Epidemics and the Global Color Line

4.0 credits

Inspired by acclaimed historian and sociologist W.E.B. Du Bois’ powerful contention that “the problem of the 20th century is the problem of color line,” this upper-level course explores the racialization of public health epidemics and its consequences for different populations in the Global South across time and space. Drawing from a wide array of historical, sociological, and biomedical texts, students will analyze pandemics such as Malaria, SARS, AIDS, and COVID-19 to develop a critical understanding of the deeply interconnected relationship between racism, domination, disease, and health.