Playing Through Black History: The Ethics of Public History Pedagogy

3 units

Is it possible to meaningfully learn about Black history through games? Historical events have long been translated into games that can be played, but what are the ethics of developing and playing games that portray African American history? How can history-based games help people learn about the history of Black experience and how that past manifests in the present? What does experiential learning through games oer that traditional formats do not? The Black experience is underrepresented in game design history, but is gamifying Black history problematic? What do representation and embodiment mean in gamifying Black history, both in terms of the characters or events the game depicts as well as the racial identities of the people creating and playing the games? In what contexts might these intersections between history and the imagination build empathy, be triggering, or become voyeuristic? Do history-based games that combine historical people and settings with fictional components distort history, or enable players to engage with a non-linear, non-teleological past? Must historically-based games adhere to historical realism so as not to mislead, or can games which present alternatives to how the past played out become lessons in historical contingency, or be a form of resistance or satire which critique or challenge conceptions of the past or offers subversive or liberatory alternatives? Should games always be “fun,” or can they convey a serious message that fosters reflection and dialogue? Is it appropriate to create games about serious subjects? Can games appropriately hold seriousness and humor, joy, or playfulness in tension to communicate a larger message? This course teaches methods and theory of public history (ways in which non-historians encounter and engage with the past in their everyday lives) by exploring these questions through the examination of tabletop board games and card games, role-playing games, computer and video games, virtual reality, and choose-your-own adventure literature, analyzing how game medium, format, design, mechanics, and setting of play shape their appropriateness, efficacy, and reception. Students will explore the ethics and impact of representing African American history in games by playing games when appropriate, as well as through more distanced examination of Black history gamification through critical reviews of games and discussion of games and scholarly literature about gamifying Black history. Students will apply their learning over the course of the semester in a semester-long project in which students will either propose a Black history game that demonstrates principles learned during the semester, or write a position paper in which they make an argument about the appropriateness of portraying Black history through games.