Racial Politics in U.S. History 1863-1954

In this class we will study what some historians call “the nadir of race relations” in America: the period of legalized segregation between the end of the Civil War and the birth of the Civil Rights Movement. We’ll begin by studying Reconstruction and then talk about race and class inequality in American history, race in the criminal justice system, how our circumstances impact our point of view, and the consequences of standing apart from the crowd. Topics include the Plessy v Ferguson decision of 1896 which legalized “separate but equal,” the rise of the Ku Klux Klan, Ida B. Wells’ groundbreaking research on lynching, the differing perspectives of Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. DuBois, the trial of the “Scottsboro Boys,” the murder of Emmett Till, and the Brown v Board of Education decision in 1954 which finally overturned Plessy.

Our first text will be Black Was the Ink by Michelle Coles. Our second text will be Harper Lee’s classic novel To Kill a Mockingbird, which we’ll examine in its own historical context: as a book written in 1960 about the 1930s.

Prerequisite: The Transatlantic Slave Trade

Instructor: Laura Fokkena

Details:

Suggested age range: High school. Students should be mature enough to read both books and to discuss the themes they cover, including frank discussions of rape and lynching. To Kill a Mockingbird has been taught successfully with students as young as 7th grade, but parents of younger students may wish to read (or re-read) the novel before deciding if it is appropriate for your child.

When & where: Fridays on Zoom from 11:00 - 12:00 Eastern Time, Jan. 12 - March 29, 2024.

Fee: $200 ungraded/$250 graded, which includes a non-refundable registration fee of $10. Students must also purchase or borrow their own copy of Black Was the Ink and To Kill a Mockingbird. We offer discounts for groups, siblings, and students who enroll in multiple classes. (Discount information.) Payment plans available. Fees waived for families with financial need.  (Waivers and payment plan information.) Questions about how classes work? Read our course FAQ.

Photo credit: Harper Klebart