HIST334 SPRING 2024 AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY M/W 2PM-3:20PM CRAIG LEE 209 Syllabus
Professor Sherri V. Cummings scummings@ric.edu Craig Lee 447 Office Hours: by appointment
We honor and Rhode Island College sits on the traditional homelands of the respect the many Narragansett and Wampanoag diverse Indigenous peoples. Additionally, the college, peoples still like many other institutions in Island, is not devoid of connected to this Rhode historical linkages to the African land on which slave trade in the Americas. It is we gather. important to understand the longstanding history that has brought the college to reside on this land, and to seek to understand our roles within that history. These acknowledgments commit me to a lifetime of historical work dedicated to reclaiming the voices and experiences of those Indigenous and African peoples and their descendants today.
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ubuntu [oo-boon-too] ‘Ubuntu ngunmuntu ngabantu’ To be human is to recognize the humanity in others. - Nguni, South Africa This course is taught in the spirit of “Ubuntu” meaning I Am Because You Are. Ubuntu embodies all the virtues that maintain harmony and the spirit of sharing among the members of a society. It applies an appreciation of traditional beliefs and a constant awareness that an individual’s actions today reflect the past and will have far reaching consequences for the future. It is my intent that students from diverse backgrounds and perspectives be well served by this course, that students’ learning needs be addressed both in and out of class, and that the diversity that students bring to this class be viewed as a resource, a source of strength and overall benefit. It is my intent to present materials and activities that are respectful of diversity: gender, sexuality, disability, age, socioeconomic status, ethnicity, race, and culture. Your suggestions are encouraged and appreciated. Moreover, I am attentive to real world realities. If any of our meetings pose a personal conflict, please let me know. Prof. Sherri V. Cummings | HIST101-02 Spring 2024 | Page 3
This History course is cross
Africans and their descendants, brought to the North
listed with Africana Studies
American colonies beginning in the sixteenth century,
and fulfills the requirement
have played an integral part in building this nation. In
for the Africana Studies
spite of the prescription of slavery forced upon them,
major or minor. For more
they forged new identities based on their new world
information visit the Africana Studies informational site.
realities, while holding dear the culture and traditions from their African homelands. As the colonies broke
away from Britain and colonial rule, African Americans questioned the meaning of liberty and the right to be seen as equal citizens. This course surveys the African / African American experience, touching on themes of slavery, liberation, identity, resistance, and self determination. We begin in the 1500s when the first enslaved Africans accompanied the Spanish and established colonies in present day South Carolina and Florida, and end with contemporary issues that African American communities throughout the US face today.
LEARNING GOALS & OBJECTIVES
1. 3.
Critically examine digital archives to comprehend the experience of African and Afro-descended people in the United States.
Critically synthesize your own thoughts about the experiences and intellectual contributions of Black individuals in the United States specifically as it pertains to legacies of race, identity, resistance and the lasting effects of transatlantic slavery.
2.
Identify the ways Black people responded in order to express their own voices relevant to issues that were paramount to their daily lives.
4.
Gain critical skills for working in an archive with Special Collections at RIC, as well as examining primary sources in Special Collection pertinent to the final research project.
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COURSE STRUCTURE & REQUIREMENTS
The purpose of this course is to comprehend the experiences of African people and their descendants in the colonial, antebellum and present day United States as they respond to phenomenon that affects their daily lives. Students are responsible for completing all required readings so that they can come prepared to each class ready to
engage. We will also be relying heavily on digital archives that contain primary sources - original documents of first person accounts, ie. letters, newspaper articles, speeches, and more. Additionally, there will be four take home essay quizzes to access your understanding of topics discussed.
REQUIRED TECH:
LAPTOP
INTERNET CONNECTION
RELIABLE BROWSER
GOOGLE DRIVE
REQUIRED BLACKBOARD ACCOUNT
Class will be conducted in two portions. The first part of the class will consist of a twenty to thirty-minute lecture focusing on historical context. The second part of our weekly classes will be conducted as a “lab” where you will explore digital archives and primary sources relevant to our class discussions. The purpose of these explorations is to (1) to introduce students to nuanced methods of archival research where technology is centered and (2) to increase students’ critical thinking skills when examining primary sources. There are two parts to each exploration. Each question must be answered clearly and in complete descriptive sentences. Part 1: The Digital Archive 1. Who created the archive? What institutions, groups of people or other scholars were involved in its creation?
