Nancy K. Bristow
Office: 140 Wyatt
Phone: X3173
Email: nbristow@ups.edu
Office Hours:
M/W/F 11:00-1:00
and by appointment
Class Meetings:
M/W 4:00-5:20 Wyatt 306
History 131
“Let Nobody Turn Us Around”:
History and Culture of the Civil Rights Era
A Seminar in Scholarly and Creative Inquiry
Spring 2010
T
What happens to a dream
his course focuses on one of the most volatile historical
deferred?
and cultural periods of the twentieth century—what is
Does it dry up
commonly referred to as the civil rights era. Rather than
like a raisin in the sun?
following a simple serial chronology that purports to “cover”
Or fester like a sore—
the entire period, the course is structured around focal points
And then run?
that functioned as charged moments and sites of both historical
Does it stink like rotten
meat?
and cultural significance: the Brown decision, the murder of
Or crust and sugar over—
Emmett Till, the Freedom Rides, the struggle in Mississippi,
like a syrupy sweet?
the Detroit riot, the Black Power and Black Arts Movements,
Maybe it just sags like a
and the Bakke decision, for instance. Attention to these focal
heavy load?
points ensure that the range of tensions that run throughout the
Or does it explode?
history, literature, music and art of this period—between legal
and practical realities, between white supremacists and those
Langston Hughes, 1951
fighting for racial justice, between grassroots activists and
national organizations, between those who advocated nonviolence as a way of life and those who viewed it only as one
strategy among many, between those who viewed art as
inherently political and those who valued art for art’s sake, between the hopeful and the
hopeless, for instance—are at the center of our explorations. Your readings and assignments
engage the complex, sometimes contradictory, literary, artistic, musical, legal, and political
responses to these resonating events.
Narrowly focused both thematically and temporally, the course offers a depth of exploration that
is necessarily lacking in courses that have a responsibility to vast chronological or thematic
coverage. The limited time frame allows us to investigate the dynamics of historical change more
exactly--and thus to develop a more sophisticated understanding of what is often indistinctly
perceived as simply "the past." Such a focus will allow us to understand the period through
multiple disciplinary lenses, especially those of historical and literary analysis, but also including
the visual, musical and theatrical arts. This interdisciplinary approach is particularly applicable
for a course focused on the Civil Rights period because the art of racial protest and of the "black
arts" was not simply parallel to the political upheavals: as LeRoi Jones (later Amiri Baraka)
suggested in 1971, "Art is Politics." But such connections often remain opaque; students rarely
have the opportunity in their academic career to take classes from different disciplines whose
time periods overlap. It is hoped that this class will offer you the unusual chance to work
simultaneously in historical, literary, musical and artistic fields, exploring through an
interdisciplinary approach the expressive culture and history of the civil rights movement. In
turn, such a multi-layered approach to the study of the past will provide us with ideal
opportunities to engage in both scholarly and creative inquiry.
Course Objectives:
Students in this course will have the opportunity to:
Strong people don’t
need strong
leaders.
Ella Baker
 engage directly in the processes of scholarly and creative
inquiry.
 polish their skills in the critical reading of sources, the
framing of questions, and the development and defense of claims.
 polish their skills in oral and written communication.
 polish their skills in cooperative learning through the
exchange of ideas with their classmates.
 gain a comprehensive knowledge of the history and culture
of the Civil Rights era.
Required Texts:

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James Baldwin, The Fire Next Time
Lorraine Hansberry, A Raisin in the Sun
Wesley C. Hogan, Many Minds, One Heart: SNCC’s Dream for a New America
Steven F. Lawson and Charles Payne, Debating the Civil Rights Movement, 1945-1968
Anne Moody, Coming of Age in Mississippi
Harvard Sitkoff, King: Pilgrimage to the Mountaintop
And other sources included on the Blackboard site for History 131
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Writing Assignments: Papers and Projects
Because this is a course in Scholarly and Creative Inquiry, it will be important for you to write a
great deal, polishing your skills in the presentation of your ideas. Below are brief explanations
of the writing you will be asked to complete in the course. Much fuller descriptions will be
circulated as the course proceeds.
Preparatory Writing Assignments
Much of your writing will take the form of preparatory writing. Offering you the opportunity to
think creatively about your reading before coming to class, these assignments will help you
prepare for class discussions or other upcoming writing assignments and will also give you the
opportunity to practice presenting your ideas in written form. You might think of these
assignments as bi-weekly take-home exams that offer you the opportunity to digest the readings.
These assignments should be polished pieces of writing, properly documented and presented in a
typed format. These assignments are listed in the syllabus as part of the preparation for the day
on which they are due in class. They must be completed on the day for which they are listed,
because our discussion in class will focus on the issues raised in the assignment for that day.
