AFAM 152 –
African American History

Chronological and topical survey of the history of African Americans from the colonial period to the early twenty-first century. This course covers major themes in African American history including the societies and cultures of Africa, the Middle Passage, the Colonial experience, slavery, abolition, and the quest for freedom, Civil War and emancipation, Reconstruction, Jim Crow, the Great Migration, African American cultural expressions, WWII and the seeds of Civil Rights, the Freedom Movement, Black politics and White backlash. While "knowing the facts" is obviously important to historical understanding, this course helps students develop critical thinking skills. These skills include: close and thoughtful reading and analysis of primary and secondary sources; looking for a broader coherence or "order" to the material; independent analysis and effective articulation (both in writing and in class discussion) of well-reasoned, well-crafted conclusions and interpretations and arguments (conclusions/interpretations/arguments which are supported by specific factual evidence derived from a variety of sources).

The three specific course objectives underscore its scholarly dimensions:

(1) Students will gain a knowledge and understanding of the relationship between the experiences of African Americans and United States history as a whole.

(2) Students will gain an understanding and knowledge of the political, economic, and social processes that shaped African American history.

(3) Students will learn how to "think historically" by placing documents written in the past in their historical contexts, and to consider the relationship of the past to the present.

By the end of the course students will:
Demonstrate an understanding of the chronology of African American history.
Demonstrate an understanding of the diverse experiences of different groups of Americans.
Demonstrate an understanding of the social, political, and ideological structures that shaped African American history and continue to shape the modern United States.