Week Three: Overview

Critical Race Theory - The Foundations

ASSIGNED READING

This week we will focus on the seminal work of W.E.B Du Bois, a public intellectual, sociologist, and activist who behalf of the African American community The assigned readings offer you a small sample of Du Bois' vast body of work and introduce two key concepts: "double consciousness" and "psychological wage." The readings also offer a window into the tumultuous context that emerged in the early twentieth century in the US in the decades that followed the post Civil-War Reconstruction (1865-1877). Make sure to see the Assigned Readings tab for summary and guidlines before you start the readings. Follow the reading guidelines first to know what to look for and then watch the videos to check for your reading comprehension.

LECTURE VIDEOS

The first video is a recommended short You Tube video honoring the life and work of Du Bois. The lecture series follows the three assigned readings, providing an overview of the objective and breakdown of key concepts and their application. Each video includes present day examples to showcase the significance of Du Bois' contributions as a foundational thinker of the discipline of sociology, more broadly, and of research on race and race relations, more specifically.

DISCUSSION SECTION

During your discussion section this week you will review main arguments / key concepts from Omi and Winant's (2015) Racial Formation Theory by connecting it to a segment of an All My Relations podcast episode "Beyond Blood Quantum." In this episode, Native scholars and podcast co-hosts Matika Wilber and Adrienne Keene discuss blood, enrollment, law, genetics and belonging with Charlotte Logan (Akwesasne Mohawk) a genetic researcher debunking blood quantum theory, Gabe Galanda (Round Valley Indian Tribes of California, descending from the Nomlaki and Concow Tribes), a prolific Seattle attorney fighting disenrollment cases, Tommy Miller (Colville), attorney and author.

You will only have time to listen to a short segment of the episode during section; listen to the full episode here if you would like to learn more about this important issue while continuing to practice refining your critical analytical thinking and writing skills (see extra credit board for opportunity to get extra credit points toward your discussion board final grade).

ASSIGNED MEDIA

This week we will listen to a conversation between Alicia Garza and Kimberlé Crenshaw on the origins of the concept of "intersectionality" (first coined by Crenshaw in 1989; see recommended reading in readings tab) and Critical Race Theory as a tool for transformation, among other important topics that offer a thread to connect feminist struggles across the Americas. Alicia Garza founded the Black Futures Lab and is co-creator of #BlackLivesMatter and the Black Lives Matter Global Network and Kimberlé Crenshaw is a Civil Rights Attorney, Professor of Law at UCLA, and co-founder of the African American Policy Forum. Their conversation in December 2020 covers various important topics related to the class, namely what Critical Race Theory is and why it has become a politically contentious (if even misunderstood) topic in recent years.

LEARNING OUTCOMES

By the end of the week, you will have an appreciation of the historical contributions of W.E.B. Du Bois to sociology, African American Studies, and Critical Race Theory. You will also have a clearer understanding of the development of Critical Race Theory as a tool for identifying and analyzing race and racism both historically and today.

Activities

Readings / Medea

Lectures

Assignments and Discussion

Assigned reading:

Du Bois, W.E.B. 1903. “The Forethought,” and “Of Our Spiritual Strivings,” In The Souls of Black Folk, Global Grey (pp.1-10)

Du Bois, W.E.B. 1924. “The Emancipation of Democracy,” In The Gift of Black Folk: The Negros in the Making of America. Stratford. (pp. 135-183)

Du Bois, W.E.B. 1935.
Chapter XVI. “Back Toward Slavery,” in Black Reconstruction in America, (pp. 670-710)

Assigned media:

Podcast: Lady Don't Take Nopodcast episode "Kimberlé Crenshaw's Critical Race Garden" (47:07 mins)

Lecture video series

1. “Setting the Stage" (recommended to watch before doing the readings)

2. “Laying the foundations for critical race theory” (recommended to watch doing after the readings)

Friday, Oct. 15. Weekly review session

DISCUSSION BOARD 2, will incorporate assigned readings and media from weeks 3-4 and be due SAT. 10/23, BY 11:59PM