Your job is to complete five preparatory writing assignments over the course of the semester, and
at least three of these before Spring Break. You will notice in the day-by-day account of the
course below that there are “sets” of preparatory assignments, indicated by a number, such as
“Prep #3.” You are only permitted to complete one assignment from each set, and you are
required to complete an assignment from five of the sets, though there are six sets from which to
select. This gives you a bit of flexibility in your writing schedule. You will also notice that in
the early weeks, I offer you fairly direct questions on which to write. After a few weeks, though,
I will encourage you to begin developing your own questions about which to write, and in the
final weeks this is sometimes actually be required. Just remember that you need to complete five
assignments, drawn from five different “sets.” You are welcome to complete more than five of
these assignments if you choose, in order to gain additional practice in writing. Should you do
so, I will count your best from each set, and then the best five of these if you have worked from
more than five sets.
Scholarly Essays
In addition to your five preparatory essays, you will also write three scholarly essays, which will
give you the opportunity to engage more deeply and fully with issues and texts we are
considering in the course.
Paper One – Scholarly and Creative Inquiry: Imagining Integration (3-4 pages)
For your first paper you will engage in the close reading and analysis of a single primary source,
the building blocks of historical inquiry. You will work with either one of the documents
published in reaction to the Brown decision, or Lorraine Hansberry’s monumental play, A Raisin
in the Sun. Your purpose in the paper will be to consider how the author of your “text” imagines
the meaning of integration. This question is more complicated than it might at first appear, and
your papers will provide an excellent starting place to explore the early reactions to the Brown
decision in class. Due in class on Monday, February 15th
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Paper Two -- Engaging the Historians: Interpreting the Freedom Struggle
(roughly 5 pages)
Your second paper will ask you to work with both the ideas presented by one scholar and at least
three primary sources related to their subject, encouraging you to engage in the synthesis of
material we have been investigating in the first half of the course. The paper asks you to select
one of the historians we have read, and to agree with, disagree with, or modify their
interpretation based on your own explorations of the civil rights era. In the paper you will need
to outline, briefly, the argument(s) posed by the historian, but you will use the majority of your
paper to respond to the argument(s), offering your own interpretation based in your careful and
close reading of primary sources. This paper, in other words, encourages you to join the ongoing
scholarly conversation, engaging with the views of at least one other scholar as you offer your
own developing understanding of one of the important issues in the study of the civil rights era.
Due in class on Monday, March 29th
Paper Three – Scholarly Inquiry: Legacies of the Civil Rights Era (roughly 7 pages)
Your final paper will focus on a topic you will select and develop, giving you a chance to
demonstrate your broad skills in scholarly inquiry. As you know, the modern freedom struggle
of the African American community ignited much broader efforts by a wide range of groups to
seek their own full citizenship and their own full embracing as members of the American
community. From Chicano activists to the gay rights movement, from the American Indian
Movement to the organizing efforts of the disabled, and from the emergence of Black Feminism
to the birth of hip hop, the legacies of the civil rights movement were (and are!) evident
throughout American life in the years that follow. Your final paper will involve researching and
writing about one of these efforts. To be effective, of course, you will need to narrow your focus
considerably. You will each have a chance to meet with me to discuss plans for this final paper,
and you will also produce a prospectus—a formal expression of your plan—as part of your
preparation for writing it.
Prospectus due in class on Wednesday, April 15th
Paper due in class on Wednesday, May 5th
Final Project - Creative Inquiry : Engaging the Artists (in you)
This final assignment gives each of you a chance to explore your own creative responses to the
material we have been studying. Your overall purpose in this project is to engage creatively with
one of the topics, issues, movements or individuals we have been studying. You have two
options here. First, you may develop your own creative work in response to our investigations.
In other words, you might create a portfolio of poetry, or produce a painting, or compose a piece
of music. Along with that creation I will ask you to include an explanation of your work, and its
meaning for you as its creator. Alternatively, you may respond to the creative work of one
artist—poet, painter, sculptor, playwright, novelist, musician, for instance—selecting one of their
works and writing an historical introduction that provides interpretive insights relevant to our
work this semester. You will turn these final assignments in at our final meeting during our
exam period, when you will also have a chance to share your work with your classmates.
Due at our EXAM WEEK MEETING on Monday, May 10th, 7:30-9:30 p.m.
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Writing Assignments: Grading Standards

A typical “A” paper is clearly written and well organized, but most importantly it contains a
perceptive and original central argument, cogently argued and supported by a well-chosen
variety of specific examples. It demonstrates that the student has grappled with the issues
raised in the course, has synthesized the readings, discussions and lectures, has formulated a
compelling, independent argument that is fully developed in the paper, and has polished the
presentation of that argument with care. An “A” paper also succeeds in suggesting the
importance of its subject and of its findings.

