Theorizing Black America:

What’s Race Got to Do With It?

AFA 3930 Section 0023

Mondays 3 PM to 6 PM

Turlington Hall Room 1315

Instructor: marilyn m. thomas-houston, Ph.D.

Office: 372B Turlington Hall

Email: marilynm@ufl.edu Phone: 352-392-2253 x 241

Office Hours: Wednesdays 1 PM to 2:30 PM

Mother & Baby - Photograph by Vanley Burke©

Fridays 12:30 PM to 1:30 PM &

by appointment

Introduction: The politics of Black identity (as constructed by theories of Black behavior) is significant to understandings and constructions of the post-modern concepts of diversity and multiculturalism and their social, economic, and political impact. Theorizing Black America is a survey course taking a multi-disciplinary approach to the examination of important theories used to explain Black social behavior in the United States. Scholars in each social science have grappled with the complexity of social difference in our world and addressed social issues affecting the overall or larger Black experience. Their works have resulted in theories (some controversial) that not only proposed to explain Black behavior but also have become the foundation for social policy and public discourse. The course will critique theories ranging from those addressing the socioeconomic status of Blacks in this country (i.e., the culture of poverty) to those explaining social movements and change (i.e., theory of cultural nationalism) to those defining and interpreting the social construction of race (i.e., biological theories of race). In addition to familiarizing students with the theories, the primary goal of the class is to examine the historical, political and social influences surrounding the creation of these theories and to determine their impact and relevance for contemporary American society.

Course Objectives and Expectations: The course is an intensive reading seminar designed to provide an introduction to the theoretical debates about the Black experience that have taken place over the past century. It is designed to give students an overview of theories that have guided research on the Black experience as well as influenced policy and public opinion. Each student will be able to: 1) identify by name key proponents of the theories covered in class, 2) analyze the strengths and weaknesses of the theories, and 3) apply theory to the collection and write-up of data. Additional benefits from the class is that students will enhance their critical analysis skills, create annotated bibliographies, develop research skills, and write research papers from primary and secondary materials.

Each student in this course is expected to abide by the University of Florida’s Student Honor Code and Code of Conduct. Any work submitted by a student in this course for academic credit will be the student's own work. You are encouraged to study together and to discuss information and concepts covered in lectures and the sections with other students. You can give "consulting" help to or receive "consulting" help from such students. However, this permissible cooperation should never involve one student having possession of a copy of all or part of work done by someone else, in the form of an email, an email attachment file, a diskette, or a hard copy. If copying occurs, both the student who copied work from another student and the student who gave material to be copied will both automatically receive a zero for the assignment. Penalty for violation of this Code can also be extended to include failure of the course and University disciplinary action. You are expected to use the instructor’s office hours to your advantage. While email questions will be addressed the instructor encourages you to meet in person for more extensive responses to questions.

Accommodations for students with disabilities: In compliance with the University of Florida’s policy and equal access laws, I am available to discuss appropriate academic accommodations that may be required for student with disabilities. Requests for academic accommodations are to be made during the first three weeks of the semester, except for unusual circumstances, so arrangements can be made. Students are encouraged to register with Student Disability Services to verify their eligibility for appropriate accommodations.

Format and Procedures: The class is conducted seminar style with an occasional lecture for the introduction of concepts associated with the weekly themes. This will be a challenging and time consuming seminar class. Make sure you consider this when making your final class decisions for the semester. Be prepared to devote the time necessary to both projects and to class reading each week. With some of the assignments you will need to plan ahead in order to get the project adequately completed on time.

Because this is a hands-on and discussion-oriented class, attendance is critical. The format of the class outlined above necessitates that everyone not only come to class, but also come having read the material and done the assignment for the day. Credit for participation cannot be made up. If you cannot attend class you must talk to me before the class begins. Because we only meet once a week, more than one absence without a written excuse will affect your grade.

All assignments are known well in advance; therefore, opportunities for make-up work or permission to hand in an assignment late are only granted for exceptional circumstances. If you feel that your situation is such, contact me before your assignment is due and provide me with a written medical excuse.

