AFAM 355 | African American Women in American History

This course examines the distinct historical experience of African American women and explores the importance of race and of gender in the American past. Some of the topics considered include African American women and slavery, free black women in antebellum America, African American women and reform, issues of the family in slavery and freedom, sexuality and reproductive issues, African American women and the world of work, African American women in the struggle for education, and African American women and organized politics. The exploration of values is an important component of the course. Readings emphasize the use of primary sources ranging from slave narratives to contemporary fiction.