Writing Black Radicalism: W. E. B. Du Bois, C. L. R. James, and Richard Wright
AFAM 325
Fall 2011 not offered
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| Crosslisting:
AMST 351, ENGL 320 |
In his influential work BLACK MARXISM (1983), Cedric Robinson charted a history of the encounters between Marxist thought and the collective struggles of black men and women in the West. Robinson highlighted the work of three intellectuals who most forcefully articulated a theory of black radicalism in the 20th century: W. E. B. Du Bois, C. L. R. James, and Richard Wright.
Each of these thinkers was committed not only to the theorization of black resistance and liberation, but also to the literary expression of their ideas. They experimented with form and genre in novels, memoirs, essays, and histories. This course will explore the importance of the acts and the processes of writing for these thinkers and the significance of writing to the larger project of articulating black radicalism.
Our method of inquiry will be interdisciplinary, combining the insights of literary and historical scholarship. Each week we will focus on primary texts, contextualized by accompanying interpretations. |
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Essential Capabilities:
Interpretation
Students will explore, evaluate, and apply contrasting and complementary interpretations of texts.
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| Credit: 1 |
Gen Ed Area Dept:
SBS AFAM |
| Course Format: Seminar | Grading Mode: Graded |
| Level: UGRD |
Prerequisites: None |
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Fulfills a Requirement for: (AMST) |
Major Readings:
Cedric Robinson, BLACK MARXISM
W.E.B. Du Bois, THE SOULS OF BLACK FOLK (Norton Critical Edition)
W.E.B. Du Bois, PARK PRINCESS
W.E.B. Du Bois, BLACK RECONSTRUCTION
C.L.R. James, MINTY ALLEY
C.L.R. James, BLACK JACOBINS
C.L.R. James, BEYOND A BOUNDARY
Richard Wright, NATIVE SON
Richard Wright, 12 MILLION BLACK VOICES
Richard Wright, THE OUTSIDER
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Examinations and Assignments:
Three short text responses (two pages each)
Three short essays (5-6 pages each)
One final essay (10-12 pages) |
Additional Requirements and/or Comments:
This course will be reading and writing intensive. Fulfills the Literatures of Difference requirement and contributes to the Race and Ethnicity concentration and the Theory and Literary Form concentration in English. |
| Drop/Add Enrollment Requests | | | | | |
| Total Submitted Requests: 0 | 1st Ranked: 0 | 2nd Ranked: 0 | 3rd Ranked: 0 | 4th Ranked: 0 | Unranked: 0 |
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