A typical “B” paper is a solid work containing flashes of insight that demonstrate that the
student has engaged in significant thinking and has developed substantial evidence and
discussion in the paper. Yet a typical “B” paper may not be as complex or creative in its
ideas as an “A” paper. In other “B” papers the argument is sophisticated, but it is not
presented as clearly or convincingly as in “A” papers.

A typical “C” paper has a good grasp of the material on which it is based but may provide a
less thorough defense of the student’s independent analysis, may lack sufficient analytical
focus, or may suffer from more significant problems in presentation such as frequent errors,
unclear writing, or poor organization.

A paper that receives a grade lower than “C” typically does not respond adequately to the
assignment, lacks coherent analysis, is insufficiently developed, is marred by frequent errors,
unclear writing, poor organization, or some combination of these problems.
Presenting Your Work: Panel Presentations
In the final weeks of the semester each of you will be working on your final papers, exploring
one legacy of the civil rights era. In order to share your work with your classmates and to allow
us to think about the broader implications of your findings, we will spend three days in the final
weeks of class hearing from each of you. To give structure to your presentations, each of you
will participate as a member of a panel, presenting your work and offering the class a chance to
ask questions about, and respond to, your findings. Each panel will have students assigned to
respond to the presentations, opening up our conversation about the presented work. Our class
meetings over these three final days, then, will resemble the kind of knowledge sharing and giveand-take that your undergraduate education should include.
Class Discussions:
This is primarily a discussion course, so although I may include an occasional short lecture to
provide context for your readings, the emphasis in class is on your thoughtful and informed
participation. Use our class discussions as models of critical inquiry that you can draw on when
writing your essays, as a way to test out your theories-in-progress, as a stimulating place to
discuss with your peers and with me conflicting, confusing, or exciting ideas. Please be aware of
appropriate timing and turn-taking when speaking in class so we can create as open and
democratic a space for conversation as possible. I am always happy to continue discussion with
you after class, and I would encourage you to do so as well with your peers. Working together,
we have the opportunity to learn from one another, to consider opinions different from our own,
5
and to build on one another’s ideas. Keep in mind that attendance and contributions to
discussions are important factors in your final grade. The following suggestions will help to
make our discussions as fruitful as possible:




Prepare for class: This includes not only reading all assignments before class, but thinking
about them as well. It is often useful to write down a few thoughts and questions before
class. This not only forces you to think critically about what you are reading, but will often
make it easier for you to speak up during discussion. You might also recognize that if you
have trouble figuring out how to analyze your readings, the writing prompts posted for most
class meetings can be a good place to start.
Attend class: Unless you are in class, the rest of us cannot benefit from your ideas, and you
will miss the opportunity to benefit from the ideas of your classmates. Further, lectures and
films offer you information and context to help you understand your readings, and should not
be missed.
Participate in discussions: We can only know your ideas if you express them. Eighteen
minds are always going to be better than just one. For this reason, we will all benefit from
this course to the degree to which each of you participates in our discussions. Each of you
has a great deal to contribute to the class, and each of you should share that potential with the
other class members.
Listen to your classmates: The best discussions are not wars of words, but are a
cooperative effort to understand the issues and questions before us. Listen to one another,
and build on the conversation. While we will often disagree with one another, you should
always be sure to pay attention to the ongoing discussion, and to treat your classmates and
their ideas with the respect they deserve. Recognize that even those ideas that conflict with
your own may play a very valuable role in forming and revising your thinking. Approach
discussions with an open mind and you will learn a great deal from those around you.
Class Discussion: Grading Standards
 A student who receives an “A” for his or her participation typically comes to every class with
questions and ideas about the readings already in mind. He or she engages other students and the
instructor in discussion of their ideas as well as his or her own. This student is under no
obligation to change their point of view, yet respects the opinions of others. This student, in
other words, takes part in an exchange of ideas, and does so on a regular basis. This student also
makes use of specific texts during the discussion, providing depth to their contributions.
 A student who receives a “B” for his or her participation typically has completed all the
reading assignments on time, and is a steady participant in discussion. This student may not
initiate discussion, though, and is more likely to wait for others to raise interesting issues. Other
“B” discussants are courteous and articulate but do not listen to other students, articulating their
ideas without reference to the direction of the discussion. Still others may have a great deal to
contribute, but participate only sporadically, or may not regularly connect their contributions to
particular texts or specific examples.
