African American literature has engaged consistently with the relationship between being black and being American. W. E. B. DuBois asked if that was even possible. Many writers and artists believed that control of representations of black Americans through art would lead to greater representation in political and social spheres. This course will examine some of the major debates and central texts of African American literature. The central theme of the course is the relationship between race, representation, and identity. We will examine the social construction of 20th-century African American literature, contextualized within a framework of American history, and how authors expressed themselves through various artistic genres as they sought to establish a unique identity within an oppressive, racist, gender-biased, and capitalistic society.

Registration Opens Online: Monday, November 25, 2019 at 8AM (AZ Time)