points
D- 60 - 63% of points

Incompletes

A grade of Incomplete (I) will be given only in extreme circumstances. To receive an “I” grade, you must reach out to me
if you foresee an issue. Incompletes are only given if one major assignment is missing.

Violent and harassment behavior policy

Harassment of any kind will not be tolerated in this class. Any harassment of any student in this class will result in a
disciplinary report and removal from the course. Harassment includes but is not limited to verbal harassment, physical
harassment, and cyberstalking.

Preferred pronouns must be respected at all times in this class.

 Course Schedule
Week Topic & Readings
Week 1 Introduction to the course: syllabus,
expectations, and introductions to each
other.
Readings:
Chapter 1 “I Ain’t Fit to Live with No
More: Nothing But a Man Revisited”
from Expanding the Black Film Canon
pp. 17-37
Week 2 Readings:
Chapter 6: “Ladies First: Ava DuVernay
and Black-Female-Centered Narratives”
from Expanding the Black Film Canon
pp. 119-140.
Week 3 Readings:
Chapter 8: “Are We Allowed to be
Children?: Black Teen Films, Trauma,
and the Race to Adulthood” from
Expanding the Black Film Canon pp. 164-
184
Week 4 Lecture: Scholarly Sources and Film
**No reading packet this week.
Concentrate on narrowing down which
film you want to do your scholarly
source presentation
Week 5 Readings:
Chapter 4: “Who’s the Real Gangsta?:
The Glass Shield and the Politics of Black
Communities and Police Relations” from
Expanding the Black Film Canon pp. 77-
96.
Week 6 Readings: “Police Brutality, Over-
Policing, and Mass Incarceration in
African American Film” (Westerbeck).
Week 7 Readings: “Racism: Origin and Theory”
(Bowser).
Week 8 Readings: “Viewing as Action: Film and
Reader Response Criticism” (Berger).
Week 9 Readings:
“Viewing in the Dark: Toward a Black
Feminist Approach to Film” (Hobson).
Week 10 Readings:
“Boyz N The Hood: A Colonial Analysis”
(Nadell)
Week 11 Readings: “Systematising Slavery: The
Making of the Plantation System in the
Eighteenth Century.” (Brown and Webb)
Assignments
Watching the film Do the Right Thing directed
by Spike Lee
Reading Response Packet # 1 on Chapter 1 of
Expanding the Black Film Canon
Watching Selma directed by Ava Duvernay
Reading Response Packet # 2 on Chapter 6 of
Expanding the Black Film Canon
Watching My Nephew Emmett directed by
Kevin Wilson, Jr. (short film / additional
lecture and discussion of Emmett Till in class.
Trigger warning: violence and violent
images*).
Watching Moonlight by Barry Jenkins
Reading Response Packet #3
Watching Precious directed by Lee Daniels
Watching The Hate U Give directed by George
Tillman Jr.
Reading Response Packet #4
Watching Queen & Slim directed by Melina
Matsoukas
Reading Response Packet # 5
Watching Get Out directed by Jordan Peele
Reading Response Packet # 6
Watching Us directed by Jordan Peele
Reading Response Packet # 6
Watching Chi-Raq directed by Spike Lee
Reading Response Packet #7
Watching Boyz N The Hood directed by John
Singleton
Reading Response Packet #8
Watching Antebellum directed by Gerard
Bush and Christopher Renz
Reading Response Packet # 9
 Week 12 Readings: Watching Native Son (2019) directed by
“The Political Subjection of Bigger Rashid Johnson
Thomas: The Gaze, Biopolitics, and The Last Reading Response Pack # 10
Court of Law in Richard Wright’s Native
Son.” (Taylor)
Week 13 No Class – Fall Break No Class – Fall Break
Week 14 Readings: Watching Blackbird directed by Patrik-Ian
“BEYOND THE CLOSET AS RACELESS Polk
PARADIGM.” (Ross)
Week 15 Finish Final Paper Finish Final Paper

* Schedule and assignments subject to change. Any changes will be communicated through email.

Disclaimer:
This syllabus is subject to change.