Black Politics Course Overview

Course description
The role of African Americans in state and national politics; political history of African Americans in American politics, public policy issues concerning African Americans, successes and failures of African American empowerment strategies, and electoral impact of African American votes.

Student Learning Outcomes

1. Know critical thinking techniques for skillfully reading and interpreting different types of writing, such as textbooks, scholarly books and journal articles, case law, newspaper articles, government documents (including those that employ statistics), and original philosophical texts;
   
2. Be able to assess information, including demonstrating the ability to distinguish between the central and peripheral aspects of our readings, and between well-substantiated arguments and unsupported assertions about the state of black America;
   
3. Know how to apply community based research methods to social and political issues in the black community and in other communities of color;
   
4. Be able to write knowledgeably, correctly, clearly and logically about issues of race and race relations in the United States.
   
   

Pedagogical Approach
As an instructor I work with students through a participatory framework. Each student comes with skills, knowledge and experiences that are valid to any material worthy to be taught. I believe this wholeheartedly. In this class you will be asked to examine issues of race, class, ability citizenship, sexuality and other forms of difference through various philosophical and political spectrums. My goal is to unveil the truths hidden by oppression and revise ill informed stigma and stereotypes in our hearts and minds.

Readings (available online and in the bookstore)

• Sister Citizen - Melissa Harris Perry
  
• Black Liberation and Socialism - Ahmed Shawki and Ahmed Shawqi
  
• Black Feminist Thought - Patricia Hill Collins