Autobiography of the Civil Rights Movement

Most of the rich written history of the civil rights movement originates from first-hand accounts documented in oral histories and autobiographies. This interdisciplinary course plots the milestones of the civil rights movement through the lens of several autobiographies. The aim is to critique autobiography as a historical document as well as use it to tell the stories of the civil rights movement. We will compare and contrast different texts, analyze content and map a history of the era. Students will work with a writing fellow to develop one critical paper and one autobiographical paper. Enrollment limited to 19 first year students.