Course Syllabus: University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire
Fall Semester 2003
– First Year Experience Course
English 148:
Introduction to Black Writers
Dr. David M.
Jones, Instructor; Office: 414 HHH; 836-4949
Office Hours:
e-mail: jonesm@uwec.edu
Course Description:
This course provides a study of African American literature
and culture, including texts that date from the time of the American Revolution
to the early 21st century. The
course is intended to help students gain a deeper awareness of African American
literature and culture, especially the important relationship between African
American literary production and the development of contemporary
The history of black/white relations in the
Given these realities, the course examines literature both as
a method for aesthetic expression and a method of social change. Among American literature traditions,
African American literature is distinctive for its probing of fundamental and
difficult social questions: What is the state of black/white relations as the
In this course, we will address these questions with the hope that a more detailed understanding of African American literature and culture will improve our ability to respond as a community to current problems in race relations. Historically, African American writers have helped sustain collective efforts to improve the state of race relations. Improvements have also occurred due to movements for social change, the efforts of philanthropic organizations, the educational system, and the idealistic everyday acts of ordinary people. However, if the sentiments of the recent authors and critics represented in this course are accurate, future progress toward a true multiethnic democracy can only be sustained through continued attention to the problems in race relations. Students in this course will develop a richer understanding of successes as well as conflicts in black/white relations expressed in literature and other art forms.
This course is designed to fulfill several instructional goals that this university considers to be core components of a liberal arts education. Specifically, this course will help students develop:
an ability to write, speak, and listen.
an appreciation of the arts.
an historical consciousness.
international and intercultural experience.
Students are encouraged to consider using the literary analysis paper or a policy proposal for their graduation portfolios.
Required Texts:
Gates, Henry Louis, ed. The Norton Anthology of African American Literature.
(available for rental)
Guy-Sheftall,
(available for rental).
Johnson-Hodge, Margaret. Some Sunday.
Robinson, Jackie.
I Never Had It
Made.
Walker,
Course Expectations:
Students enrolled in this course are expected to read the assigned texts promptly and to be prepared to contribute their thoughts within a lecture/discussion format. While class sessions will include background commentary from the instructor, the success of the class depends on student preparation, enthusiasm, and participation. The instructor both expects and values thoughtful participation from all students. Students are also encouraged to consider their own relationships to American public culture as they respond to literary texts and develop essay topics.
Students are required to bring the appropriate text for every class session. This is important because class sessions will include “close reading,” a method for examining individual texts in detail, and students will need their texts to make this method work. Class meetings will sometimes include small group discussion, in-class writing, and media such as slides, feature film, and documentary film.
The course is also designed to accommodate students who have different levels of experience and confidence in the study of literature and the writing process. Writing assignments for the course provide opportunities to write formal essays and to write informal, “gut level” responses to course material. The instructor recommends a process method of writing the formal paper, where students record their thoughts quickly and spontaneously when beginning their work on the assignment, but also reserve time later for careful revision and editing.
Graded Assignments:
· Each in-class quiz will include five
questions.
·
Make-up quizzes will only be given in cases of prearranged or
documented
absences.
Contemporary Culture Watch (5 points): As a part of final exam presentation, students will bring articles to class from recent publications: newspapers or magazines are preferred sources. The following conditions must be met:
·
The subjects of the articles must be related to African American life and
culture,
whether the article is related to politics,
entertainment, civil rights, literature,
or other areas.
·
Students are especially encouraged to collect articles that are written on
related
topics.
· On
the days designated in the syllabus, students will bring one or more copies of
the article as necessary for submission and
grading.
·
Students must also write out the citation for the article in the appropriate
format,
to be affixed to or written on the
article.
·
During the class session, students will say a word of summary about the article
and explain the importance of the subjects
discussed.
·
Each submission will be worth a maximum of 1 points.
Policy Statements (20
points): For these two research based assignments, students will study an
issue raised in class and write a policy
recommendation. On the due dates
for these policy papers, students will summarize their papers briefly in class
for informal commentary. In a
three-page paper, students should accomplish the following:
· Describe a problem that exists in American
race relations in contemporary
culture.
