ENG 7073
African American Feminist History and Theory
Fall 2008: W 5:30-8:15 p.m. MB 1.208
Dr. Joycelyn Moody
Office location: Main 2.306C
Office phone: 210.458.6857
Office hours: Tuesdays 4-6 pm & by appt
Email: joycelyn.moody@utsa.edu
Intersectionality is a way of describing the interaction between systems of oppression and/or domination.
The concept grew out of efforts to specify how race and gender relations shaped social and political life.
In particular, it grew out of the writing of Black feminists who argued that the current thinking about the
interaction of race and gender systems was unsatisfactory since it tended to obscure those problems
uniquely faced by Black women. Today, scholars use the concept of intersectionality to theorize and
research a wide variety of social groups and contexts, including questions of sexuality, class, religion,
ethnicity and region in a variety of contexts from the United States to Europe to Latin America and
Africa, and in local and international contexts.—from program of the Intersectionality Short Course for the
2008 annual convention of American Political Scientists Association
Seminar description. We will read theoretical, imaginative, and scholarly texts mostly by and/ or
about African American women historians to investigate intersections of gender, race, sexuality,
labor, color/ caste, and socioeconomic class in US black women’s lives. Course texts (in
literature, literary criticism, visual culture, social history, life writing, and feminist theory)
discuss the impact of black feminist studies across several academic disciplines, and explore
degrees to which African American women have supplanted destructive myths about themselves
with resistant and/ or celebratory self-representations, especially in the US academy.
Principal questions:
 What happens to “feminist theory” when “African American” precedes it?
 What significant social issues emerge in African American feminist theory?
 What intersections have historically existed between race/color/caste, gender, class,
knowledge, and power? Which persist? How have these intersections been manifested?
 What attitudes have African American women asserted about the mainstream US
academy? About knowledge production, education, and “book learning”?
 How does a scholar’s particular social location(s) and racial identity influence her or his
response to and engagement with black feminist theory?
Course goals. The seminar strives to provide or enhance students’ abilities:
 To articulate key concepts and distinctions in African American feminist theories;
 To specify crucial sociopolitical issues that emerge in black feminist scholarship;
 To theorize historical shifts in black feminist movements;
 To identify multiple systems of oppression that inhibit African American women’s
production or productivity;
 To discuss African American women’s relationships with men and nonblack women,
especially in liberatory struggles and in the US academy;
 And to research and generate cogent scholarship on black feminist theories that is
grounded in an awareness of the individual student’s own social locations.
ENG 7073 syllabus, p.1
Course requirements. All written work should be typed in 12-point font with one-inch margins
on all sides.
Attendance. Regular, prompt attendance is expected of everyone for all other sessions.
While it is never necessary to provide an explanation for an absence, two unexplained absences
are allowed. After two skipped seminar sessions for any reason, your grade will be reduced. That
said, the professor must miss three class sessions during the term (Oct. 15, Oct. 29, and Nov. 12);
however, students will have seminar responsibilities on these dates. In addition, in observance of
the Thanksgiving holiday, the seminar will not meet on Nov. 26.
Late work policy. All written work must be punctually submitted for successful
completion of the seminar; all written assignments must be submitted to pass. Late work will be
marked down one full grade per diem. “Incomplete” grades will be granted only in extreme
circumstances.
Discussion participation: Because our seminar is relatively small, we all need to
participate in discussions. I will give short lectures throughout the course, but my expectation is
that the seminar will focus on student discussion and insight. That is, everyone is expected to
contribute orally in every class session and to demonstrate having completed the readings. (If
you have a shy or introverted temperament that inhibits oral participation, please consult with me
for tips.) Also, to develop discussion leadership skills, each student will “teach” one-1.5 hours of
a seminar session once during the term. (A sign up sheet will be circulated the second week of
class.) Both quality and extent of oral contribution will inform your final grade.