Course Requirements:

Participation (200 points): One half of the grade for participation (100 points of your total 1,000 points for the class) will be based on you leading a particular class discussion. The other half (100 points) will reflect your participation in classes where you are not the leader. If you do not attend class, then you cannot participate. Therefore, attendance is required. Further, there is no way to make an A in the class if you do not participate in class each week.

Leading class discussion: Each week students will be assigned to lead class discussion. When it is your turn, you will be required to lead class discussion for about forty minutes that week. During this discussion, you should note your thoughts on the articles, articulate a reading of the assignment, and you should craft a list of discussion questions. Make a copy of these discussion questions for each student in the seminar and the instructor.

On your assigned day of class, you will start by asking a series of probing and provocative questions about the assigned readings. You may set up these questions by making a few brief comments on your interpretation of the text or by citing particular passages of the text that were interesting to you. Then, you will begin to lead the class in a discussion of the answers to these questions. As we all work through your questions as well as others that come up in the context of the discussion, we will articulate our own reading(s) of the materials. Assignments are to be made by the end of week two.

Reading Journal (100 pts.): A reading journal, brought to class daily and collected without notice. The journal should contain brief notes (taken while reading) on the thesis of the articles, important points made, and how well the author supported the thesis.

Research Paper (800 pts.):

Contemporary Issues on Black Life (50 pts.): Using contemporary newspapers, TV and internet news reports, and popular culture magazines as references determine social issues important to the study of the Black experience. – DUE WEEK 3

Research Paper Thesis (50 pts.): Meet with the librarian Carol Kem (273-2629, carokem@uflib.ufl.edu) for an explanation of library resources available for your research.Conduct preliminary research on three important social theories that attempt to explain the social issue you have chosen and type up well thought-out thesis statements that support, problematize, or contradict each theory based on contemporary research carried out on the subject. Highlight why each topic is important to the study of the Black experience and its contribution to African American Studies in general. You will present your ideas in class and take notes from the discussion that follows. Email me within the week and identity your choice for the final paper for the semester. If you do not complete this final step you will not get credit for completing the assignment. – DUE WEEK 4

Annotated Bibliography (200 pts.): Type up an annotated bibliography of the readings (from scholarly journals, newspapers, and research databases) you will use in your research paper. Comprehensive instructions for creating an annotated bibliography can be found at the following website:

http://www.library.cornell.edu/olinuris/ref/research/skill28.htm

Reading at least two articles a week will provide you with adequate resources for your research paper. – DUE WEEK 14

Research Paper and Presentation (400 pts.): Create a well-written 8 to 10 page paper (excluding the bibliography) that supports the thesis you have chosen with primary and secondary data. The paper should critique, analyze, explain or question the validity of the theory you have chosen for examining the Black experience. You are expected to turn in a polished draft and after input from me you will turn in your final version.

Grading Criteria: You paper will be graded on the quality of the research, the interpretation of the sources, the strength and development of the argument, and the quality of the prose. Form does count. I will also look for efforts to link the content of the paper with understandings gained from the course. More details about the final product and the intermediate steps will be provided in class. - DRAFT DUE WEEK 15, FINAL REVISED PAPER AND PRESENTATION OF YOUR WORK DUE ON FINAL EXAM DAY. ANY PAPERS RECEIVED AFTER THAT DAY WILL BE CONSIDERED LATE AND WILL BE PENALIZED BY 20 POINTS, PLUS 5 POINTS FOR EVERY DAY THAT THEY ARE LATE.

READING TOPICS AND ASSIGNMENTS:

Week 1 – Introduction to Course

Monday - Aug. 28

Film: Black Is, Black Ain’t

Week 2- Intellectuals Theorizing Blackness

Monday – Sept. 4 (NO CLASS, HOWEVER, YOU ARE EXPECTED TO COMPLETE THE READINGS AND COVER THEM IN YOUR JOURNAL)

The Rationale and Foundation of DuBois’s Theory of Economic Cooperation – DeMarco

Oliver C. Cox: ABiographical Sketch of His Life and Work – Hunter

Allison Davis and theStudy of Race, Social Class, and Schooling – Hillis

The Sociological Tradition of E. Franklin Frazier: Implications for Black Studies – Semmes

Of Logic and Liberation: Frantz Fanon on Terrorism – Sonnleitner

Fanon and the Devourers – Fontenot