This course is designed to enrich students' knowledge of Black women’s activism during the twentieth century. Relying upon the perspectives expressed by Black women in their writings as a primary lens, students will have the opportunity to investigate some of the primary struggles for social justice waged by African and African-American women activists. In conjunction with a sustained emphasis upon Black women’s perspectives as articulated in their writings, we will consider some of the different dimensions of Black women’s resistance along with relevant scholarship.
In this course, students will study the epistemological and theoretical roots of Women’s and Gender Studies and explore the interdisciplinary methodologies developed by feminist researchers. The course will emphasize debates within WGS and challenges to mainstream feminist thought, with particular consideration to issues of race, class, sexuality, ability, gender identity, nationality, globalization, and other vectors of identity and oppression. Students will come away with an understanding of how feminist inquiry and methodologies have transformed disciplines in the sciences, social sciences, arts, and humanities.