African American Politics (POS 4077/ AFA 4931)
Fall 2013
Dr. Sharon Austin
Director of the African American Studies Program and Associate Professor of Political Science
The University of Florida
Contact Information:
Office: 104 Walker Hall
Email address: polssdw@ufl.edu
Office number: 273-2360
Office Hours:
Mondays and Wednesday 1-3pm
Purpose and Format of Course:
This course will examine the political behavior of African Americans in the United States. During the course of the semester, we will discuss issues such as the civil rights movement, the black power movement, black political thought, (conservatism, liberalism, and nationalism), blacks and the court system, the role of blacks in political parties, blacks and the presidency, and contemporary issues in African
American politics. The format will be a combination of lecture and discussion.
The Required Textbook is much cheaper at www.amazon.com and other internet sites.
African American Politics Kendra King. (New York: Polity Books, 2009).
My Grandfather’s Son: A Memoir . Clarence Thomas (New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 2007).
The Reserve Articles:
These readings are on reserve on the www.uflib.ufl.edu web site. To read or print these articles, click on the course reserves link, type in my last name, and click on the article’s title.
Attendance Policy:
After three unexcused classes are missed, you will not receive the percentage points for class participation (and will not have the option of submitting a paper). It is your responsibility to sign the attendance roster that will be given out at the beginning of each class session. If you forget to, sign it during the next class. Also, try to get to class on time. If you are late on an almost daily basis, it will be affect your grade because it will be considered as an absence.
Classroom Behavior (Cell Phones and Laptops):
In the past, several of my students have forgotten to turn off their cell phones in class. I am asking you to please turn off your phones before our class begins. If your phone rings more than once during the semester, five points will be deducted from your highest test grade. Remember, a student who takes his/her work seriously will make sure that his/her phone is off during class meetings.
Also, if you engage in behavior such as texting, browsing the internet, napping, loud yawning, or any other behavior that I consider to be disrespectful to me or to your classmates, you may not receive all of the percentage points for class participation.
The Examinations:
You will be tested on all material covered in the films, readings, and class discussions. Each test will have three essay questions - two of which are worth 40 points and one worth 20 points. In order to earn the highest grade possible, show me that you have read the assignments and taken detailed notes. None of the tests, including the final, will be comprehensive. One week before each test, we will

have a review. Also, I would like to request that you use the bathroom before you begin your examinations on exam days.
The Required Research Paper:
Your research paper should range from approximately 8-12 pages (not including endnotes and the bibliography) and examine a topic concerning African American political activism, political behavior, campaigning, civil rights, public policies, mobilization, etc. You can either examine a topic that we have discussed in class or another relevant topic in African American politics. You must analyze articles in major journals, academic books, or on credible internet sites. In addition, you must submit it to turnitin.com on the due date. See http://turnitin.com/en_us/training/student-training/submitting-a-paper for instructions on uploading papers.
Class Participation and the Optional Paper Assignment:
We will discuss a number of political and public policy issues during the course of the semester. I understand that some students are more comfortable participating in class discussions than others.
Therefore, I am giving you the option of either participating in our class discussions on a regular basis
(once or twice a week) or writing a paper.
If you participate verbally (or attempt to and I don't call on you for some reason), email me on the day that you've participated so that I can keep a record of it. Throughout the semester, I will email each of you to let you know if you have participated regularly during the week. If you participate in our discussions, you will not have to write a paper. If not, a 5-8 page paper is due on the last day of class. You can write an analysis which gives your opinion on any topic(s) we've discussed in class. The papers must be typed and double-spaced.
Your Grade will be Based on:
Attendance 5%
Participation or Optional Paper 5%
First Test
Second Test
20%
20%
Third Test
Research Paper
20%
30%
Grading Scale:
94-100 A
74-76 C
90-93 A-
70-73 C-
87-89 B+
67-69 D+
84-86 B
64-66 D
80-83 B-
60-63 D-
77-79 C+
Below 60 E
A C- will not be a qualifying grade for major, minor, Gen Ed, Gordon Rule or College Basic Distribution credit.
