History Department

HISTORY 340: AFRICAN- AMERICAN HISTORY CAS/Spring 2002 Sykes 224 Dr. Henry Kamerling Office:  201 Watkins  Hours:  M/W/F 8-10, 11-12 Phone:  704-337-2435 Email: kamerlih@queens.edu

History 340:  Syllabus and Schedule

In Negro culture there is much of value for America as a whole. What is needed
are Negroes to take it and create it "the uncreated consciousness of their race."
In doing so they will do far more, they’ll help create a more human American.
                                                                                    Ralph Ellison, 1944

The way we talk (the rhythms of our speech which naturally fit our impulses), the
way we walk, sing, dance, pray, laugh, eat, make love, and finally, most
important, the way we look, make up our cultural heritage. There is nothing like
it or equal to it, it stands alone in comparison to other cultures. It is uniquely,
beautifully and personally ours and no one else can emulate it.
                                                                    Barbara Ann Teer, 1968

Course Overview: In the above quote Ralph Ellison declares his desire to see African Americans articulately express their unique cultural voice. Ellison sees great promise in the various forms of black culture and black consciousness for both black and white America. Twenty-four years latter Barbara Ann Teer boldly articulates her pride in African Americans’ cultural heritage that Ellison was looking for. Teer’s assessment of the uniqueness of black America was an expression of a new cultural awareness, one that accompanied the emergent consciousness of the black power movement in the late sixties and early seventies.

In one sense these two quotes reflect how dramatically times had changed from the mid 1940s to the late 1960s, a change we will explore in this class. However, these quotes also reflect part of a broader dialectic within the black American cultural experience: the tension between a sublimated cultural expression imbued with the politics of black resistance to the larger white-dominated society and a more assertive cultural expression tied to black rebellion or liberation movements. In this course we will explore the various manifestations of African-American culture from colonial times to the present, paying particular attention to black cultural expressions of resistance and rebellion.

The course is divided into four units: Origins of Slavery, From Slavery to Freedom, Coping with the Color Line, and The Movement, Power, Culture.  In each unit we will explore various African American cultural forms and ask how they fit into the pattern of resistance and rebellion.  While we will spend time reading about and listening to music, we will also explore many other representations of black culture, including folk tales, slave narratives, autobiographies, movies, and more. All these forms represent part of the rich tapestry of black culture. As much as possible we will attempt to examine the African-American experience from the black perspective and I have attempted, as much as possible, to select books and readings by black authors.

Class Format & Quizzes: This class meets three times a week for an hour. Classes will be primarily based on discussion. We will devote certain classes to an examination of contemporary issues as they relate to the particular unit we are studying. In these classes you will be asked to bring in newspaper articles or other like material to share with and discuss in class. It is strongly advised that you read the paper regularly throughout the semester for this assignment. You are expected to have read all material in advance and come to class ready to discuss the day’s assignment. Bring all your books with you to each class.

Each week there will be one, five min. quiz on the reading. Quizzes will be simple and are designed just to check and make sure you have done the reading. You may use a hand written 3x5 note card for quizzes. Students who show up early to class may start their quizzes early. Quiz time will not last longer than 5 past the hour. I will generally announce quizzes in advance. However, if I sense students are not reading the material regularly or engaging in class discussion I will resort to the dreaded "pop" quiz.

Attendance Policy: Attendance counts as 5% of your final grade and affects other grades you will receive in this course like class participation. There are no "free" absences. Excused absences are possible but must be cleared with me, in advance if possible. If you show up late to class you may be marked as absent and it is your responsibility to see that I make the correct changes. This can only be done on the day you show up late and not after. Two "late" marks will count as one absence. Each un-excused absence will be factored in as a third off your final attendance grade. In addition, each absence will also take one point off your final grade for the course. Finally, absences, excused or un-excused, negatively impact your class participation grade.

Assignments and Evaluation: Students taking this course will be evaluated on their performance on the following assignments:

Grading Homework:  Homework submitted will earn only a check.  If all homework is submitted, the student will earn all the points towards their final grade.  Homework will earn a "check -" a "check" or a "check +."  These indicate unsatisfactory work, satisfactory work, or exemplary work.  Two "check -" marks on a student's homework will result in a "zero" mark in the gradebook.  This is equivalent to as a failure to submit a homework assignment.  

Integrated Electronic Learning: Throughout this course we will have class sessions devoted to exploring history using the emerging information technologies. You will need to obtain email accounts and it is essential to develop a familiarity with its uses. Study questions, assignments, and electronic discussion topics will regularly be posted to your account. Some assignments will also require access to WWW pages and gopher cites. You will be able to complete such projects in the school's computer lab.

Required Reading: You will need to purchase 4 books for this course. These are:

1. Kenneth S. Greenberg, ed. The Confessions of Nat Turner. (Bedford Books: 1996)
2. Melton McLaurin. Celia, A Slave. (Avon Books: 1991)
3. Anne Moody. Coming of Age in Mississippi. (Laurel/Dell Books: 1968)
4. William Van Deburg. New Day In Babylon: The Black Power Movement and American Culture, 1965-1975. (U. of Chicago Press: 1992)

Organizational Note: A straightforward survey of African American history from the earliest times to the present possesses too many problems for a one semester introduction to the black experience in America. There would simply too much material to cover if the course were approached in the standard manner and we would spend most of our time rushing from topic to topic in an effort to arrive at the present. In any event, surveys are by definition generic, offering broad knowledge at the expense of a more complicated and detailed analysis. Instead, every semester this course is offered I focus on a different feature of the African American experience. This semester our focus will be on culture.

Queens College  1900 Selwyn Avenue  Charlotte, NC  28274
Modified by:  H.  Kamerling