 A student who receives a “C” for discussion typically attends every class and listens
attentively, but rarely participates in discussion, or is unable to listen effectively to what others
have to say. Other “C” discussants would earn a higher grade, but are too frequently absent from
class.
 A student who receives a grade lower than “C” is consistently unprepared, unwilling to
participate, often seems distracted from the discussion, or is too frequently absent.
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Principles and Policies:
 A good faith effort must be made to complete all assignments in order to receive a
passing grade. That includes five preparatory assignments, three essays, a prospectus, a
panel presentation and the creative project.
 In this course, we will operate according to my “48 hour rule.” This means that you can
turn in one paper or project up to 48 hours late without penalty or explanation. Beyond
this, though, late papers will be accepted only in cases of illness or emergency, or when
prior arrangements have been made, and will generally be penalized except in cases of
illness or emergency.
 I fully recognize that due dates are arbitrary impositions on the writing process, that you
may have competing deadlines in other classes, or pressing obligations outside of class.
But almost all the writing you will ever do (in or out of college) will be contingent upon
constraints of one sort or another (yours, your professors', your employers', for example),
so it is important to learn how to organize your studies, your time, and your life to get
what needs to be done finished when it needs to be done. Do the best you can given the
circumstances--and there are always circumstances. I also hold students to deadline
commitments because it is only fair to those who do struggle and sweat to turn work in
on time. However, for those few occasions when a real crisis (or illness) arises and you
think your work will be late, let me know as far in advance as possible and we'll see if we
can make alternative arrangements.
 Because I ask a lot of you in terms of commitment and responsibility, I am available
(during and outside office hours) to help you one-on-one with your work; to review the
readings or assignments with you; to give you a mid-semester assessment of your grade;
to talk with you about any problems or concerns you have about this course, class
dynamics, or school in general; to look over a draft of an upcoming assignment; or just to
talk more about anything in class that has captured your attention. Perhaps you really
want to talk more about a stanza or scene that we touched on in class, or perhaps you just
don't feel comfortable speaking in public.
 If you can't come by during office hours, let me know early enough in the week so we
can try to arrange another time (or medium, including email) to get together.
 I should emphasize that you do not need to have a problem to see me. I invite you to
regularly drop by office hours--you don't need an appointment--just to talk. If I have
someone with me already, just give a wave so I know you’re there. We can talk privately,
or if you like, sometimes two or three students enjoy working out ideas or issues together.
Office hours are a great opportunity to get to know each other on an individual or smallgroup basis, and in a less formal setting than the classroom, so please do feel very
welcome to come by.
 Finally, in terms of academic polices, and the rules and regulations governing our
course, feel free to check The Logger. Any policy or question I don’t touch on here
in the syllabus would be governed by that broader document that outlines the
policies and procedures of the university. Keep in mind that you are responsible for
knowing the information covered there.
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A WORD ABOUT ACADEMIC HONESTY
Because of its importance, I wanted to say a quick word about academic honesty. It is assumed
that all of you will conform to the rules of academic honesty. I should warn you that plagiarism
and any other form of academic dishonesty will be dealt with severely in this course.
Plagiarizing in a paper will result in an automatic F on that assignment and potentially in the
course, and may lead to more substantial university-level penalties. Because academic
dishonesty is such an egregious offense, the penalty is
not negotiable. As a member of this academic
community, your integrity and honesty are assumed and
valued. Our trust in one another is an essential basis for
Injustice anywhere is a threat to
our work together. A breach of this trust is an affront to
justice everywhere. We are
your colleagues, to me, and to the integrity of this
caught in an inescapable web of
institution, and so will be treated harshly. Rest assured
mutuality, tied in a single garment
that I will make every effort to familiarize you with the
of destiny.
rules surrounding academic honesty. If at any time you
--Martin Luther King, Jr., 1963
have questions about these rules, too, know that I am
anxious to help clarify them.
Grading Scale:
In assigning grades, both during the semester and at its end, I will use the following scale:
A+: 97-100
A:
93-96
A-:
90-92
B+:
87-89
B:
83-86
B-:
80-82
C+: 77-79
C:
73-76
C-:
70-72
D+: 67-69
D:
63-66
D-:
60-62
F:
below 60
Final Grades:
Preparatory Assignments……………………..20%
Paper One ……………..……………………...10%
Paper Two .………………………………….. 15%
Prospectus……………………………………. .5%
Paper Three………………………………….. 20%
Final Creative Project ..……………………….10%
Class participation………………………….....15%
Panel Presentation ……………………………..5%
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Schedule for Class Meetings,
Readings, and Assignments
Unit One
Establishing Context
As the work of historians on the civil rights era has developed, debates among different
approaches and understandings have emerged. We will begin our work this semester by
establishing the theoretical context for our work this semester, looking at one of the central
debates among historians studying the civil rights period. From here we will establish the
historical context for our work. It is important to recognize that the civil rights movement could
trace its roots back to nineteenth-century abolitionism and even further to the earliest resistance
by slaves. Because we are limited to a semester, though, we will be begin our work in the early
twentieth century, looking at both the systemic oppression embodied in American race relations
and the early strategies of resistance developed by activists, organizers and artists in the years
before the civil rights movement. From here we will turn to the Brown decision and the initial
responses to it, allowing us to consider the role of this monumental decision in shaping the
movement that emerges These five days, then, will situate us both conceptually and historically,
preparing us for the investigations that follow.
