Introduction to Black Studies

This course provides an interdisciplinary survey of the experiences and contributions made by African Americans with emphasis on the contemporary experience in the United States. This course introduces students to Black Studies as an intellectual, political, and cultural project steeped in a long and international tradition of Black radicalism. It broadly surveys the historical and ongoing process of Black politics, cultural production, and identity formation as structured through race and its intersection with gender, sexualities, and class. The primary focus is on the U.S. and the historical development of Black life, community, and culture against persistent anti-Black racism, economic and political exploitation, gender and sexual oppression, and institutionalized forms of violence. Field trips may be required. Transfer credit: CSU.