Black Politics - Rutgers School of Arts and Sciences



Politics of Black America

Political Science 01:790:334:01/ Africana Studies 01:014:349:02(

Thompson Hall

M 5:35-8:35 p.m.

Professor: Dr. Melanye Price Office Hours: MW 4-5

Office: Beck Hall 106 and by appointment

Phone: 732-445-334 ext. 253 Email: mtprice@rci.rutgers.edu

COURSE DESCRIPTION

The objective of this course is to provide students with an overview of the relationship between African Americans and the American political system in the post-civil rights era. Students will become acquainted with issues of leadership, representation and empowerment and both mainstream and non-traditional participation. This course provides students with structured opportunities to struggle with the issues challenging both scholars and interested citizens. Addressing these and other questions is the foundation for all readings, lectures, and discussions.

This course encourages the development of a variety of academic skills through in-class participation and exams as well as a participant observation writing project. Examinations are formatted to require students to define concepts and write short essays that outline scholarly arguments in greater detail. Students will choose from several observation options such as interviewing someone, attending a meeting, or watching a film that relates to topics covered in the course. This assignment requires students to demonstrate comprehension of the material as well as an ability to critically analyze everyday political questions and write a coherent and well-argued paper.

To do well follow a simple but proven formula: attend class regularly and on time; pay attention and ask clarification questions; read thoroughly and prior to class; contribute regularly; complete assignments carefully and in a timely manner; and finally, use office hours as a resource. Contact me if you are still experiencing difficulties after completion of these steps

REQUIRED TEXTS (Available at the university bookstore.)

Cohen, Cathy J. The Boundaries of Blackness:  AIDS and the Breakdown of Black Politics

Morris, Aldon. Origins of the Civil Rights Movement:  Black Communities Organizing for Change.

Ture, Kwame and Charles V. Hamilton. Black Power:  The Politics of Liberation.

Dawson, Michael. Black Visions:  Roots of Contemporary African American Ideology.

Price, Melanye. Dreaming Blackness: Black Nationalism and African American Public Opinion.

Course Requirements and Grading

PARTICIPATION. Students are expected to read assigned readings prior to the class period in which they are to be discussed and should come to each class prepared to participate. Class participation will involve two components: careful and respectful attention to the contribution of classmates and regular and thoughtful contributions to class discussion that demonstrate an understanding of the readings. .

PRAXIS PROJECT. To facilitate a more in-depth understanding of Black politics, students are required to submit a writing assignment based on experiential and observational learning. As a part of this you must assess a real world application of Black political behavior. See instructions at the end of the syllabus.

EXAM. You will have a midterm and final. They are non-cumulative.

GRADE DISTRIBUTION. Final grades will be calculated using the following formula:

Participation 15% Praxis Project 25%

Midterm Exam 30% Final Exam 30%

LATE ASSIGNMENTS AND MISSED EXAMS. Late assignments are penalized one grade for each day including weekends. Failure to take exams at scheduled times will result in a grade of zero.

ATTENDANCE. Class attendance is mandatory. You should consider this syllabus a contract in which attendance is a key component. Absences will negatively impact both your final grade and participation grade. Every two absences will reduce your grade by a third of a letter

ACADEMIC HONESTY. All of the work you do in this course is expected to be your own. Absolutely no cheating or plagiarism (using someone else’s words or ideas without proper citation) will be tolerated. Any cases of cheating or plagiarism will be reported to the university committee on academic misconduct and handled according to university policy. This rule is strictly enforced.

DISABILITY. Students with disabilities are responsible for making their needs known, and seeking available assistance, in a timely manner. Grades received before notification of disability will not be adjusted.

OFFICE HOURS. If you experience difficulties with readings or assignments, come to office hours. Taking corrective steps early promotes learning and desirable grade outcomes. In addition, using office hours to discuss any course-related information or feedback you might have is helpful. I will be in my office Mondays 4-5 and by appointment.

Course Outline and Reading Schedule

Jan 31 Political (re)Awakening: The Civil Rights Movement

Read: Morris, Aldon, Origins of the Civil Rights Movement

Feb. 7 Defining Black Power

Read: Ture and Hamilton, Black Power

Feb. 14 “Where Do We Go From Here”: Integration vs. Separation Read: Dawson, Michael. Black Visions, Intro, Chapters 1 & 2

King, Martin Luther. “Black Power” in Testament of Hope pp. 569-597.

Malcolm X. “The Ballot or the Bullet”

Brooks, Roy L. “The Case for a Policy of Limited Separation” in

Integration or Separation pp. 199-213

Feb. 21 Say It Loud! The Black Nationalist Tradition

Read: Dawson, Black Nationalism chapter

Price, Melanye. Dreaming Blackness

Feb. 28 Entering the Mainstream Political Arena: Voting Rights Act (VRA)

Read: Grofman, Handley, & Niemi. “The Right to Vote and the Right to Representation” in Minority Representation and the Quest for Voting Equality pp 4-28.

Guinier, Lani. “The Triumph of Tokenism: The Voting Rights Act and the Theory of Black Electoral Success” in The Tyranny of the Majority.