Week 1
Situating Ourselves in Our History
Jan. 20
Introductions: The Course, Ourselves and the History of American Apartheid
Week 2
Establishing Theoretical Context: The Historians’ Views
Jan. 25
Historians’ Competing Theories: The View from the Nation
READING:
 Steven F. Lawson and Charles Payne, Debating the Civil Rights Movement, 3-46,
65-69, 82-87, 90-99
 Steven F. Lawson, “The View from the Nation”
 And any ONE of:
Dwight D. Eisenhower, “Radio and Television Address to the
American People on the Situation in Little Rock”
John F. Kennedy, “Radio and Television Report to the American
People on Civil Rights”
Lyndon B. Johnson, “Special Message to the Congress: The
American Promise”
PREP #1:
What is the thesis of Steven Lawson’s essay? What arguments does he use to
support it? Now test his ideas against one of the primary sources he includes following
the essay. Develop a discussion of how one of those sources either supports, refutes, or
revises one of his arguments for you.
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Jan. 27
Historians’ Competing Theories: The View from the Trenches
READING:
 Lawson and Payne, Debating the Civil Rights Movement, 115-155, 159-160, 170209
 Charles Payne, “The View from the Trenches”
 Ella J. Baker, “Bigger than a Hamburger”
 Interviews: Bob Moses, Eldridge W. Steptoe, Jr., Fannie Lou Hamer
 Hogan, Many Hearts, One Mind, Introduction
PREP #1:
What is the thesis of Charles Payne’s essay? What arguments does he use to support his
claim? Now test his ideas against one of the primary sources included in the readings for
today and Monday. Develop a discussion of how one of those sources supports, refutes,
or revises one of his arguments for you.
Week 3
Feb. 1
Establishing Historical Context: American Apartheid and Brown
Living and Resisting in a Jim Crow World
READING:
 Anne Moody, Coming of Age in Mississippi, chs. 1-5
 Blackboard:
 Langston Hughes, “The Negro Artist and the Racial Mountain” and Poetry
 And ONE of: (We will divide these responsibilities in class)
Booker T. Washington, “Atlanta Exposition Address”
W.E.B. Du Bois, “The Niagara Movement” and “The Talented
Tenth”
Ida B. Wells, “United States Atrocities”
Anna J. Cooper, “A Voice from the South”
Marcus Garvey, speech delivered November 25, 1922
PREP #1:
Characterize one method of racial oppression faced by Anne Moody and/or other
members of her family and community and suggest why it was important. How did this
oppression operate and what impact did it have? Alternatively, read over the other
primary sources and select one about which to write. In your prep, explain one of the
strategies of resistance offered here, and suggest its strengths or weaknesses in the
context of the realities of racial oppression Moody discusses.
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Feb. 3
The Brown Decision and Initial Reactions
READING:
 Blackboard:
 Warren, Opinion of the Court in Brown v. Board of Education, 1954
 Warren, Ruling on Relief, 1955
 Assorted Letters to the Editor and Political Cartoons (1954 and 1955)
PREP #2:
Do a close rhetorical analysis of either the Brown decision, the “Ruling on Relief”
(Brown II), or one of the responses to the Brown decision. In other words, write about
how one of these sources conveyed their ideas. Any unintentional messages evident for
the critical reader who looks at the rhetoric?
Unit Two
"A Dream Deferred"?
Imagining Integration
The Brown case is significant not only for the legal precedent it established, but also for the
meaning this decision held for African Americans, who could finally expect federal support for
their efforts to end de jure and de facto segregation. Lorraine Hansberry's award-winning play,
A Raisin in the Sun (1952)—you will read the script and see part of the movie with Sidney
Poitier—provides a brilliant dramatization of the experience of living under Jim Crow and of the
dream of integration, written just before the 1954 Supreme Court ruling. The murder of Emmitt
Till, alternatively, made clear that the Brown decision, at least in the short-term, would have only
limited impact on race relations in the United States. Langston Hughes' 1950s poem warning
that the deferred dream of racial equality may "explode" serves as an epigraph for this course and
this second unit, anticipating the violence and ferment of the civil rights movement.
