Introduction to African American Culture

In this introductory survey we will focus on the study of African American culture in the United States, exploring various aspects of cultural production such as literature, music, visual arts, film, and performance. The guiding questions of the course are: what role has black culture played in shaping and responding to broader paradigms in American culture? How is lived experience implicated in the production of black culture? How have cultural products helped define, call into question, and celebrate “blackness?” Readings may include W. E. B. Du Bois’ The Souls of Black Folk (1903), Octavia Butler’s Kindred (1979), and Tricia Rose’s Black Noise (1994). 3 hrs. lect./disc.