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2.
What is the stated purpose of the digital archive? Is there a mission statement or other statement of purpose located on the site? Describe in your own words what the stated purpose of the digital archive is.
3. What is featured on the site? 4. How are materials collected for the archive? Where are the physical sources housed? Part 2: Primary Source Analysis Browse through the site’s collections and choose a piece from the collection to analyze. 1. What have you chosen? 2. Provide a detailed description of the piece. 3. Don’t forget to include the source URL or citation. 4. Summarize the source in your own words, placing it in historical context. Make sure to include why the piece stands out to you and why is it important to preserve this source. Lab work / Explorations are due at the end of each class and are worth 30% of your overall grade. If you need additional time, please let me know. Failure to hand in your lab work / exploration for a specific class will result in a ‘0’ grade for that portion of the course. The final project for the course involves physically working with Special Collections at the J. P Adams Library here at Rhode Island College. Complete details follow in the course schedule section of the syllabus. Your final project and short presentation is worth 40% of your overall grade.
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COURSE RUBRIC
I firmly believe that what you put into this course is what you will get out of it. In short, do the required work and you will be just fine. Failure to complete all required
assignments will result in an “Incomplete” (IN) grade. It is up to you to communicate with your advisor and me to see how you can rectify your grade. If you do not do so in a timely manner, you will receive a failing grade.
• Quizzes 20%
Grade Breakdown at RIC 95 - 100 90 - 94 87 - 89 84 - 86 80 - 83 77 - 79
A AB+ B BC+
74 - 76 70 - 73 67 - 69 64 - 66 60 - 63 Below 60
C CD+ D DF
• Lab Work
30%
• Final Project
40%
• Presentation
10%
RESOURCES
The Writing Center, located on the lower level of the Adams Library is an informal, comfortable space in which writers can talk about their writing concerns with people (peer tutors) who are willing to listen, share, and respond. We believe that what writers need most is an informed
audience of readers as well as active discussion about how writing happens. Thus, the tutoring appointment consists of reading, writing, and discussion. The goal of these writing conversations is to help students learn about their processes as they work through the writing assigned in their classes. People who use the Writing Center on a regular basis usually develop a heightened awareness of their writing process, discover a variety of strategies for working through their papers, and develop stronger pieces of writing. If you are having difficulty with writing or would like more information or assistance, consult the Writing Center. The Writing Center’s goal is to work with writers to explore and develop their ideas, to become aware of the needs of their readers, and to learn the rhetorical and syntactical strategies necessary for effective communication. To make an appointment, email: https://ricmywconline.com
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The Disability Services Center (DSC) at Rhode Island College is the College’s designated agent for determining eligibility, facilitating access, and coordinating accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities. Students requesting adjustments, modifications, or services related to a disability should register with the DSC to determine eligibility. Students can request and manage their accommodations through the online portal, Accessible Information Management.
Education is the great engine of personal development. It is through education that the daughter of a peasant can become a doctor, that the son of a mineworker can become the head of the mine, that a child of farm workers can become the president of a great nation. It is what we make out of what we have, not what we are given, that separates one person from another. – Nelson Mandela
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COURSE SCHEDULE
All course readings are contained within this packet and organized by date unless otherwise noted. This course schedule, related readings and requirements are
subject to change without notice. In addition to journal articles and select chapters from historical publications, many of the readings are taken from the textbook, African American Odyssey, (AAO), The Combined Volume, 7th edition, 2018. All readings have been included in the full course packet for your easy reference. A bibliography of all digital archives has also been provided.
