HIS 215W - Recent African-American History: Since 1850

Credits: 3

Explores the history of African-Americans from the reconstruction era to the present. Focuses on the ideological, strategic, and demographic changes of African-Americans since 1877, with special emphasis on African-American community, culture, and resistance. Analyzes differences and diversity, particularly regional, gender and class distinctions within African-American communities. Analyzes the interconnectedness of American culture, the economy, politics, power, and tradition.

Prerequisite(s): READING LEVEL 3 and WRITING LEVEL 3
Corequisite(s): None
Lecture Hours: 45 Lab Hours: 0
Meets MTA Requirement: Social Science
Pass/NoCredit: Yes

Outcomes and Objectives

Compose an effective narrative that describes and analyzes the history of African Americans in response to an analytical question.
1. Choose among rhetorical strategies appropriate to historical analysis: describe, contextualize, analyze
2. Select from a range of media best suited to communicating a particular argument, narrative, or set of ideas.
Describe and analyze various types of historical sources appropriate to the study of African Americans.
1. Describe the differences between primary and secondary sources.
2. Analyze the perspective and context in which the historical source was created.
3. Describe the ways in which a given historical source may inform a historical narrative.
Describe, analyze, and evaluate conflicting historical interpretations within the context of African-American studies.
1. Identify and describe conflicting historical interpretations.
2. Analyze the evidence supporting conflicting historical interpretations.
3. Evaluate the rhetorical effectiveness of conflicting historical interpretations.
Analyze and evaluate the ways in which the history of African Americans informs the current political, cultural, and social issues of African Americans and its relationship to the national culture.
1. Compare, contrast, and contextualize the political, cultural, and social history of African Americans and the present.
2. Evaluate the ways in which the historical development of political structures and beliefs, social structures and beliefs, and cultural structures and beliefs may impact and inform current political, social, and cultural issues.
Use writing tasks to promote learning.
1. Analyze course content in written form.
2. Demonstrate knowledge of subject matter.
3. Document attainment of skills learned.
4. Explain the subject matter in a coherent writing style.