HIS 3630, African American History Course Syllabus Course Description A survey of African American history from the trans-atlantic slave trade to the present, with a special emphasis on the Black struggle for freedom, this course considers how the analysis of cultural, intellectual, and political artifacts shape narratives about the experience of African Americans and their role in the development of American democracy and culture. Course Textbook Carson, C., Lapsansky-Werner, E. J., & Nash, G. B. (2011). The struggle for freedom: A history of African Americans (2nd ed. combined). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. Course Learning Outcomes Upon completion of this course, students should be able to: 1. Deploy historical analysis of text, image, audio and visual media, and other primary artifacts to frame significant developments in African American history from 1600 to the present. 2. Delineate the varied philosophical approaches and political strategies of influential individuals and organizations in different reform eras. 3. Examine the evolution of key African American movements and their contributions to the development of American civil rights and democratic institutions. 4. Evaluate the role of literature and arts created by African Americans in their development and their contribution to American politics and culture. 5. Describe the significance and process of memorialization and memory in shaping narratives about African American history. 6. Articulate a position supported by the use of primary and secondary sources related to African American history. 7. Characterize how relationships among race, economics, politics, and natural history or natural science informed and influenced the development of slavery and equality. 8. Delineate the impact of selectivity on historical narratives, including courses, on equality. Academic Integrity Honesty and integrity are taken very seriously at Waldorf University. All students should be familiar with the Waldorf University Academic Integrity Policy (found in the current Student Handbook) and the consequences that will result from breaches of this policy. Credits Upon completion of this course, the students will earn three (3) hours of college credit. Course Structure 1. Study Guide: Each unit contains a Study Guide that provides students with the learning outcomes, unit lesson, required reading assignments, and supplemental resources. 2. Learning Outcomes: Each unit contains Learning Outcomes that specify the measurable skills and knowledge students should gain upon completion of the unit. 3. Unit Lesson: Each unit contains a Unit Lesson, which discusses lesson material. HIS 3630, African American History 1
4. Reading Assignments: Each unit contains Reading Assignments from one or more chapters from the textbook and/or outside resources. 5. Suggested Reading: Suggested Readings are listed in Units I and III-VI. Students are encouraged to read the resources listed if the opportunity arises, but they will not be tested on their knowledge of the Suggested Readings. 6. Discussion Boards: Discussion Boards are a part of all Waldorf courses. Information and specifications regarding these assignments are provided in the Course Policies listed in the Course Menu bar. 7. Unit Assignments: Students are required to submit for grading Unit Assignments in Units I-VIII. Specific information and instructions regarding these assignments are provided below. Grading rubrics are included with each assignment. Specific information about accessing these rubrics is provided below. 8. Ask the Professor: This communication forum provides you with an opportunity to ask your professor general or course content related questions. 9. Student Break Room: This communication forum allows for casual conversation with your classmates. Unit Assignments Unit I Reflection Paper Slave Narrative Contextualization Exercise This reflection paper provides you with an opportunity to explore and to think critically about the context reflected within a slave narrative. Begin by selecting a slave narrative from any period to use as a primary source. You may use your favorite search engine to locate examples of slave narratives online. Write a one-page reflection paper by exploring the items below and by identifying at least one question about American history that you could pursue by using the narrative you have chosen. Part I: Exploring the context. Address each of the following within the reflection paper: Briefly describe the speaker or author of the narrative (brief biographical details). If identified, describe the circumstances in which they provided the narrative. Explain what you believe you can see of the speaker s or writer s social and cultural background and context in the narrative. Describe the speaker s or writer s goal in creating his/her narrative. List any values or assumptions that appear in the narrative. Explain any details about the speaker s or writer s experience that reflect on broader topics at the time. Determine whether you find the speaker s or writer s account credible, and why. Part II: Review the Unit Lesson on the use of