Disabilities Statement:
Students requiring accommodations must first register with the Dean of Student’s office, Disability
Resource Center. The Dean of Student’s office will provide documentation, which the student will then give to the instructor. For more information, see HTTP://www.dso.ufl.edu/drc
Academic Dishonesty:
Academic dishonesty includes plagiarism and cheating on examinations. The penalty for cheating is a grade of 0 on the exam. In addition, the dean's office may choose to administer a harsher

punishment such as a temporary suspension from this class or a permanent expulsion from the university.
The Internship and Fellowship Information:
I receive a lot of information about internships, undergraduate scholarships, and law and graduate school fellowships. At the beginning of most of our classes, I will share this information with you because I strongly encourage you to apply for these things. In the past, several of my students have received a variety of internships and fellowships. I can also provide copies of the materials that I bring to class if you need them. It is not a waste of time to apply for these things because you have nothing to lose by applying and you are just as if not more qualified than other applicants regardless of your major or grade point average. You can also look at the careers or scholarships links on the afam.clas.ufl.edu site for internship and scholarship information.
Class Schedule: (Films will be shown at the end of classes. Also, I will give you the attendance roster near the end of class on days films are shown.)
The Politics of Racial Profiling and Justice in America
8-23 Introduction
Film: Justice for Trayvon: Our Son is Your Son (20 minutes) discusses the killing of Trayvon
Martin and its implications for race and justice in America. http://www.bet.com/video/news/national/2013/justice-for-trayvon.html
8-26 Reserve Readings:
61 Murders in Chicago during Zimmerman Trial
Florida’s Stand Your Ground Law: The Actual Effects and the Need for Clarification (I will email this article to you.)
Sanford, Florida's Long, Troubled History of Racism & Racial Injustice
Trayvon Martin Verdict: Five Key Issues for Zimmerman Jury
Trayvon’s Death: Echoes of Emmitt Till?
8-28 Textbook Reading:
African Americans and Interest Groups, King chapter 9
Reserve Readings:
Marissa Alexander Case Emerges after Zimmerman Verdict
The Real Marissa Alexander Story
8-30 Film: No Easy Walk (50 minutes) documents the mass demonstrations in Albany, Georgia, and
Birmingham, Alabama from 1961-1963. The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. faced one of his greatest defeats in Albany and one of his greatest successes in Birmingham. Also, the March on
Washington occurred on August 28, 1963 and four girls were murdered while attending church in
Birmingham, Alabama.
9-2 NO CLASS (Labor Day Holiday)
9-4 Reserve Readings:
Civil Rights March on Washington
The Real Signs of Black Power: Stop Waiting for Another March on Washington
“We Wanted the Voice of a Woman to be Heard”: Black Women and the 1963 March on
Washington (I will email this article to you.)
Textbook Reading:
Dollars and Sense, King chapter 2
9-6 Film: Behind the Blue Wall (45 minutes) analyzes the issues of police brutality and racial profiling in New York City during the late 1990s. The film begins with a description of the beating of
Haitian immigrant Abner Louima and ends with an examination of the murder of Amadou Diallo,

an Ethiopian immigrant who was murdered by 4 policemen in the stairwell of his apartment building.
9-9 Reserve Readings:
25 Years Later Tawana Brawley Served Court Papers in Defamation Lawsuit
The Diallo Verdict: Another “Tragic Accident” in New York City’s War on Street Crime?
The Reinvention of the Reverend (Al Sharpton)
An extra credit opportunity will take place tonight at 6pm in Smathers Library room 101. A panel of UF professors will discuss the 150 th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation, the 50 th anniversary of the March on Washington, and the Justice for Trayvon Martin movement. If you attend and turn in a 2 page report, you will receive 5 additional points on your lowest exam. If you cannot attend, you can write a 2 page paper about either of these topics and turn it in on September 17 th .