·
Document the causes and extent of the problem, using research and
analysis.
Student should consider both historical and present-day factors that
contribute to the problem.
·
Propose a solution to the problem.
Explain persuasively why the solution
is likely to solve the problem. Using research, see what solutions
have
been applied to the problem, and comment on
other approaches as
necessary.
·
Your final document will include references to at least three reputable
secondary
sources.
Literary Analysis Paper (20 points): During the term, students will develop a 4- page paper on a topic related to required course texts. This paper may be developed using close reading, reflections on a text’s relationship to a cultural or historical moment in time, the critical and general audience reception for a course text, and/or the student’s personal reaction to the text, and consultation of at least six secondary sources. Students will be required to submit a rough draft worth 5 points that includes sources and a 250-word summary of the paper’s thesis. The final paper will be worth a maximum of 15 additional points. Possible approaches may include the following:
·
close reading of a single motif or method used in a
course text
·
reflection on a text’s relationship to a cultural or
historical moment in time
·
the critical and general audience reception for a
course text
·
the student’s personal reaction to the text
Final Exam (20 points): The final exam for the course will be given in a take-home format. Students will receive the questions at the end of class on the Wednesday before the final class day. There will be a total of 3 questions. Grading will be based on the following requirements:
·
Students will write on two exam questions.
·
The responses to the questions will have a maximum length of 4 typed
pages, double
or single spaced.
·
The responses will refer to several texts of poetry, drama, nonfiction, or
short fiction read during the
course.
·
One question will refer directly to articles gathered through
the
contemporary culture watch
assignment.
·
The responses will be edited and organized well.
·
The responses will demonstrate the student’s informed point of view
as
a result of the work done previously for the
course.
Class Policies:
Students who expect to earn an “A” or “B” grade for the course must demonstrate their interest in high achievement with strong attendance records, consistent preparation, and on-time submission of all course assignments during the semester. Failure to achieve in any of these areas constitutes grounds for a “C” grade or below.
The instructor values active learning as a method for
classroom work. Students are
expected to write seriously on an individual basis and to collaborate
effectively and respectfully with other students and the instructor. Students
are encouraged to contact the instructor with any concerns about special needs
that they feel may affect their class performance. Students with disabilities are
especially encouraged to contact the instructor about any concerns related to
the course.
To insure fairness to all students and validity of
grading, assigned work must be submitted during class on the due date for
full credit. If there are any
extenuating circumstances that would prevent submission of work at this time,
students must inform the instructor before the due date. Generally, late work will receive
half credit, but the instructor may not award any credit for severely late (more
than one class period) or unsatisfactory work. In case of medical and family
emergencies that prevent on-time submission of any assignment, students must
provide documentation on the day that they return to class to be assigned
make-up work. The final course
portfolio will be the only opportunity for extra credit work during this
course.
The instructor encourages students to establish strong
attendance records as a way of meeting course objectives. More than six unexcused absences constitutes grounds for a loss of course credit. Students
who are participating in extracurricular activities must establish an authorized
absence through the Dean of Students’ Office and inform the instructor before
the activity takes place. The
instructor also encourages students that are having difficulty with any
assignment to speak with the instructor two or more days before the assignment
is due, so that assistance can be provided.
The instructor will
follow the university policy on academic dishonesty and will not tolerate any
instance of plagiarism or other forms of cheating. Please see the student handbook for the
full text of this policy.
Please retain electronic copies of all assigned work after
submitting assignments to the
instructor. Also, please save returned papers until
the end of the semester, in
case of grading
discrepancies or disputes.
Grading Scale: The scale is approximate and is subject to
some adjustment based on the achievements of this particular class and the
validity of the assignments and grading as judged by the instructor at the end
of the course.
92-100
A
90-91
A-
88-89
B+
82-87
B
80-81
B-
78-79
C+
72-77
C
70-71
C-
68-69
D+
62-67
D
60-61
D-
Below 60
F
Weekly Schedule
(subject to occasional change):
Week 1: (September
2-5)
Day 1: American literature and history, contemporary culture, white supremacy,
and the black/white binary.
Day 2:
June Jordan: “A New Politics of Sexuality” (Gates 2238-2241)
Summary and commentary on
Week 2 (September
8-12)
Day 1: Film, On the
Ropes.
Day 2: Film, On the
Ropes.
Day 3: Introduction to I Never Had It Made: Cornel West,
Henry Aaron, and Jackie Robinson.
Week 3 (September
15-19)
Day 1: Robinson, I Never Had It
Made (3-70)
Day 2: Robinson, I Never Had It
Made (71-124)
Day 3: Robinson, I Never Had It
Made (125-209)
Week 4 (September
22-26)
Day 1: Robinson, I Never Had It Made (210-end); Quiz #1
Day 2: August
Day 3:
Section III: Writing the Feminine in African American
Cultural History
Week 5 (September
29-October 3)
Keywords: Poetry, lynching, separate but equal, blackface minstrel
Day 1: Sojourner Truth and Frances Harper (Gates 196-201; handout)
Day 2: Jacobs, Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl (Gates
207-245). Quiz
#3.
Day 3:
(Guy-Sheftall, 200-218)
Week 6 (October 6-10)
Day 1: Gwendolyn Brooks, “the mother” (Gates 1579-80), “We Real Cool” (1591).
Day 2:
Day 3: A Raisin in the Sun cont. (Gates 1754-1789). Film shown.
Week 7 (October
13-17)
Day 1: Comments on Hansberry, writing policy
statements, and
Day 2: Walker, By the Light of My Father’s Smile
(1-53).
Day 3: Walker, By the Light of
My Father’s Smile (54-125).
Week 8 (October
20-24)
Day 1: Walker, By the Light of My Father’s Smile
(126-219). Quiz #4.
Day 2: Contemporary culture
watch articles due (2 articles).
Day 3: No class
Section IV: African
Americans, the
Week 9 (October
27-31)
Day 1: Film, Menace to
Society.
Day 2: Film: Menace to
Society. Policy Statement Due.
Day 3: Johnson-Hodge, Some
Sunday.
Week 10 (November
3-7)
Day 1: Johnson-Hodge, Some Sunday. Quiz #5
Day 2: Class visit by Margaret Johnson-Hodge.
Day 3: Research day: no class meeting.
Thursday, November 6, at
Film shown at Davies Theater at 6 and 9,
Thursday-Sunday.
Tickets funded by the FYE
program.
Week 11 (November
10-14)
Day 1: Pulp Fiction:
Representing 1970s African American culture.
Day 2: Blues and hip hop in African American culture:
Selections from The Show and Brownie McGhee: Born with the
Blues
Day 3: Slam poetry: Glenis Redmon
Week 12 (November
17-21)
Day 1: Vernacular traditions (based on Gates 8-22: we will examine these pages in class). Phyllis Wheatley (Gates 164-171).
Day 2: Douglass, Narrative of the Life (Gates 299-369). Africanisms and
abolition.
Day 3: Douglass, cont.
Quiz # 6
Day 1: Wells-Barnett, “Lynch Law
in
Statement due.
Day 2: Paul Laurence Dunbar: “A Negro Love Song” (888), “Not They Who Soar”
(894), “We Wear the Mask” (896), “Sympathy” (900), “The Haunted Oak” (901).
Day 3: Film: I’ll Make Me a World. Analysis paper proposals
due.
Week 14 (December
1-5)
Day 1: 1960s Poetry and Politics: Amiri Baraka (Gates 1881-1885).
Day 2: Malcolm X and Martin Luther King (Gates, 1816-1833; 1853-1866)
Wallace, “Anger in Isolation…” (Guy-Sheftall, 220-227)
Day 3: Film: Place of Rage. Quiz #7 due (take home
assignment)
Week 15 (December
8-12)
Keywords: female circumcision, postmodernism, womanism
Day 1: Contemporary culture watch articles (3 articles due).
Day 2: Contemporary culture watch articles (3
articles due).
Distribution of
final exam questions.
Day 3: Course evaluations and conclusions: young African American
literary writers. Analysis papers due.
Final exam due during finals week
meeting.