Week 4
Feb. 8
Imagining Integration: Contending Visions
Imagining Integration
READING:
 Lorraine Hansberry, A Raisin in the Sun (complete)
PREP #2:
Write about any one theme or issue that emerges in Hansberry’s play. For instance, how
did she imagine masculinity? The role of women? White racism? Alternatively,
develop your own question about the play and offer an answer based in at least two
quotations taken from the text.
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Feb. 10
The Murder of Emmett Till
READING:
 Anne Moody, Coming of Age in Mississippi, chs. 6-7, 10-14, 16-17
 James Baldwin, The Fire Next Time, Part I: “My Dungeon Shook: Letter to my
Nephew on the One Hundredth Anniversary of the Emancipation”
 Blackboard:
 Langston Hughes, “Mississippi—1955”
 Gwendolyn Brooks, “A Bronzeville Mother Loiters in Mississippi.
Meanwhile, a Mississippi Mother Burns Bacon”
PREP #2:
Write about any one of the texts assigned for today. What meaning did they give to the
murder of Emmett Till, or in the case of Baldwin, to the long history of racial oppression
in the United States? Alternatively, how did they understand the cause of racial
oppression?
IN-CLASS VIDEO: Eyes on the Prize: Awakenings (excerpt on the murder of E. Till)
Week 5
The Struggles of the 1950s: The Rise of Organized Resistance
Feb. 15
Organized Backlash: Southern Manifesto and Little Rock CHS
READING:
 Reread Dwight D. Eisenhower, “Radio and Television Address to the American
People on the Situation in Little Rock” in Lawson and Payne, Debating the Civil
Rights Movement
 Blackboard:
 “Southern Manifesto” (1956)
IN-CLASS VIDEO: Eyes on the Prize: Fighting Back (excerpt on Little Rock CHS)
Your FIRST PAPER is due in class TODAY!!!
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Unit Three
From King to SNCC:
The Promise and Problems of Non-Violent Direct Action
This section examines both the philosophical and tactical uses of nonviolent direct action that
often characterized the early years of the civil rights struggle in the south. We will begin with a
focus on the Reverend Martin Luther King Jr., giving us an opportunity to think about the
development of non-violent direct action. From here we will add to our investigations the
example of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, a major civil rights organization of
this period. SNCC can serve as a case study of the promise and problems faced by activists
adopting nonviolent direct action. Beginning with sit-ins and Freedom Rides, these young
people galvanized a movement throughout the south, mobilizing thousands to fight for their
rights. With King and SNCC in mind, we will also look at the interplay between national figures
and organizations and those working at the grassroots level. Our explorations will make clear
that success in the movement was never easy, nor alliances entirely secure. By 1964, Freedom
Summer, the murders of activists during that effort and the confrontations at the Democratic
National Convention revealed just how hard it was to contend with structures and individuals
invested in a belief in white supremacy. Tensions surrounding nonviolence as a strategy as well
as the tensions between local and national activists, between blacks and whites, and between
younger and older activists emerge as important topics. Our selected readings provide examples
of the diversity of the movement itself, and the extremity of the opposition faced by the activists.
Feb. 17
Defining Non-Violent Direct Action
READING:
 Harvard Sitkoff, King: Pilgrimage to the Mountaintop, Preface, chs. 1-2
PREP #3:
With Sitkoff we return to working with a secondary source. Write about one strength or
weakness you identify in these early pages, and provide at least a couple of textual
examples to illustrate.
Week 6
“The Movement” from Two Vantage Points
Feb. 22
King and the National Movement
READING:
 Sitkoff, King, chs. 3-4
 Blackboard:
 Martin Luther King, Jr., “Letter from Birmingham Jail”
PREP #3:
Think back to the essays from Lawson and Payne. Write about how King’s story
supports or refutes one of their arguments. Does Sitkoff’s book seem to fall into one of
their analytical frameworks better than the other? Alternatively, write about one of the
rhetorical strategies King employed in “Letter from Birmingham Jail.” Does this
rhetorical strategy also offer us any insight into King’s beliefs?
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Feb. 24
SNCC and the Grassroots Struggle
READING:
 Hogan, Many Hearts, One Mind, chs. 1-3
 Blackboard:
 “Ain’t Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me Around”
 “My Dog Loves Your Dog”
 “This Little Light of Mine”
 “Which Side Are You On”
PREP #3:
As we begin reading Hogan, responsibility for the discussion of this secondary source
will rest more heavily on your shoulders. What would be an appropriate question to
guide our discussion as we begin this book? Write a preliminary answer to your
question.
