This course satisfies the Liberal Education Requirement for Theorizing Race, Power, and Justice.

Course Overview

This course examines literature as a means of understanding arguments about the role of race and culture in distributing power in various communities in the United States. Readings offer readers opportunities to understand the evolution of race as a cultural concept and the various conflicts over political and social power that have been the consequences of racist and ethnocentric assumptions in American history from the era of colonization and slavery to the Civil Rights Movement and beyond.

Course Objectives

This class will teach students to . . .

. . . have productive conversations about important works of literature dealing with race and racial difference.

. . . expand their understanding of the history of slavery in the United States and its aftermath.

. . . relate literary works to their larger contexts in culture, ethics, and history.

Grade Breakdown

Required Texts

Behn, Aphra. Oroonoko, Or the Royal Slave: A True History. 1688. Penguin, 2004.

Do the Right Thing, written and directed by Spike Lee, performed by Spike Lee, Danny Aiello, Ossie Davis, 40 Acres & A Mule, 1989.

Douglass, Frederick. Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave. Modern Library, 2000.

Get Out, written and directed by Jordan Peele, performances by Daniel Kaluuya, Allison Williams, Bradley Whitford, Universal Pictures, 2017.

Hughes, Langston. Selected Poems. Vintage, 1990.

Locke, Attica. Bluebird, Bluebird. Little, Brown & Co., 2017.

Ward, Jesmyn. Sing Unburied Sing. Scribner, 2018.

Washington, Booker T. Up from Slavery. Penguin, 1986.

Wheatley, Phillis. "On Being Brought from Africa to America." Poetry Foundation at "https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/45465/on-being-brought-from-africa-to-america"

------. "To S. M. A Young African Painter, On Seeing His Works." Poetry Foundation at "https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/52519/to-s-m-a-young-african-painter-on-seeing-his-works*\"

------. "To the Right Honorable William, Earl of Dartmouth." Poetry Foundation at https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/47706/to-the-right-honorable-william-earl-of-dartmouth"https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/47706/to-the-right-honorable-william-earl-of-dartmouth"

Whitehead, Colson. Underground Railroad. Anchor, 2016.

If you are ordering the books on your own, you may find the following ISBNs helpful (for online searches):

Behn's Oroonoko: 9780140439885

Do the Right Thing (1989): film available to students through the library

Douglass's Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass: 9780679783282

Get Out (2017): film available to students through the library

Hughes' poems: available to students through the course Canvas page

Ward's novel: 9781501126079

Washington's Up from Slavery: 9780140390513

Wheatley's poems: available online at the Poetry Foundation website

Whitehead's novel: 9780345804327

Expectations

Written Work. Your grade will depend primarily on your written work and the understanding of the material that you convey through that work. A command of standard written English and the ability to present an argument will also contribute to the determination of your grade. You can seek writing assistance from the UMD Writers Workshop located in the Kathryn A. Martin Library. For more details and a link to their online appointment system, seeÊ "https://awlc.d.umn.edu/writers-workshop".

Late Assignments will receive a deduction of 1/3 of a letter grade for each business day that they are late. Students who miss exams may not make them up without a valid excuse for the absence. Make-up and extra-credit assignments are available on a case-by-case basis and only in the event of extreme circumstances.

Student Academic Integrity. Academic dishonesty tarnishes the reputation of the University of Minnesota Duluth and discredits the accomplishments of its students. Because the university is committed to providing students every possible opportunity to grow in mind and spirit, it must insist on an environment of trust, honesty, and fairness. Consequently, all members of the academic community must regard any act of academic dishonesty as a serious offense. In keeping with this ideal, this course will adhere to UMD's Student Academic Integrity Policy, which is available online at "https://evcaa.d.umn.edu/student-academic-integrity". This policy sanctions students engaging in academic dishonesty with penalties up to and including expulsion from the university for repeat offenders.

Disability Accommodations. Individuals who have any disability, either permanent or temporary, which might influence their capacity to perform in this class, should inform me at the start of the semester. The Office of Disability Resources writes that "[i]t is the policy and practice of the University of Minnesota Duluth to create inclusive learning environments for all students, including students with disabilities.ÊIf there are aspects of this course that result in barriers to your inclusion or your ability to meet course requirementsÑsuch as time limited exams, inaccessible web content, or the use of non-captioned videosÑplease notify the instructor as soon as possible."ÊYou can contact the Office of Disability Resources to discuss and arrange reasonable accommodations by calling 218-726-6130 or by visiting the Disability Resources website at "http://www.d.umn.edu/access/".

