Performing Blackness

(3 Credit Hours) · Undergraduate

This interdisciplinary course utilizes performance studies, queer, and black feminist theories to investigate the performance of blackness in film, television, and theatre. We will interrogate blackness as a complex racial signifier that has been constructed and appropriated for a variety of reasons, including political galvanization. Although our case study begins with early European blackface performative practices, the bulk of our exploration focuses on contemporary performances of blackness in the United States. We will view a variety of performances, ranging from Jay-Z's "The Story of O.J." to NBC's The Wiz Live!, in order to better understand why blackness, as a performative gesture, continues to matter. Assignments include: discussion prompts, a presentation, and final creative research project.