Ateneo - UPO

This course aims to explore the history of African American social and political movements, in the conviction that it represents a decisive vantage point from which to examine the history of the United States as a whole. From the abolitionist struggle against slavery to the fight against segregation in the South, to the Black Lives Matter mobilization against systemic racism, African American movements have been a fundamental force of transformation in American society, while African American political discourse has offered a critical and antagonistic perspective on American institutions and ideology. In studying these events, the course poses a fundamental question: what does the history of the United States look like when viewed from the African American perspective — that is, from the perspective of those who, throughout that history, have been oppressed and have struggled for their liberation? The course will reconstruct the key moments of African American social, political, and intellectual history from the period of the Atlantic slave trade to the present. Throughout the seminar, particular attention will be paid to the study of primary sources and to the collective reading and discussion of canonical texts in African American political discourse. Special focus will be placed on the most recurring and significant issues in the history of African American social movements and their political discourse, such as the conceptualization of freedom, equality, and emancipation in opposition to slavery, racism, and segregation, as well as the relationship between equality and difference, between integration and separation, between violence and nonviolence, and the connections and intersections among racial, sexual, and class hierarchies.

1. Jonathan Scott Holloway, Breve storia degli afroamericani, Il Mulino, 2022.
2. Stefano Luconi, L'anima nera degli Stati Uniti, CLEUP, 2021.
3. George Rawick, Lo schiavo americano dall’alba al tramonto, DeriveApprodi, 2022.
Detailed bibliographical information will be provided at the beginning of the course.

The course aims to facilitate the acquisition of the fundamental elements of U.S.
history between the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, as well as their relevance to
contemporary public debate, by providing students with tools for reading and
interpreting the proposed primary and secondary sources in relation to the issues addressed.

None

Lessons and discussion in class.

Written exam, 2 hours
Part one: 5 multiple choice questions (3 points each)
Part two: 3 open-ended questions (5 points each)

At the end of the course, students should have improved their ability to think critically about the historical issues addressed, as well as their individual learning ability through the reading and interpretation of the assigned sources and texts. In addition, on level of communication, students should have improved their ability to participate in collective classroom discussion and their academic writing skills in English.