Academic integrity. Everyone is expected to act on the highest ethics of academic
honesty. Such conduct as plagiarism, collusion to cheat, the use (i.e., theft) of another’s research
without appropriate acknowledgement or attribution, or the misuse of previously prepared course
material will not be tolerated. If charges of academic dishonesty are substantiated, a student may
be reported to the Department Chair for disciplinary probation, suspension, or expulsion.
Adjudicated cases of plagiarism will result in immediate failure of the seminar.
Additional requirements by due date:
Sept 3
Last day to submit Intellectual Autobiography (P/F)
Sept 9
Last day to sign up to “teach” seminar reading(s) and/ or selected supplemental text(s) (10%),
including annotated bibliography (20%).
Sept 16
Last day for individual conversation with the professor; meet early! (P/F)
Oct 1
DUE: Two selected CFPs, of which professor will approve one. (P/F)
Oct 8
Last day to get approval of text title for review of reviews; ask early! (P/F) If you opt for
collaborative review, identify co-author(s) by this date.
Oct 15
DUE: Abstract in response to approved CFP (10%)
Oct 22
DUE: Review of reviews.
Dec 3
DUE: complete draft of seminar symposium paper (20%).
ENG 7073 syllabus, p.2
Dec. 10
Seminar symposium: revised seminar papers to be presented (20%). Seminar celebration
Dec. 12
DUE: Self-Assessment (P/F).
Some assignment details.
Intellectual Autobiography and Self-Assessment (pass-fail). The first writing assignment
is a 1-2-page typed, single-spaced intellectual personal history. It should clarify some of the
academic and unique experiences that you bring to the seminar, and also outline the goals you
have set for the course. Use this autobiographical statement to situate your own experiences
within the course goals.
The final self-assessment essay should also consist of 1-2 typed, single-spaced pages.
This essay might be a narrative about your overall intellectual experience in this seminar—why
you took it, what problems and challenges it presented to you along the way, and how you
addressed them. Or it might focus specifically on your writing for the course, what you learned
from generating one or more particular required texts, what you now understand to be your
strengths and weaknesses as a scholar. Or it might enumerate critical insights you gained during
the seminar. This essay ideally reflects on and evaluates your overall intellectual growth in the
seminar.
Discussion leadership and annotated bibliography (30% credit). During the class
session that you “teach,” you should provide each seminar participant with a hard copy of an
annotated bibliography composed of a title as well as a 150-word hypothesis that aggregates 1520 print and (up to four) multimedia resources, all published since 1993. (To include texts
published before 1993, consult professor.) Use the current MLA style sheet to document each
text. The annotations can be single spaced; feel free to print on both sides of the page.
Review of reviews (20% credit). In keeping with feminist practice, collaboration with a
seminar colleague is strongly encouraged for this assignment. You will submit a scholarly review
of reviews of a book, visual text, or audio title of your choice. (This text might be one listed on
the bibliography you provide when you “teach” a seminar session.) The text that you review
must be pre-approved by Oct. 8, and the final version is to be submitted on Oct. 22. This
assignment asks you to collect, collate, and comment on at least four reviews of a recent fulllength treatment of African American feminist theory or history—a recently published book, an
Internet archive, or another scholarly text. You need not read an entire book selection word for
word, but whatever form you choose (book, film, etc.), you will need to have enough familiarity
with it to assess the validity of the judgments made in each review. Your own review should
argue a single, narrowly-conceived thesis. Attach an unmarked copy of each review that you
evaluate to your essay.
Seminar symposium project (50% credit). The key purpose of the symposium
assignment is to enrich your professionalization and to ensure that you leave the course with a
text-draft toward a scholarly publication. You will advance through the logical stages of the
development of a formal academic presentation: identifying and responding to a published CFP
(pass-fail), generating an original abstract of 100-300 words for a conference paper or book
chapter (10%), and drafting a paper to present to colleagues (20%), and finally, revising and
presenting that draft as part of the symposium seminar.
ENG 7073 syllabus, p.3
Intellectual and moral compass. This course will undoubtedly challenge many of your
values, attitudes, beliefs, and ideas. You will need not only to come to class open-mindedly, but
you will also need to approach your reading assignments open-mindedly. I expect you to raise
questions in class and to see me in my office hours for further help if needed. It is your
responsibility to contact me with any problems or issues you feel are getting in the way of your
learning.
Predictably, many of the course readings deal with controversial issues that may prove
difficult to discuss: white privilege, racism, xenophobia, physical atrocities, and sexual violence
ranging from humiliation to incest. At different points in the course, each of us will feel upset,
discouraged, angry, distraught, proud, relieved, ashamed, and guilty about issues raised in
discussion and course texts. If we are brave enough, we will engage in difficult, transformative
discussions. Obviously, our guiding principle is to show respect for each other at all times.
Required texts. In addition to selected e-articles and handouts, we’ll read
Michael Bennett & Vanessa Dickerson, eds., Recovering the Black Woman's Body: SelfRepresentations by African American Women
Stephanie Evans, Black Women in the Ivory Tower, 1850–1954: An Intellectual History
Phyllis Alesia Perry, Stigmata: A Novel
Deborah Gray White, ed., Telling Histories: Black Women Historians in the Ivory Tower
Gwendolyn DuBois Shaw, Seeing the Unspeakable: The Art of Kara Walker
Octavia E. Butler, Kindred
Winston Napier, ed. African American Literary Theory: A Reader
I will email you frequently with updated assignments, downloaded resources, or Internet links.
Please plan to check your UTSA email account regularly.
Course calendar (always subject to change). Additional readings will probably be assigned
during the semester. Assigned readings should be completed before scheduled class period.
Always read all footnotes and endnotes.
Please silence cell phone ringers before each class session.
Week 1
W Aug 27
Week 2
W Sept 3
Week 3
Tu Sept 9
“We exist as women who are black who are feminists…working independently because
there is not yet an environment in this society remotely congenial to our struggle.”—
Michele Wallace, “Anger in Isolation” (1975)
 E-Readings: Combahee River Collective, “A Black Feminist Statement”
 “AERA 2008 White Feminists’ Refusals and Commitments”
Racial Identity Formation: The Case of Whiteness
 DUE: Last day to submit Intellectual Autobiography (P/F).
 E-Readings: Robert T. Carter, “The Relationship Between Racism and
Racial Identity Among White Americans”
 Wayne Rowe, “White Racial Identity: Science, Faith, and Pseudoscience”
 Lisa V. Blitz, “Owning Whiteness: The Reinvention of Self and Practice”
 P. Parker, “For the white person who wants to know how to be my friend”
Confronting Racial Identities in the Classroom
 DUE: Last day to sign up to “teach” seminar session.
ENG 7073 syllabus, p.4
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W Sept 10
Week 4
T Sept 16
W Sept 17
E-Readings: Isar P. Godreau, “The Lessons of Slavery: Discourses of
Slavery, Mestizaje, and Blanqueamiento in an Elementary School in
Puerto Rico”
Banks, “Mestizaje and the Mexican Mestizo Self: No Hay Sangre Negra”
Tatum, “Talking about Race, Learning about Racism: 'The Application of
'Racial Identity Development Theory in the Classroom”
“exude celibacy—heterosexual style. / sit up straight. smile. don’t smile.” –Evie
Shockley, “the ballad of anita hill” (2006)
 Readings in Napier: Hurston, “Characteristics of Negro Expression” (31-
44);
 B. Smith, “Toward a Black Feminist Criticism” (132-46);
 McDowell, “New Directions for Black Feminist Criticism” (167-78);
 Hammonds, “Black (W)holes and the Geometry of Black Female
Sexuality” (482-97)
DUE: Last day for individual conversation with Prof. Moody.
“[Mrs. Lincoln] said that she had struggled long enough to keep up appearances, and that
the mask must be thrown aside.”—Elizabeth Keckley, Behind the Scenes (1868)
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Week 5
W Sept 24
Week 6
W Oct 1
Th-F
Oct 2-3
Week 7
W Oct 8
Readings in Bennett & Dickerson: Introduction (1-15);
Brooks, “‘The Deeds Done in My Body’” (41-70);
Dickerson, “Summoning SomeBody” (195-216);
Rooks, “Wearing Your Hair Wrong” (279-295);
Bass, “On Being a Fat Black Girl” (219-30);
Winokur, “Body and Soul: Identifying (the) Black Lesbian Body” (23152)
 Readings in Napier: Williams, “Some Implications of Womanist
Theory” (218-23);
 Christian, “The Race for Theory” (280-89)
 Carby, “‘Woman’s Era’: Rethinking Black Feminist Theory” (242-56);
 Smith, “Black Feminist Theory and the Representation of the ‘Other’”
(369-84)
Iconography/ Color/ Body/ Hair, cont.
 DUE: Two selected CFPs, of which professor will approve one.
 Readings: Shaw (complete);
 Kym Pinder, Introduction to Race-ing Art History (handout)
 Richard Schur, “Post-Soul Aesthetics in Contemporary African American
Art,” AAR 41.4 (e-copy)
Graduate Student Conference on Mongrel America (UT-Austin)
But some of us would try to steal
A little from the book,
And put the words together,
And learn by hook or crook.
—Frances E. W. Harper, “Learning to Read” (1872)
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DUE: Last day to get approval of text title for review of reviews
Readings in Napier: Hurston, “What White Publishers Won’t Print” (54ENG 7073 syllabus, p.5
Week 8
W Oct 15
Week 9
W Oct 22
57)
 McDowell, “Black Feminist Thinking: The ‘Practice’ of ‘Theory’” (55779)
 Lubiano, “Mapping the Interstices between Afro-American Cultural
Discourse and Cultural Studies” (643-52)
 Henderson, “Speaking in Tongues: Dialogics, Dialectics…” (348-68)
Prof. Moody away. Visiting Prof: Dr. Kinitra Brooks.
 DUE: Abstract in response to approved CFP (e-submission to J. Moody).
 Reading: Perry, Stigmata (complete)
“Your being appointed by the Grand Continental Congress to be Generalissmo of the
armies of North America, together with the fame of your virtues, excite sensations not
easy to suppress.” –Phillis Wheatley, “To His Excellency General [George] Washington”
(1776)
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Week 10
W Oct 29
Week 11
M Nov 3
W Nov 5
Week 12
W Nov 12
Week 13
W Nov 19
DUE: Review of Reviews
E-Readings: Hancock, “When Multiplication Doesn’t Equal Quick
Addition: Examining Intersectionality as a Research Paradigm”;
 Crenshaw, "Mapping the Margins: Intersectionality, Identity Politics, and
Violence Against Women of Color”;
 Alice Walker’s open letter on Hillary Clinton vs. Barack Obama
Prof. Moody away. Visiting Prof: Dr. Sonja Lanehart.
 Reading: Lanehart, excerpt from Sista, Speak! (handout)
Visiting political scientists: Drs. Patrick Rivers and Rachael Murphey-Brown
discuss the election and the academy, 4 pm.
Gender, History, and the Academy
 IDEA Survey.
 Reading: Evans, Intro and Chap. 1-3, 1-138
Prof. Moody away. Library day.
“And I would be dissatisfied and fuss with Fred about fact and proof and history until he
told me one day not to worry, that even the lies are true. In history, even the lies are
true.” –Lucille Clifton, Generations: A Memoir (1976)
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Th-Su
Nov 20-23
Week 14
M Nov 24
W Nov 26
Week 15
W Dec 3
Finals Wk
W Dec 10
Readings: White, Intro. to Telling Histories (1-27) and any 10 essays of
your choice
NCTE National Convention, San Antonio Riverwalk
DUE by noon: complete draft of seminar symposium paper.
Ana Castillo reading, Downtown campus, 6 pm.
Thanksgiving Holiday. University closed.
“I want something more than a two-lane either-or / World still mapped by tribal law…” –
Colleen McElroy, “A Little Traveling Music” (1998)
 Reading: Butler, Kindred (complete)
Seminar symposium. Seminar celebration
ENG 7073 syllabus, p.6