Emergence of Black Modernism, 1900-1938

The modern period stands as one of the landmarks of African American literary, artistic, political, and intellectual history. At the crossroads of rebellion and experimentation that defined modernism, black writers—American and immigrants—forged new genres to express the complexity of the black experience. In this course we will track their creations by closely reading key texts like those of W.E.B. Du Bois, Langston Hughes, Zora Neale Hurston, Nella Larsen, and Jean Toomer. At the same time, we will examine the broader intellectual and cultural terrain that influenced these authors such as film, music, and visual arts. 3 hrs. lect.