Notetaking. Remember that there are rules against disseminating these notes beyond the classroom community, which you can find at "https://evcaa.d.umn.edu/course-notes-materials".

Attendance. Excessive absences will have a negative impact on the grade that you receive in this course. Excusable absences include "subpoenas, jury duty, military duty, religious observances, illness, bereavement for immediate family and NCAA varsity college athletics." Please contact the instructor about anticipated absences in order to minimize their influence on your coursework. For more information on excused absences, see "https://evcaa.d.umn.edu/excused-absences".

Student Conduct. Respect fellow students and refrain from behavior that might impair their learning opportunities. Any behavior that substantially and repeatedly interrupts the instructor's ability to teach or the students' ability to learn will result in appropriate penalties. Disruptive behavior includes inappropriate use of communications technology in the classroom, such as ringing cell phones, text-messaging, watching videos, playing computer games, reading email, or browsing the Internet instead of note-taking or other instructor-sanctioned activities. For further clarification of UMD policies in this regard, consult the Board of Regents Policy at "https://regents.umn.edu/sites/regents.umn.edu/files/policies/Student_Conduct_Code.pdf" Another important conduct code addressesÊsexual harassment, which means "means unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and/or other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature," and that policy is available at "https://regents.umn.edu/sites/regents.umn.edu/files/2020-08/policy_sexual_harassment_sexual_assault_stalking_and_relationship_violence.pdf".

Equity, Equal Opportunity, and Affirmative Action. As stated in academic policies: "The University provides equal access to and opportunity in its programs and facilities, without regard to race, color, creed, religion, national origin, gender, age, marital status, disability, public assistance status, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression. The UMD Department of Human Resources & Equal Opportunity is available to all UMD employees, students, and participants in University-related activities to discuss issues or concerns regarding University policies or practices involving potential bias, discrimination, harassment, or retaliation that an individual may have experienced or observed." For more details, see "https://regents.umn.edu/sites/regents.umn.edu/files/2019-09/policy_equity_diversity_equal_opportunity_and_affirmative_action.pdf".

Civility. UMD instructors and students have a responsibility to maintain a learning environment that is, as stated in the Teaching and Learning Policy, "respectful of the rights and freedoms of all members, and promotes a civil and open exchange of ideas." The full policy is available at "https://evcaa.d.umn.edu/instructor-and-student-responsibilities".

Mental Health. From academic affairs: "Feelings such as anxiety, anger, depression, low self-esteem, or tension are a normal part of being human and can affect anyone. Sometimes these feelings are temporary and can be eased by rest, relaxation, exercise, good nutrition, and the support of trusted friends. At other times, stressors, relationships, or past family experiences cannot be managed so easily and become overwhelming. If this happens, and you find it hard to function, you may want to seek professional help. Counseling Services are available at UMD Health Services to assist you.

If you are in need of mental health support when Health Services is closed, or in case of an emergency, please contact The Birch Tree Center's Crisis line at 218-623-1800 or go to the emergency room/urgent care at either St. Luke's Hospital or St. Mary's Hospital. If an ambulance is needed, call 911.

If the emergency is non-life-threatening and you do not have a means of transportation, call Campus Police at 218-726-7000). If you have needs that Counseling Services does not treat, they have a case manager who helps connect students to referrals as well as navigating issues with insurance. You can learn more about the broad range of confidential mental health services available on campus atÊUMD Health Services" at "https://health-services.d.umn.edu/counseling-services".

Learning Outcomes

This class will support the Liberal Education Programs Student Learning Outcomes for Theorizing Race, Power, and Justice in the following manner:

SLO 1: Students will describe how historical, socio-cultural, institutional, structural and/or all of the aforementioned (i.e., systemic) ways of thinking can be used to explain present-day racial inequalities or other avenues of racial oppression.

—This course will focus on slavery and its aftermath as a historical phenomenon that shapes racial power structures in the United States even 150 years after the abolition of slavery. Literary accounts of slavery and racial segregation shed light on ways of thinking that linger on long after the repeal of laws enforcing racial hierarchies and racial separation.

SLO 2: Students will demonstrate knowledge of how the above ways of thinking apply to discipline-specific real cases.

—Each literary work will provide a discipline-specific real case of cultural attitudes and ethical problems associated with the African American experience in the United States. Students will demonstrate their knowledge of the associated situations and conflicts on three exams, one paper, and frequent informal activities in our class.