slave narratives as evidence. Reflect on what you believe you can learn about history by using this narrative, and if you might not use it for some purposes. Use APA Style to format your paper, but there is no need to include a title page nor a reference page. List the reference of the primary source in APA Style at the top of the first page of your paper. Unit II Article Critique As stated previously, the course textbook reflects consideration of early and subsequent historical accounts that rest on the authors evaluation of primary and secondary evidence. Scholars always review the literature before they formulate their theses and produce their work. With this in mind, your task in this assignment will be to critique an argument from a peer-reviewed article, covering the period 1700-1864. To complete this task, you will draw material from the assigned textbook reading and at least one scholarly source relevant to the topic. The textbook will help guide you to articles that are relevant to the material covered in this unit. See below for information on how to find appropriate sources. HIS 3630, African American History 2
How to Review a Source: Identifying and Evaluating the Argument 1. Discerning the Argument: When reading a source, ask yourself the following questions. a. Why is the author writing this? b. What does the author believe he/she is adding to the field? c. What kinds of evidence does the author use? d. What is the author's conclusion? 2. Evaluating the Argument b. How useful do you think this source is, given what you have found in Discerning the Argument above? Does the source help you to narrow a topic, find a question, and evaluate evidence? c. Compare the source you identify, and ensure that it is relevant to the material in your course textbook. 3. Finding Appropriate Sources. After reading the assigned textbook chapters and deciding how to approach the assignment based on your reading, identify an appropriate outside source that speaks to the topic(s) you will address. Innumerable examples are accessible via the Online Library. These sources will generally be articles or essays from reputable academic publications, and are available by using search engines like Academic OneFile and Academic Search Complete. If you are unfamiliar with the library or if you are having trouble accessing materials, the librarians on staff are available and happy to help. Things to Consider in Your Search There are a few general truths when researching online; for example, any website with a.com suffix may be trying to sell you something and therefore unreliable as academic material. As you navigate through sites, or any publication, it is necessary to ask the following questions: Who wrote this? You are looking for the authors and their credentials; this is not to be confused with a webmaster or site designer. Who published this? Is the publisher an academic journal or someone simply stating opinion not based in fact? Can the document be altered in any way? If the information can be added to or amended by anyone other than the administrator, the site is not appropriate for academic use. This is the core issue with many online encyclopedias like Wikipedia. For any trustworthy source, these questions should be able to be answered clearly and without intense searching; if you cannot find this information, do not use the source. The Assignment Using the textbook and at least one scholarly article you have found through research, critique an argument from a peerreviewed article that covers the period from 1700-1864. This article should cover how the following informed and influenced the development of slavery and equality: race, economics, politics, natural history, or natural science. Your critique should consist of at least two full pages. Use APA Style to format your paper, but do not include a title or references page. Instead, simply list the references in APA Style at the end of the paper. Unit III Essay In a concise essay of at least two pages, respond to the following: In the wake of the Civil War, Congress acceded to the pressure of radical Republicans to have the federal government intercede to secure African Americans rights. During much of this period, Southern Blacks served in local offices, state legislatures, and the national Congress. These individuals, writes Carson et al. (2011) walked a treacherous political, social, and racial tightrope as they sought to juggle multiple constituencies, contradictory goals and their own personal safety (p. 288). Indeed they did. Using your textbook, and at least one other academic/scholarly source, explain how the radical Republican agenda was shaped by Black officeholders as they navigated that tightrope. HIS 3630, African American History 3
