Soc 3500: African American Political Thought

This course introduces students to the oral and written discourse of African American political leaders. Ranging from the 1800s to the present, the course examines representations of African American political thought in the speeches and letters of African Americans who have held leadership positions in political organizations or who have participated in electoral politics. Students will explore the ideological foundations of the major African American political movements, examining how their goals and objectives have been informed by combinations of various political ideologies: Pan-Africanism, nationalism, feminism, radicalism, liberalism, centrism, and conservatism. What roles did African American leaders play in the Abolitionist movement? Who were the leaders of classical and modern Black nationalism? Who  were the leaders of the Pan-African Congresses? What is the relationship between religiosity and African American political leadership? What are the similarities and differences between the strategies and tactics of the Abolitionist, New Negro, Civil Rights, Black Power, Black Arts, and Black Lives Matter movements? To answer these questions, students will examine a range of primary, secondary, and tertiary texts and become familiar with the conceptual theories and research methods that inform the study of African American political thought and intellectual history. Students will learn to think critically about the relationship between African American political thought, identity, and behavior.