LLPOT 953 - History of Racism in the United States of America

This course offers the opportunity to explore the historical development of racist and anti-racist ideas in the United States so that we may better understand contemporary issues. Our focus will be on historical narratives that oversimplify and obscure the complexities of racial discrimination. We will examine the driving forces behind the production of racist ideas, not born of hate and ignorance, but motivated by the economic, political, and cultural self-interests of those in power. Our ultimate goal is to understand how our history has shaped racist ideas and how we can then produce anti-racist ideas in our future.