Please review the following instructions on how to locate a true academic/scholarly source. How to Review a Source: Identifying and Evaluating the Argument 1. Discerning the Argument: When reading a source, ask yourself the following questions; a. Why is the author writing this? b. What does the author believe he/she is adding to the field? c. What kinds of evidence does the author use? d. What is the author's conclusion? 2. Evaluating the Argument b. How useful do you think this source is, given what you have found in Discerning the Argument above? Does the source help you to narrow a topic, find a question, and evaluate evidence? c. Compare the source you identify and ensure that it is relevant to the material in your course textbook. 3. Finding Appropriate Sources. After reading the assigned textbook chapters and deciding how to approach the assignment based on your reading, identify an appropriate outside source that speaks to the topic(s) you will address. Innumerable examples are accessible via the Online Library. These sources will generally be articles or essays from reputable academic publications, and are available by using search engines like Academic OneFile and Academic Search Complete. If you are unfamiliar with the library or if you are having trouble accessing materials, the librarians on staff are available and happy to help. Things to Consider in Your Search There are a few general truths when researching online; for example, any website with a.com suffix may be trying to sell you something and therefore unreliable as academic material. As you navigate through sites, or any publication, it is necessary to ask the following questions: Who wrote this? You are looking for the authors and their credentials; this is not to be confused with a webmaster or site designer. Who published this? Is the publisher an academic journal or someone simply stating opinion not based in fact? Can the document be altered in any way? If the information can be added to or amended by anyone other than the administrator, the site is not appropriate for academic use. This is the core issue with many online encyclopedias like Wikipedia. For any trustworthy source, these questions should be able to be answered clearly and without intense searching; if you cannot find this information, do not use the source. Use APA Style to format your paper, but do not include a title or references page. Instead, simply list the references in APA Style at the end of the paper. Unit IV Essay In the reading assignment this week, you have learned about various individuals and organizations active in the struggle for African American freedom. Choose one of these individuals or organizations and compose an essay of at least two pages in which you explain their contributions to the struggle of African Americans to obtain equal rights and freedom. Employ your textbook and two scholarly sources to build your essay. Use APA Style to format your paper, but do not include a title or references page. Instead, simply list the references in APA Style at the end of the paper. HIS 3630, African American History 4
Unit V Annotated Bibliography Everything we read conveys at least two messages: information about a topic or what the author says, and the author s purpose in presenting information or what the author does. The annotated bibliography concentrates on the purpose. Preparing an Annotated Bibliography As discussed previously, prior to launching any research project, the researcher s interests and methods must be aligned with existing studies and placed on a map of all knowledge within his or her academic discipline. Writers look at what has been published in order to explain where their work fits on that map or, in other words, how they can add to the work of their fellow scholars. An annotated bibliography compresses the article critique or literature review into a single paragraph, tightly focused not on what the author says but on what the author does! The annotated bibliography requires you to present analysis with as little summary of the information in the sources as possible. So, the real lesson gained through this assignment is to shift the way we use sources, from repositories of information about a topic which we take at face value, to strategies conveying the author s point, which we apply self-consciously to our own thoughts and research. At this point in the course, the history of history, or historiography, has demonstrated how fundamentally the world shifts when we look at different sources and ask different questions. Yet bias is always present, even if it is not apparent, and it is the purpose of the annotated bibliography to identify and evaluate that bias. C. A. Beard states the following in his 1934 article, Written History as an Act of Faith : What, then, is this manifestation of omniscience called history? It is, as Croce says, contemporary thought about the past...has it not been said for a century or more that each historian who writes history is a product of his age, and that his work reflects the spirit of the times, of a nation, race, group, class, or section?...every student of history knows that his colleagues have been influenced in their selection and ordering of materials by their biases, prejudices, beliefs, affections, general upbringing, and experience, particularly social and economic.every written history--of a village, town, county, state, nation, race, group, class, idea, or the wide world--is a selection and arrangement of facts, of recorded fragments of past