ENGL2413 - 01 - African American Literature: a Tradition Of Resistance

(LI) Literary Inquiry (AI-L) Aesthetic Inquiry Lit (DM) Diversity and Multiculturalism

This course examines major works of African American literature to provide students with an understanding of how African American literature has evolved in the United States, both as a national and transnational literature. Through a range of genres including poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction, the course traces the ways in which African American peoples made sense of their relationship to American society, their sociopolitical environment, and how they saw themselves in the world. Major themes include identity, race, power and protest. Ultimately, the course provides a comprehensive introduction to the major themes, ideas, and movements that have shaped and continue to influence African American literature as an ever-evolving American literature.