IN-CLASS VIDEO: Eyes on the Prize: Ain’t Scared of Your Jails
Week 7
Mississippi: Is This America?
March 1
Living the Struggle in Mississippi
READING:
 Hogan, Many Hearts, One Mind, ch. 7
 Anne Moody, Coming of Age in Mississippi, chs. 18, 20-21 22-24
PREP #3:
Identify one argument posited by Hogan and test it using Anne Moody’s account.
March 3
Mississippi—Is This America?
READING:
 Anne Moody, Coming of Age in Mississippi, chs. 25-30 (complete)
 Hogan, Many Hearts, One Mind, ch. 8
PREP #4: How did Anne Moody change as a result of her activism? What did she
believe about the future of the civil rights efforts? Who did she blame for the difficulty in
making change? Again, how does her story interact with Hogan’s interpretation? Write
about any one of these questions.
IN-CLASS VIDEO: Eyes on the Prize: Mississippi—Is This America? (excerpt)
Week 8
The Limits of Liberalism
March 8
Living the Limits of Liberalism: SNCC and the Liberal Alliances
READING:
 Hogan, Many Hearts, One Mind, ch. 9-11
 Sitkoff, King, ch. 5
PREP #4: By the summer of 1964 the alliance between SNCC and their liberal allies
was breaking down. Compare how Hogan and Sitkoff present the relationship between
African American activists and their white, liberal “allies.”
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March 10
Imagining the Limits of Liberalism: The Fire Next Time
READING:
 James Baldwin, The Fire Next Time, Part II: “Down at the Cross: Letter from a
Region in My Mind”
PREP #4:
Was Baldwin’s text optimistic or pessimistic? Alternatively, develop your own question
and answer it.
Have a GREAT SPRING BREAK!!
See you in a week.
Unit Five
“The Ballot or the Bullet”
Black Power/Black Arts
Delivered in 1964, Malcolm X's speech, "The Ballot or the Bullet" advocates a shift in civil
rights tactics: as he puts it, "it's time to stop singing and start swinging." This section examines
the rising radicalism in the movement, and also helps us understand the complex relationship
between this radicalism and the contemporaneous urban rioting that represented the anguish and
anger of many people struggling to make a life in economically impoverished urban areas.
Malcolm X’s speech illustrates the struggle over more politicized forms of self-representation
within African American communities and the desire for a new militant literary style. Just as the
political manifestoes of the revamped SNCC and the new Black Panther Party set an agenda for
Black Power advocates, so also the artistic manifestos by Addison Gayle and LeRoi Jones(Amiri
Baraka) laid out the responsibilities of artists in the context of this social revolution.
Week 9
Winning Victories / Turning Toward Power
March 22
From Washington to Detroit: Two Societies, Separate and Unequal
READING:
 Sitkoff, King, chs. 6-7
 Excerpt from “Report of the National Advisory on Civil Disorders,” in Lawson
and Payne, Debating the Civil Rights Movement, 101-103
IN-CLASS VIDEO: Eyes on the Prize II: Two Societies
March 24
Malcolm X and the Roots of Black Nationalism
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READING:
 Blackboard:
 Malcolm X, “Message to the Grassroots” (1963)
 Malcolm X, “The Ballot or the Bullet” (1964)
PREP #5:
How did Malcolm X understand Black Nationalism? How did he understand the
difference between his approach and that of the non-violent, direct action, civil rights
movement? Alternatively, take a close look at his rhetoric. Explain and illustrate one of
his rhetorical strategies and suggest what insight this gives us into his beliefs.
IN-CLASS VIDEO:
Eyes on the Prize II: “The Time Has Come”
Week 10
Defining Black Power
March 29
Library Day!! MEET IN LIBRARY 118 TODAY!!
READING:
No new reading for today. Just finish up your second paper for today.
Your SECOND PAPER is due in class TODAY!!
March 31
Defining Black Power
READING:
 Blackboard:
 Hogan, Many Minds, One Heart, ch. 12
 Peniel Joseph, “Black Power: The State of the Field”
AND Read at least TWO of:
 Stokely Carmichael, “What We Want”
 SNCC, “Position Paper on Black Power”
 Floyd McKissick, “CORE Endorses Black Power”
 Black Panther Manifesto
 Documents from The Black Panther Speaks
 Huey P. Newton, “Revolution as Liberation
 Bayard Rustin, “Black Power’ and Coalition Politics”
PREP #5:
What was Black Power? Write about one document’s presentation of the meaning of this
increasingly popular approach to African American freedom.