actuality. And the selection and arrangement of facts--a combined and complex intellectual operation--is an act of choice, conviction, and interpretation respecting values, is an act of thought. Facts, multitudinous and beyond calculation, are known, but they do not select themselves or force themselves automatically into any fixed scheme of arrangement in the mind of the historian. They are selected and ordered by him as he thinks. Analyzing Sources The syllabus outlines the number and kinds of sources that must be used in this assignment. In the Unit II assignment, you received information on how to analyze a source. Writing Annotations The guide below should be reviewed before writing, and before submission, to determine whether each annotation is complete and completely focused on an analysis of the bias or argument. The annotation should be contained in a single paragraph and may be as brief as five to six sentences. In Annotation The author s purpose, otherwise known as the thesis. The kinds and sources of evidence the author deploys, otherwise known as the argument. Not in Annotation Summary of author s topic Summary of the evidence the author deploys HIS 3630, African American History 5
Identification of any specific approach or method (like psychoanalytical, or Marxist) An analysis of the relevance, appropriateness and persuasiveness of the evidence Author is the subject of sentences, for ex., Brown argues, etc. Verbs indicating analysis and argument are employed, including argues, theorizes, demonstrates, uses, applies, evaluates etc. Concluding statement indicates the utility of the work to the research and proposed research project What the author does or achieves Summary of the resulting information about the topic Summary of the information about the topic Topic is subject of sentences, e.g., The Harlem Renaissance Verbs indicating presentation of information are used, including narrates, covers, paints, reports, offers, or describes Evaluations like good or bad or enjoyable or characterizations of utility to the general reading public What the author says Click here to access an example of an annotated bibliography. Now, in at least 400 words, prepare an annotated bibliography for three sources, including: 1. a topic statement (100 words) proposing a specific point of view, and 2. three annotations, each analyzing the argument of a peer-reviewed article on your topic. You may not use a book review as an article. Unit V Reflection Paper In this reflection paper, describe the ways in which you believe the contributions made by African Americans began a movement towards the beginnings of a new American culture. Your paper should consist of a minimum of one page. Any resources used, including your textbook, should be cited and referenced using APA formatting. Unit VI Reflection Paper Select an image related to passive resistance of segregation during the Civil Rights Movement from 1943-1960, and submit a 250-word essay reflecting on the following: 1. the historical context of the image, 2. where the image originally appeared, 3. the intended audience, 4. a rationale for how that audience may have perceived the image, 5. how we may perceive that image today (If there is a difference between #4 and #5, suggest an explanation for that difference. If there is no difference, suggest an explanation for the sameness.), and 6. how images can delineate the different approaches to desegregation and how media impacted passive resistance. Include a reference for the image to allow your professor to access it. HIS 3630, African American History 6
Unit VII Proposal This assignment builds on the annotated bibliography assignment, in spirit if not in content. Considering the different kinds of evidence you have encountered in the course, your task is to select any research area you believe is significant to understanding, presenting, and memorializing the struggle for African American equality in America. Complete a proposal for a research paper that includes the highlighted elements below. Materials already used or prepared for the course may be adapted for use, but you do not have to explore topics or use materials previously created. If materials already submitted are used, these must be incorporated into a new discussion. Abstract: In 80 to 100 words, provide a brief overview of a topic related to the struggle for freedom you would like to explore. The abstract should touch on all of the elements below. Rationale: In a paper of at least three pages, explain the specific ideas and issues that seem relevant to your research interests by addressing the following questions. These will provide a rationale explaining why your area of interest is relevant. 1. What are the issues other scholars see as related to your topic? Integrate into your rationale the work of at least three scholars published in peer-reviewed academic journals. The sources for this section should be analyzed and discussed as if you were preparing an annotation for them. 2. Discuss how course concepts are related to, and inform your choice of research question. 