This course examines the politics of the African-American civil rights struggle, with emphasis on the years 1954 through 1965—-the high-water mark of the "Second Reconstruction." The course has two major objectives: (1) to provide each student with a framework for understanding the black civil rights movement in the United States, in historical and political context; and, (2) to have each student develop an analytic framework within which he or she may assess the dynamics of socio-political change in one democratic political system, that of the United States.

Required books:

Blumberg, Rhoda J. Civil Rights in the 1960s Freedom Struggle (rev. ed. Boston: Twayne, 1991).

Stern, Mark. Calculating Visions: Kennedy, Johnson and Civil Rights (New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press, 1992).

White, John. Black Leadership in America, from Booker T. Washington to Jesse Jackson (New York: Longman, 1990).

Required Articles (in a packet to be distributed in class):

(NOTE: The instructor may assign additional readings.)

Rosalyn Ashby and Peter Lee, "Children’s Concepts of Empathy and Understanding History."

Graham, Hugh Davis. "Race, History and Policy: African Americans and Civil rights Since 1964.

King, Jr., Martin Luther. "Satyaraha."

Portal, Christopher. "Empathy as an Objective of History Teaching."

Stern, Mark. "Lyndon Johnson and Richard Russell: Institutions, Ambitions and Civil Rights."

Optional Book:

Kinder, D. R. and L.M. Sanders, Divided by Color, Racial Politics and Democratic Ideals (University of Chicago Press: 1996).

The PBS videotape series, "Eyes on the Prize" will be utilized as an integral part of this course. In addition, there will be several guest discussants in this class. At other times this class will be conducted as a seminar. As such, each student will be expected to come to class prepared to discuss the readings that are listed as due for each class meeting. There will also be e-mail discussions of course materials in which all members of the class are expected to participate (my e-mail address is at the beginning of the syllabus). The use of the Kinder and Sanders book will be discussed in class.

VERY IMPORTANT: This class meets but once a week, and class attendance is critical. A student will have his or her term grade reduced by one full letter grade from the course grade calculation shown below, for each non-excused class absence in excess of one.

Basis for course grade (where 90% or more = A; 80 to 89% = B; 70 to 79% = c; 60 to 69% = D; less than 60% = F):

First Examination _______________ 20%

Second Examination ______________ 20%

Term Paper ______________________ 35%

Class Participation (discussions,

Pop quizzes, essays, etc.)_______ 25%

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TOTAL 100%
 

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