Find information about the recent reauthorization of the VRA

FlLM: American Blackout

PRAXIS PROJECTS DUE

Mar. 7 Will the Real Leaders Stand Up: Examining Black Political Leadership

Read: West, Cornel. “The Crisis of Black Leadership” in Race Matters pp. 53-70

Persons, Georgia A. “Black Mayoralties and the New Black Politics: From Insurgency to Reconciliation.” In Dilemma of Black Politics. Pp. 38-65

McCormick and Jones. “The Conceptualization of Deracialization: Thinking through the Dilemma.” In Dilemma of Black Politics, Pp. 66-84

Smith, Robert. “Racial Symbolism as ‘Ideology’ in the Post-Civil Rights Era, and a Postscript on the Clinton Admin. and the 1994 Election” in We Have No Leaders.

March 21 Keeping It Real: Black Representation at the National Level

Read: Smith, Robert. “Racial Symbolism as ‘Ideology’ in the Post-Civil Rights Era, and a Postscript on the Clinton Admin. and the 1994 Election” in We Have No Leaders.

Tate, Katherine. “Black Political Participation in the 1984 and 1988 Presidential Election.” American Political Science Review 85 (JSTOR)

Sinclair-Chapman and Price, Barack Obama and the (im)Possibility of Race Transcendence” in PS

Mar. 28 MIDTERM

Apr. 4 Black Is/Black Ain’t”: AIDS Policy and its Challenges to Black Politics

Read: Cohen, Cathy J. The Boundaries of Blackness: AIDS and the Breakdown of Black Politics

Apr. 11 Intersectionality in Politics: Race, Class, and Gender

Read: Dawson, Black Feminism chapter

Crenshaw, Kimberle. “Mapping the Margins: Intersectionality, Identity Politics and Violence Against Women of Color”. Stanford Law Review

Carby, Hazel, “White Women Listen!”

FILM: “Black Is/Black Ain’t”

Apr. 18 Intersectionality in Politics: Racial Categories, Crime, and Coalitions

Read: Reuel Rogers, Afro-Caribbean Immigrants and Political Incorporation, selected chapters

Williams, Kim. Mark One More: Civil Rights in Multiracial America. Intro, 1 & 6

Brown-Dean, Khalilah. Once Convicted, Forever Doomed.

Gilliam and Iyengar. “Prime Suspects: The Influence of Television on the Viewing Public” in AJPS

Hancock, Ange-Marie. The Politics of Disgust

Apr. 25 Black Youth and American Democracy

Read: Cohen, Cathy, Democracy Remixed:, selected chapters

May 2 Bridging the Past and Future: Where Do We Go From Here?

Read: King, Martin L, Where Do We Go From Here: Chaos or Community? Chpts.5 & 6

PRAXIS PROJECT (20%) DUE ON OR BEFORE OCT 11TH

INSTRUCTIONS

Choose ONE from the list below. These exercises are to be FIVE pages in length, typed, stapled, and double-spaced. (This does not include your title or citation pages.) You should spend time thinking, talking and observing before writing. Essays should be thoughtfully considered, coherent and proofread. The paper should demonstrate your comprehension of course material by applying theories and concepts from the course readings to the subject matter you choose to analyze. Failure to follow instructions will result in a grade penalty.

If you plan to interview someone, you should approach them with the utmost respect, ask them if they meet the parameters of the assignment, and remember that their participation is voluntary. They are the arbiters of their own identities. It is not your responsibility to interpret their identities or experiences or project your own beliefs onto their experiences and identities. Rather you should ask the questions that would allow you to complete the assignment and relate their answers to the readings discussed in class. If they cannot answer the questions you need then you should choose another person or assignment. Do not write a whole paper on how you didn’t get any information.

CHOICES

1) Interview someone who lived through the Civil Rights Movement. Talk to them about what you have learned about the movement and how that compares to their experiences. What were their views about the goals and strategies of the movement? Did they participate in any way (as bystanders, protesters or anti-protesters)? How did their political views change or adjust after the Civil Rights Movement? Do they see the goals of the movement achieved or still in progress? Provide name, relationship, and year of birth. If the person you choose has nothing to say or cannot remember much, choose another person.

2) Interview an African American who is also part of another marginalized community (e.g. disabled, GLBT, female, etc.) Talk about their level of political participation within both groups. Are there complementary or conflicting issue positions that make them more politically identified with one community? Have they had to challenge or confront stereotypes within either group? How do they see themselves fitting into Black political activities? What are issues that uniquely impact their political lives?

3) Attend a black political event (rally, lecture, planning meeting, etc.) that addresses an issue related to a topic discussed in class. This event must be pre-approved. Briefly summarize the purpose of the meeting. How is the event tied into issues of concern to this course? Did it conflict with things discussed in class or inform them in a new way. How would the information used in this course change the nature of the discussion at this event? What were the recommendations made at this event? Do you agree or disagree with them?

4) Pre-approved videos related to some aspect of Black politics can be used. Briefly summarize the major points of the movie. How does it relate to topics and readings discussed in class? What principals or theories from this and other courses are illuminated in this movie? How accurately are events discussed in class depicted in the movie? Are there distortions?

(This schedule is subject to changes and adjustments throughout the semester with prior notice.

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