The Concept of Affirmative Action
9-11 Film: A Question of Fairness (45 minutes) examines the lawsuits challenging the undergraduate and law school admissions processes at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. In June 2003, the
U.S. Supreme Court issues 2 landmark rulings in these cases that will have a major impact on the future use of affirmative action in university admissions.
9-13 Reserve Readings:
Federal Affirmative Action Law: A Brief History
Fisher v. University of Texas
Gratz v. Bollinger
African Americans and Political Parties
9-16 Reserve Reading:
Anti-Affirmative Action Ballot Initiatives
One Florida Executive Order
9-18 Textbook Reading:
King, chapter 8, African Americans and Political Parties
Films:
Allen West: 'Obama is Like a Low-Level Socialist Agitator' (4 minutes)
[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gGIZtD4ufFo&feature=related]
Did Tea Party Spokesman Mock NAACP? (7minutes)
[http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/politics/2010/07/16/jk.naacp.tea.party.cnn?iref=allsearch]
Project 21's Borelli Debates NAACP's Shelton on Tea Party "Racism" (9 minutes)
[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zez6oHzYTKY]
9-20 Reserve Readings:
Artur Davis, From Alabama Democrat to Republican National Convention Speaker
Blacks and the Republican Party: Rational Choice or Complicity
First Black Republicans in Congress Since 2003
Rising GOP star Love falls short in Utah
The Making of Allen West Inc.
What is the Tea Party? A growing state of mind
When Black Meant Republican
9-23 First Exam

African American Mayors
9-25 Film: The 9 Lives of Marion Barry (50 minutes) is a documentary that examines the political rise and fall of former Washington, D.C. Mayor Marion Barry.
9-27 NO CLASS
9-30 Reserve Readings: I will email these readings to you.
Hype, Hip Hop, and Heartbreak: The Rise and Fall of Kwame Kilpatrick
Protest and Power in Washington, D.C.: The Troubled Legacy of Marion Barry
Textbook Reading:
African Americans and the Politics of Hip Hop, King chapter 12
10-2 Reserve Readings:
Dave Bing Opts out of Mayor’s Race, Says He ‘Prepared Runway’ For Next Administration
Detroit Bankrupt: To See Detroit's Decline, Look at 40 Years of Federal Policy
Detroit Files for Bankruptcy Protection
10-4 Presentation by African American Studies Librarian Jana Ronan
President Barack Hussein Obama
10-7 Film: Barack Obama (45 minutes) is an episode of Biography that discusses the childhood and political career of President Barack Obama.
10-9 Textbook Reading:
African Americans and the President, King chapter 6
Reserve Readings:
Obama and the Mid-Terms: How Did It Come to This?
Obama Elected President as Racial Barrier Falls
Obama takes key battlegrounds to win re-election
10-11 Reserve Readings:
Fear of a Black President
Obama’s First Term
Obama's second term could look like his first
Recent controversies threaten to bog down Obama's second-term agenda
African Americans and Recent Supreme Court Decisions: Voting and Same-Sex Marriage
10-14 Film: Bridge to Freedom (50 minutes) examines a march that took place from Selma to
Montgomery, Alabama in 1965 before the passage of the federal Voting Rights Act and the opposition to African American voting during this time period.
10-16 Textbook Reading:
African Americans and Voting Behavior, King chapter 4
Reserve Reading:
Shelby County v. Holder
10-18 Film: Brother Outsider (50 minutes) examines the life of gay African American activist Bayard
Rustin who organized the 1963 March on Washington, but was ostracized by many because of his sexual orientation.