3. Provide an argument or line of reasoning explaining how your ideas are related to existing scholarship. 4. How will your work result in significant information, narratives, or resources that could be used by other scholars? Personal Significance: In no less than 250 words, discuss the significance of your proposed research to your personal and professional life. Bibliography: Provide a bibliography in the usual APA format. Include at least 3 articles (other than reviews) published in peer-reviewed journals and at least three media sources. Unit VIII Reflection Paper Select one image, video, or quotation from a contemporary media source, and discuss the following: 1. In at least one page, how does your selection reflect a larger narrative related to the African American struggle for freedom? 2. In at least two pages, explain why you agree or disagree with the larger narrative you perceived and how you would depict or convey your point of view, whether differently or similarly. For example, would you change what people see or hear in the background? Would you attempt to depict a different emotion? Please provide your instructor with a link to the media source at the beginning of your paper. Submitting Course Papers/Projects Once you have completed your papers/projects, submit your completed papers/projects by uploading through the Assignment tab in each unit. Do not e-mail your paper directly to your professor. By using the Assignment tab, your record will automatically be updated to indicate you have submitted your papers/projects and the assignment will be provided to your professor for grading. Instructions for submitting your assignment can be found under the Assignment tab in each unit. HIS 3630, African American History 7
APA Guidelines Waldorf University requires that students use APA style for papers and projects. Therefore, the APA rules for formatting, quoting, paraphrasing, citing, and listing of sources are to be followed. Students can find Waldorf s Citation Guide in the mywaldorf Student Portal by clicking on the Citation Guide link under the Resources heading. This document includes examples and sample papers. Grading Rubrics This course utilizes analytic grading rubrics as tools for your professor in assigning grades for all learning activities. Each rubric serves as a guide that communicates the expectations of the learning activity and describes the criteria for each level of achievement. In addition, a rubric is a reference tool that lists evaluation criteria and can help you organize your efforts to meet the requirements of that learning activity. It is imperative for you to familiarize yourself with these rubrics because these are the primary tools your professor uses for assessing learning activities. Rubric categories include: (1) Discussion Board, (2) Assessment (Written Response), and (3) Assignment. However, it is possible that not all of the listed rubric types will be used in a single course (e.g., some courses may not have Assessments). The Discussion Board rubric can be found within Unit I s Discussion Board submission instructions. The Assessment (Written Response) rubric can be found embedded in a link within the directions for each Unit Assessment. However, these rubrics will only be used when written-response questions appear within the Assessment. Each Assignment type (e.g., article critique, case study, research paper) will have its own rubric. The Assignment rubrics are built into Blackboard, allowing students to review them prior to beginning the Assignment and again once the Assignment has been scored. This rubric can be accessed via the Assignment link located within the unit where it is to be submitted. Students may also access the rubric through the course menu by selecting the Grades link. Again, it is vitally important for you to become familiar with these rubrics because their application to your Discussion Boards, Assessments, and Assignments is the method by which your instructor assigns all grades. Communication Forums These are non-graded discussion forums that allow you to communicate with your professor and other students. Participation in these discussion forums is encouraged, but not required. You can access these forums with the buttons in the Course Menu. Instructions for subscribing/unsubscribing to these forums are provided below. Click here for instructions on how to subscribe/unsubscribe and post to the Communication Forums. Ask the Professor This communication forum provides you with an opportunity to ask your professor general or course content questions. Questions may focus on Blackboard locations of online course components, textbook or course content elaboration, additional guidance on assessment requirements, or general advice from other students. Questions that are specific in nature, such as inquiries regarding assessment/assignment grades or personal accommodation requests, are NOT to be posted on this forum. If you have questions, comments, or concerns of a nonpublic nature, please feel free to email your professor. Responses to your post will be addressed or emailed by the professor within 48 hours. Before posting, please ensure that you have read all relevant course documentation, including the syllabus, assessment/assignment instructions, faculty feedback, and other important information. HIS 3630, African American History 8
