HISTORY 204: AFRICAN-AMERICAN HISTORY

DR. WAYNE GLASKER

SPRING 2001: MW 6:00-7:20 PM

OFFICE: 355 ARMITAGE HALL

PHONE: 225-6220

EMAIL: GLASKER@CRAB.RUTGERS.EDU

WGLASKER@AOL.COM

OFFICE HOURS: MW 3:00-5:30 AND BY APPT.

COURSE DESCRIPTION

This is the second half of an introductory survey course in African-American history. Much of the focus of the course will be on the period from secession (1860-1861) to the present. This time period encompasses the Civil War, Reconstruction, the era of state sponsored segregation that existed in the South from roughly 1880 to 1964 and disenfranchisement (denying the right to vote), which prevailed in the South from 1890-1965. The course also examines the Great Migrations of blacks from the South to the North, the impact of the World Wars and the Civil Rights Movement, and Malcolm X and contemporary conditions. We will also look at the contributions of African Americans to music, literature, science and medicine. Throughout, we will see how African Americans have been victimized, exploited and subordinated by white supremacy, and have struggled against institutionalized racism.

Students do not have to take the first half of the course, History 203, in order to take the second half. You may take either half, in any order, and some students only take one half.

REQUIRED BOOKS

  1. John Hope Franklin From Slavery To Freedom
  2. Kenneth Stampp The Era of Reconstruction
  3. Michael D’Orso Rosewood: Like Judgment Day
  4. Spencie Love The Death and Resurrection of Charles Drew
  5. Malcolm X Autobiography of Malcolm X
  6. David Zucchino The Myth of the Welfare Queen
COURSE REQUIREMENTS

There will be at least three exams, and a Final Exam. All dates are tentative and subject to change. It is your responsibility to be here, and if you are here you will know when the exams will occur. More exams will be given if I determine that more are needed*. Together, the exams count for fifty percent of the course grade. There will be fourbook reports (interpretative papers) of about 5 pages each on the books Rosewood, Charles Drew, Malcolm X and Myth of the Welfare Queen. Each book report will count for ten percent of the course grade (forty percent altogether). Class participation and attendance count for ten percent of the course grade.
 
 

In the past, some students have not understood that being in school is a serious responsibility. It is like a job. You are here in this class to pay attention to the lectures and to take notes. If you conspicuously chat and converse during the lecture you will be asked to take your conversation to the lobby. No more than six absences are expected (that is an average of almost once every two weeks), or about one-fourth of our 27 class meetings). If you have been absent for weeks at a time without explanation or an advisory letter from the Student Advising Office you will not be re-admitted to class or permitted to take exams. If you are enrolled I expect you to be here. If you are not going to be here, or cannot be here, you should not be enrolled. Rutgers-Camden does not offer correspondence courses. This is not a remedial class.

If you are absent it is your responsibility to get notes from a classmate. The failure to get notes when absent is an even greater offense than the absence itself.

If you are absent more than six times, your grade for the course will be reduced by one letter grade (the equivalent of ten points). If it had been an A, it will become a B; if it had been a B, it will become a C; and so forth. If your absences are excessive, you will be referred to the Student Advising Office and asked to withdraw from the course.

Ordinarily, no late exams will be given. Missed exams will automatically count as an "F" unless there is a credible doctor’s note, auto repair receipt ("my car broke down’), funeral card ("my grandmother died again"), or obituary. No late FINAL will be given.

An effort has been made to place the readings listed as "Reserve" readings on Electronic Reserve. Ideally, you can access it from IRIS and download the readings as needed. However technology is not perfect, and this is the first year that we have used Electronic Reserve, and there is no guarantee that it will work at all or work well.

The course is taught from a multicultural perspective. There will be occasional guest lectures and there also may be co-curricular activities that take place outside of the regular class time. Students are encouraged to attend the co-curricular activities, and they can be used to generate extra credit. For example, on Friday, January 26 at 6 pm in the Campus Center the Chinese and Vietnamese students will be holding a celebration for Tet, the East Asian New Year. I am asking all students to attend, and extra-credit points will be awarded.

W Jan 17 Introductory Lecture

M Jan 22 John Hope Franklin, From Slavery To Freedom, Chapter 11 (Civil War)

W Jan 24 John Hope Franklin, From Slavery To Freedom, Chapter 12

Jerrell Shofner, "The Black Codes, " On Reserve at library

Fri, Jan 26 Tet observance in Campus center, at 6 pm. Co-curricular inter-cultural Extra Credit activity M Jan 29 Kenneth Stampp, Era of Reconstruction, Chaps. 1-2

W Jan 31 Tentatively, First Exam

M Feb 5 Kenneth Stampp, Era of Reconstruction, Chaps. 3-4

W Feb 7 Kenneth Stampp, Era of Reconstruction, Chaps. 5-7

M Feb 12 John Hope Franklin, From Slavery To Freedom, Chapter 13-15

W Feb 14 Paula Giddings, "When and Where I Enter," Chapter One, On Reserve

W.E.B. Du Bois, "Of Our Spiritual Strivings," (Chapter One of The Souls of

Black Folk, and "The Development of a People," On Reserve

Expect another exam soon
 
 

M Feb 19 John Hope Franklin, From Slavery To Freedom, 16-17

W Feb 21 Michael D’Orso, Rosewood, Introduction, Prologue, Chaps. 1-5 (to p. 58)

M Feb 26 Michael D’Orso, Rosewood, Chaps. 6-17, pp. 61-158

W Feb 28 Michael D’Orso, Rosewood, Chaps. 18-31, pp. 161-292.

M Mar 5 Michael D’Orso, Rosewood, Chaps. 32-Epilogue, pp. 295-332

W Mar 7 Book report due on Rosewood

Spring Break M March 12- Sunday, March 18

M Mar 19 John Hope Franklin, From Slavery To Freedom, Chaps. 18-20

W Mar 21 Spencie Love, Death and Resurrection of Charles Drew, Chaps. 1-3

M Mar 26 Spencie Love, Death and Resurrection of Charles Drew, Chaps. 4-7

W Mar 28 Spencie Love, Death and Resurrection of Charles Drew, Chaps. 8-end

M Apr 2 Guest lecture by Jim Miller on Scottsboro case

W Apr 4 book report on Dr. Charles Drew and Maltheus Avery

M Apr 9 Autobiography of Malcolm X, Chaps. 1-15

W Apr 11 Autobiography of Malcolm X, Chaps. 16-end

M Apr 16 Book report due on Malcolm X

W Apr 18 John Hope Franklin, From Slavery To Freedom, Chaps. 22-24

Myth of the Welfare Queen, Chaps. 1-6

M Apr 23 Myth of the Welfare Queen, Chaps. 7-10

W Apr 25 Myth of the Welfare Queen, Chaps. 11-15

M Apr 30 Book report due on Myth of the Welfare Queen

Go to Lecture of January 17, 22 (Secession, Election of 1860)

Lectures on Lincoln

Blacks in the Civil War

Politics of Reconstruction

Reconstruction Part Two

Freedmen's Bureau

Economics of Reconstruction

Kenneth Stampp Lecture

Election of 1876

Segregation

Disenfranchisement

Kansas Exodus

Life in 1900

BOOKER T WASHINGTON

W.E.B.DUBOIS

WORLD WAR I

HARLEM RENAISSANCE

SCIENCE AND MEDICINE

CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT