African American Politics

Against the background of a simultaneously growing middle class and deepening class divide as well as rising ideological, gender and ethnic diversity among African Americans, this course critically examines contemporary African American politics and explores varied perspectives, strategies and public policies for Black advancement in the post-Civil Rights era. This upper-level undergraduate course is structured around four sets of issues and related questions:

1. An examination of the idea of African American politics, an overview and analysis of the economic and political status of Black America, and an assessment of the diversity of political thought and action among America’s Black population. What is meant by “African American politics,” how has African American politics evolved since the nation’s founding, especially after the twentieth century Civil Rights movement, and is it still possible to speak about a “Black agenda” or “Black community” today?

2. Implications for the institutionalization of Black leadership and organizations, as well as the declining efficacy of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and rising voter suppression. What material changes have occurred as a result of African American incorporation into mainstream American political institutions? Was Barack Obama’s presidency beneficial for African Americans? How secure are African American voting rights today?

3. We then assess several critical issues within Black America, including immigration, Black queer and feminist politics, and mass incarceration. To what extent are the issues and concerns of African American women and queer communities incorporated and addressed within African American politics? What factors influence African American’s engagement with immigration policy in the United States, and how might they affect the prospects for the development of multi-ethnic and multi-racial democratic coalitions? What are the origins of mass incarceration and why are African Americans disproportionately targeted by the US criminal justice system?

4. Finally, we conclude by exploring the trajectory and future of African American politics, particularly in the context of a post-Trump America. Is it possible for African American politics to live up to its transformational potential, or have recent political and economic developments hollowed out its “robust, egalitarian, and expansive...democratic visions”?