This course explores the Civil Rights Movement in the United States during the 20th century. The U.S. Civil Rights Movement was a fight for human rights that directly challenged the nation to extend its protected democratic principles and citizenship rights to African Americans. We will analyze the daily local and national organizing efforts that created and maintained this struggle for full enfranchisement.
Through a diverse array of materials, we will examine the movement’s origins, along with the key issues, strategies, organizations, and activists of the time. Students will study both secondary and primary sources, including historical monographs, biographies, speeches, and documents from Civil Rights Movement organizations. As a class, we will also examine legal and extralegal violence against Blacks and the various ways in which they responded.
To supplement the readings, we will view documentary films that offer visual insight into the period and an alternative interpretive perspective on understanding the movement.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of this course, students will be able to:
Knowledge and Understanding
- Describe the historical origins and development of the U.S. Civil Rights Movement in the 20th century.
- Identify key events, strategies, organizations, and activists central to the Civil Rights Movement.
- Explain the local and national efforts that sustained the struggle for African American enfranchisement and equality.
- Recognize the role of legal and extralegal violence against African Americans and the range of responses to such oppression.
Critical Analysis and Interpretation
- Analyze primary and secondary sources (e.g., speeches, biographies, monographs, organizational documents) related to the Civil Rights Movement.
- Interpret historical narratives through documentary films and visual media to gain alternative perspectives on the movement.
- Develop analytical arguments about specific aspects of the movement using textual evidence from course materials.
Research and Communication Skills
- Write concise and insightful response papers that demonstrate understanding and critical engagement with assigned readings.
- Formulate discussion questions that reflect deeper inquiry and analysis of course content.
- Cite sources effectively to support interpretations and arguments in both written and oral formats.
Participation and Engagement
- Contribute meaningfully to class discussions by bringing in observations, questions, and insights based on assigned readings and lectures.
- Demonstrate consistent preparation for class by completing readings and participating in in-class assignments.
Assessment and Evaluation
- Recall and explain key concepts, figures, and events through structured exams based on lectures, readings, and films.
- Apply course knowledge to exam questions by synthesizing content across various media and formats.
Required Texts.
- Danielle McGuire, At the Dark End of the Street, Black Women, Rape and Resistance—A New History of the Civil Rights Movement from Rosa Parks to the Rise of Black Power.
- Barbara Ransby, Ella Baker and the Black Freedom Movement.
- Barbara Ransby, Making All Black Lives Matter: Reimagining Freedom in the 21st Century
- Additional readings can be found on Canvas.
- This course utilizes documentaries and films as key texts. Students should take notes and analyze the documentaries alongside the lectures and written texts.
Late Assignments: Late assignments will NOT be accepted.
Participation (20%): Students must actively and willingly take part in class discussions. You should have the day’s reading and notes ready at the beginning of each class. Attending class alone does not count as participation. In-class assignments are included in participation. If you are uncomfortable speaking in class, please see me at the start of the semester so we can set up additional writing assignments.
3 Response Papers/Questions (20%): For each class marked with an asterisk (*), you will prepare a 1-page (double-spaced, Times New Roman font) response paper. Submit the short paper on Canvas by 6:00 pm on the Tuesday before class. The paper should show your understanding of an aspect of the reading and/or develop an analytical discussion question related to your point. Include a quote and page number to support your explanation. Late submissions will NOT be accepted. You may skip one. You are required to submit a total of three response papers/questions.
4 In-Class Exams (60%): There will be four in-class identification exams using blue books, covering material from class (readings, lectures, films). The lowest exam grade will be dropped. You will be graded on the top 3 exams.
Final Letter Grade Range
A 90 – 100 Excellent
B 80 – 89 Good
C 70 – 79 Satisfactory
D 60 – 69 Needs Improvement
F 0 – 59 Failing
Attendance: If you have more than three absences during the semester, your final grade will be lowered by one full letter.
Tardiness: If you are late more than three times during the semester, your final grade will be lowered by one full letter.
Students are expected to maintain the highest standards of academic integrity. All work submitted must be original and properly cited. Plagiarism, cheating, or any form of academic dishonesty will result in immediate consequences as outlined in the university's academic integrity policy.
This is a Core IMPACTS course that is part of the Social Sciences area.
Core IMPACTS refers to the core curriculum, which provides students with essential knowledge in foundational academic areas. This course will help master the course content and support their broad academic and career goals.
This course should direct students toward a broad Orienting Question:
- How do I understand human experiences and connections?
Completion of this course should enable students to meet the following Learning Outcome:
- Students will effectively analyze the complexity of human behavior, and how historical, economic, political, social or geographic relationships develop, persist or change.
Course content, activities, and exercises in this course should help students develop the following Career-Ready Competencies:
- Intercultural Competence
- Perspective-Taking
- Persuasion