Black Politics

4.0 credits

This course examines how Black Americans have transformed American politics through their struggle for democratic inclusion. Students will engage with contemporary social science research on issues that disproportionately affect Black Americans — including voting rights, mass incarceration, and economic inequality — and explore how Black Americans have pursued political change through both formal institutions and informal collective action. The course will grapple with scholarly and public debates about the role of race in American politics with a focus on the unique challenges facing Black communities. Students will leave with a clear sense of how profoundly Black Americans have shaped American democracy, and how resistant that democracy has been to fully including them.