Student Break Room This communication forum allows for casual conversation with your classmates. Communication on this forum should always maintain a standard of appropriateness and respect for your fellow classmates. This forum should NOT be used to share assessment answers. Grading Discussion Boards (8 @ 2%) = 16% Reflection Papers (4 @ 5%) = 20% Essays (2 @ 12%) = 24% Unit II Article Critique = 10% Unit V Annotated Bibliography = 15% Unit VII Proposal = 15% Total = 100% Course Schedule/Checklist (PLEASE PRINT) The following pages contain a printable Course Schedule to assist you through this course. By following this schedule, you will be assured that you will complete the course within the time allotted. HIS 3630, African American History 9
HIS 3630, African American History Course Schedule By following this schedule, you will be assured that you will complete the course within the time allotted. Please keep this schedule for reference as you progress through your course. Unit I Writing African American History: Beginnings and Foundations Unit Study Guide Chapter 1: Ancient Africa Chapter 2: Africa and the Atlantic World Chapter 3: Africans in Early North America, 1619-1726 Chapter 4: Africans in Bondage: Early Eighteenth Century to the American Revolution Suggested Reading: See Study Guide Discussion Board Response: Submit your response to the Discussion Board question by Discussion Board Comment: Comment on another student s Discussion Board response by Reflection Paper by Unit II The Artifacts of Slavery and the Rhetoric of Freedom Unit Study Guide Chapter 5: The Revolutionary Era: Crossroads of Freedom Chapter 6: After the Revolution: Constructing Free Life and Combating Slavery, 1787-1816 Chapter 7: African Americans in the Antebellum Era Chapter 8: African Americans in the Reform Era, 1831-1850 Discussion Board Response: Submit your response to the Discussion Board question by Discussion Board Comment: Comment on another student s Discussion Board response by Article Critique by HIS 3630, African American History 10
HIS 3630, African American History Course Schedule Unit III Worse than Slavery, 1865-1915: Reconstruction, Redemption, and Segregation Unit Study Guide Chapter 9: A Prelude to War: The 1850s Chapter 10: Civil War and the Promises of Freedom: The Turbulent 1860s Chapter 11: Post-Civil War Reconstruction: A New National Era Suggested Reading: See Study Guide Discussion Board Response: Submit your response to the Discussion Board question by Discussion Board Comment: Comment on another student s Discussion Board response by Essay by Unit IV Harlem, A Window onto Relocation, Renaissance, and Representation from the Great War through the Great Depression Unit Study Guide Chapter 12: The Post-Reconstruction Era Chapter 13: Colored Becomes Negro in the Progressive Era Chapter 14: The Making of a New Negro : World War I to the Great Depression Suggested Reading: See Study Guide Discussion Board Response: Submit your response to the Discussion Board question by Discussion Board Comment: Comment on another student s Discussion Board response by Essay by Unit V Vindicating the Race and Contributory History, 1925-1941 Unit Study Guide Chapter 15: The New Politics of the Great Depression Chapter 16: Fighting Fascism Abroad and Racism at Home pp. 406-411 Suggested Reading: See Study Guide Discussion Board Response: Submit your response to the Discussion Board question by Discussion Board Comment: Comment on another student s Discussion Board response by Annotated Bibliography by Reflection Paper by HIS 3630, African American History 11
HIS 3630, African American History Course Schedule Unit VI The Civil Rights Movement and the Battle over The Problem We All Live With, 1943-1960 Unit Study Guide Chapter 16: Fighting Fascism Abroad and Racism at Home pp. 412-433 Chapter 17: Emergence of a Mass Movement against Jim Crow Suggested Reading: See Study Guide Discussion Board Response: Submit your response to the Discussion Board question by Discussion Board Comment: Comment on another student s Discussion Board response by Reflection Paper by Unit VII The Civil Rights Movement, 1960-1972 Decolonize the Mind Unit Study Guide Chapter 19: Resistance, Repression, and Retrenchment, 1967-1978 Additional Reading Assignment: See Study Guide Discussion Board Response: Submit your response to the Discussion Board question by Discussion Board Comment: Comment on another student s Discussion Board response by Proposal by Unit VIII Change and the Persistence of Memory Unit Study Guide Chapter 20: The Search for New Directions During a Conservative Era, 1979-1991 Chapter 21: Continuing Struggles Over Rights and Identity, 1992-2004 Chapter 22: Barack Obama and the Promise of Change, 2005-Present Discussion Board Response: Submit your response to the Discussion Board question by Discussion Board Comment: Comment on another student s Discussion Board response by Reflection Paper by HIS 3630, African American History 12