Week 11
The Black Arts Movement and Black Power
April 5
The Black Arts Movement Defined
READING:
 Blackboard:
 Addison Gayle, “The Black Aesthetic”
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 Sonia Sanchez, “homecoming,” “poem at thirty,” and “Summer Words of a
Sistuh Addict”
 Haki Madhubuti, “Back Home, Again” and “Malcolm Spoke / who listened?”
 Nikki Giovanni, “Beautiful Black Men” and “Nikki-Rosa”
 Etheridge Knight, “The Idea of Ancestry,” “Hard Rock Returns to Prison from
the Hospital for the Criminal Insane,” and “For Black Poets Who Think
of Suicide”
 Amiri Baraka, “SOS”
PREP #5: What does Addison Gayle tell you about the purposes of those involved with
the Black Arts movement? Now, write about how one of the poems you read for today
reflects those purposes.
April 7
Acting for Civil Rights: Revolutionary Theatre
READING:
 Blackboard:
 Amiri Baraka, Dutchman (script)
PREP #5:
Compare Baraka’s play to Raisin in the Sun, and develop and illustrate one point of
similarity or difference. (Be willing to go beyond the obvious to deeper levels of
analysis.) Alternatively, write about how this play reflects the Black Arts Movement, or
about some other question you develop yourself.
IN-CLASS VIDEO: We will view excerpts from Dutchman in class today.
Unit Six
Resistance and Repression: From COINTELPRO to Bakke
By the end of the 1960s a discernible mass movement for civil rights was fading. The causes are
many, not least of which was the continuing power of white racism and white Americans'
unwillingness to give up their racial privileges, illustrated by the FBI’s establishment of
COINTELPRO, its counter-intelligence program, which targeted groups ranging from King’s
SCLC to the Black Panther Party and SNCC. Events in the 1970s sometimes resonated in
surprising ways with the earliest struggles of the civil rights era. The, Boston bussing crisis
seems to mirror some of the problems faced in Little Rock years earlier, while the Bakke
decision serves as a vivid counterpoint to the Brown decision with which we began this course.
This last section explores the collapse of a national vision of change and the persistence of
racism, but also acknowledges the development of new and persistent, but less coordinated,
responses to institutionalized racism evident across the culture—in the voices of African
Americans protesting the war in Vietnam and in the rise of black feminism, for instance.
Week 12
What Does it All Mean? The Changing Landscape of Civil Rights
April 12
Repression: From Local Police to the Federal Government
READING:
 Blackboard:
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 Documents from the Jackson State school paper
IN-CLASS VIDEO: Eyes on the Prize II: A Nation of Law?
April 14
A More Subtle Racism?: The Powerful Persistence of White Resistance
READING:
 Blackboard:
 Majority Decision in Bakke
 Justice Marshall’s Dissent in Bakke
PREP#6:
How was the reasoning in the Majority Decision in Bakke similar to or different
from the Brown decision? Alternatively, how did Justice Marshall argue his
dissent in that opinion, and how would you compare it to the Brown decision?
IN-CLASS VIDEO: Eyes on the Prize II: The Keys to the Kingdom (excerpt)
Your PROSPECTUS is due in class TODAY!!
Week 13
The Art of Living a Liberated Life
April 19
King Revisited / Revised
READING:
 Sitkoff, King, ch. 8
 Blackboard
 Martin Luther King, Jr., “Declaration of Independence from the War in
Vietnam”
 Michael K. Honey, Going Down Jericho Road excerpt
PREP #6:
Compare Martin Luther King in 1968 with the earlier King, say in 1955. Write
about one similarity or difference you see. Alternatively, how did King
understand the relationship between his opposition to the war and his fight for
African American freedom?
April 21
The Art of Living a Liberated Life: Black Feminism
READING:
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
Blackboard:
 Kimberly Springer, “Black Feminists Respond to Black Power
Masculinism”
 Francis Beale, “Double Jeopardy: To Be Black and Female”
 Toni Cade, “On the Issue of Roles”
 Nikki Giovanni, Kay Lindsey, Audre Lorde, poems
 PREP #6:
Was Black Feminism part of the civil rights movement? Why or why not? Alternatively,
can you define what you understand to be the most significant belief(s) of Black
Feminism?
Week 14
Legacies of the Civil Rights Era
April 26
Panel Presentations: Preparation Day
READING:
Hogan, Many Hearts, One Mind, Conclusion
April 28
Panel Presentations
Week 15
Legacies of the Civil Rights Era II
May 3
Panel Presentations
May 5
Panel Presentations
Your FINAL PAPER is due in class TODAY!!
Remember:
Instead of a final exam, we will meet to discuss your
CREATIVE PROJECTS on
Monday, May 10th,
7:30-9:30 p.m.
in our regular classroom
ATTENDANCE IS MANDATORY!
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Have a
Wonderful
Summer!
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