AFRI 159 SC - Black Women’s History

“Social progress,” noted the political economist and philosopher Karl Marx, “can be measured by the social position of the female sex.” Taking this metric as the guide for an historical study of the United States in the nineteenth century, this course explores U.S. history from 1800 to 1920 through the lens of Black women’s experiences and social progress. A central question at the core of this class is inquiring about how Black women, as sociopolitical agents, rose from enslavement and sought to transform the American political tradition by expanding the meaning of citizenship, freedom, and equality. We will examine the roles and relationships of Black women within various communities and how their political strategies advanced democratic citizenship for all American women and American society. Inspired by Anna Julia Cooper’s belief that the struggle for freedom is a universal human cause, the course will focus on how Black women’s political thought and politics have shaped not just their societal status, but left an imprint on the broader pursuit for social equality. Key topics include changes in Black women’s roles, their efforts to expand the meanings of citizenship, freedom, and equality, and the impact of race and class on their contributions. We will also investigate how Black women navigated and challenged societal norms regarding political identity.

Please refer to the course schedule on the Scripps Portal for current course offerings and details.