10-21 Reserve Readings:
Black pastors group launches anti-Obama campaign around gay marriage
Defining Marriage: Defense of Marriage Acts and Same-Sex Marriage Laws
Same-Sex Marriage, Civil Unions, and Domestic Partnerships
The Supreme Court and the Future of Marriage
United States v. Windsor
African American Conservatism: The Ideology of Justice Clarence Thomas
10-23 Film: The Justice Nobody Knows (40 minutes) is a 60 Minutes interview with U.S. Supreme
Court Justice Clarence Thomas shortly before the publication of his memoir, My Grandfather’s
Son .
10-25 Textbook Reading:
My Grandfather’s Son , chapters 1-5 (These chapters discuss his childhood, education, and first marriage)
10-28 Second Exam
10-30 Textbook Readings:
African Americans and the Judiciary, King chapter 7
My Grandfather’s Son
, chapters 6-10
11-1 Film: African American Conservatives (45 minutes) is an episode of the Hannity show on the Fox
News channel that includes interviews with African American conservative political activists.
11-4 Reserve Readings:
Unmasking the Black Conservatives
Black Conservatism and the Social Problems in Black America
African American Political Thought
11-6 Film: Eyes on the Prize: The Promised Land (50 minutes) examines Dr. King’s opposition to the
Vietnam war and the Poor People’s Campaign that occurred shortly before his death.
11-8 NO CLASS (Homecoming)
11-11 Textbook Readings:
African Americans and the Black Church, King chapter 11
African Americans and the Civil Rights Movement, King chapter 10
Reserve Readings: (I will email these articles to you.)
Martin Luther King Jr.: Apostle for Non-Violence
11-13 Film: Nation of Law is an episode of the Eyes on the Prize Civil Rights Documentary that examines the 1968 murders to two members of the Illinois Black Panther Party Fred Hampton and
Mark Clark and the attempts by Chicago policemen to cover up the crime. It also examines a
1971 prison uprising at the Attica State Prison in Attica, New York.
11-15 Textbook Readings:
African Americans and Democracy, King chapter 2
Reserve Reading:
Malcolm X: Sinner and Convert
What is Black Power? (I will email this to you.)

11-18 Papers are due today.
Reserve Reading:
The New Jim Crow (I will email this to you.)
11-20 Film: Frontline (The Pilgrimage of Jesse Jackson) (55 minutes) traces the political and civil rights activism of Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr. from 1968-1988.
11-22 Reserve Readings:
Allen West on White Boy’s Beating: Where’s Jesse Jackson?
Jesse Jackson: Populist Preacher (I will email this to you.)
Jesse Jackson on white boy bus beating: ‘It’s hard to make a comparison’
11-25 NO CLASS (Thanksgiving Holiday)
11-27 NO CLASS (Thanksgiving Holiday)
11-29 NO CLASS (Thanksgiving Holiday)
12-2 Textbook Reading:
African Americans and Congress, King chapter 5
Reserve Readings:
Congressional Black Caucus Chairman Admits Obama and His Blackness Trumps His Failed
Record
Obama Seeks to Mend Fences With Congressional Black Caucus
12-4 Third Test (Optional Papers are due).
The African American Politics Paper Assignment
You can write about any topic pertaining to African American politics, civil rights, law, or policy. It does not have to be a topic we’ve discussed in class. The papers must be double-spaced, typed, formatted according to the Chicago Manual of Style, APA, or MLA formats. Use an endnote page(s) rather than footnotes at the end of the paper, before the bibliography. You may also write the author’s last name, publication date, and page number in parentheses after citations rather than using the endnote page.
Please include subtitles (Introduction, subtitle for each separate section of the paper, and conclusion).
Don’t use abbreviations in academic papers and limit the usage of there is, there are, etc.
Sources:
Do not use internet sources that lack credibility.
There is no requirement for the number of sources, but remember that a comprehensive college-level paper usually requires a significant number of sources.
Determination of your grade:
Your grade will be determined on the basis of clarity, writing style, and analysis.
When writing the paper, try to answer the following questions:
Why is this research significant? In other words, what contribution does it make to the political science or African American Studies’ literature?
Are the major arguments and evidence presented persuasively?
Is the paper well written?