1.17 | Introduction / Syllabus Review / Course Review 1.22 | What is African American History? What are Digital Archives? Video: Ted Talk - Chimamanda Ngozi Adiche, “The Danger of a Single Story.” DH Exercise - The National Archives 1.24 | African Arrivals 1526-1763 - AAO-55-88 Exploration: 1. Cabeza de Vaca, 2. Gracia Real de Santa Teresa de Mose, 3. Slave Societies / Florida 4. JCB Americana, 5. Freedom on the Move 6. Eleven Names Project
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1.29 | African Americans and the Struggle for Independence - AAO, 89-112 Exploration: 1. Black Loyalists / Lord Dunmore’s Proclamation 2. African Nova Scotians in the Age of Slavery and Abolition 3. Rhode Island State Archives / Black Rhode Islanders 4. African Americans and the Struggle for Freedom (See list) 1.31 | African Americans in a New Nation 1783-1820 -AAO, 113-143 Exploration: 1. The Adverts 250 Project 2. The African American Midwest 3. Examination Days: The New York African Free School Collection 4. The Church in the Southern Black Community 5. North American Slave Narratives 2.05 | Slavery in Antebellum US / Ripples from the Wider Atlantic World, 1793-1861. AAO, 146-172 | Essay Quiz 1 Exploration: 1. Digital Library on American Slavery 2. Gabriel’s Rebellion 3. The Nat Turner Project 4. The Amistad Trial 5. Descendants of the Great Dismal Swamp 2.07 | Free Black Communities in the Antebellum United States, 1820-1861. AAO, 173-201
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Exploration: 1. A Quest for Full Citizenship 2. The Free People of Color in Louisiana 2.12 | Black Abolitionism in the United States. AAO, 202-221 Exploration: 1. Black Abolitionist Archive 2. The Sojourner Truth Project 3. Abolitionist Newspapers 2.14 | African American Resistance and the Fight For Freedom, 1833-1850. AAO, 222-244 Exploration: 1. The Frederick Douglass Papers at the Library of Congress 2. Black Women’s Suffrage (1850-1960) 2.19 | Precursor to Civil War. AAO, 245-275 | Essay Quiz 2 Exploration: 1. Colored Conventions 2. HBCU Library Alliance 2.21 | Civil War, Emancipation and Black Reconstruction In Class Documentary: Amend Episode 1 (See Blackboard for Assignment) 1. Exploration: 2. The Freedman’s Bureau Records 3. Memorable Days: The Emilie Davis Diaries 4. Last Seen: Finding Family After Salvery Prof. Sherri V. Cummings | HIST101-02 Spring 2024 | Page 11
2.26 | African Americans in the Early 20th Century, 1895-1925. AAO, 443-475 Exploration: 1. W.E.B. DuBois, The Crisis Magazine 2. Booker T. Washington 3. Anna Julia Cooper 4. Ida B. Wells 1 / Ida B. Wells 2 5. Goin’ North 6. WWII 7. Black Quotidian 2.28 | The New Negro, 1918-1929. AAO 481-512 Exploration: 1. Behind the Veil 2. Claude McKay 3. Zora Neale Hurston 4. Marcus Garvey 3.04 | The Great Depression & WWII . AAO 514-544 Exporation: 1. WWII (National Archives) 2. Rural African Americans During the Depression 3.06 | Meanings of Freedom 1930-1950. AAO, 550-578 | Essay Quiz 3 Exploration: 1. Born in Slavery - Slave Narratives from the Federal Writers Project, 1936-1938 Prof. Sherri V. Cummings | HIST101-02 Spring 2024 | Page 12
SPRING BREAK 3.11-3.17 3.18 | The War Era / The Seeds of Revolution. AAO 583-611 Exploration: 1. The Vietnam War 3.20 | The Long Freedom Movement, 1950-1970. AAO, 620-656 Exploration: 1. The Nation of Islam 2. Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee 3. Fannie Lou Hammer 4. Civil Rights Digital Library 5. The Freedom Archives 6. Black Power and the Black G.I. 7. James Baldwin 1 / James Baldin 2 3.25 | Black Nationalism, Black Power and Black Arts 1965-1980s. AAO 662-697 Exploration: 1. Black Liberation 1969 Archive 2. Black Panther Party Radio Archive 3. Black Arts Movement 4. Shirley Chishom 1 / Shirley Chisholm 2 5. Audre Lorde Archive
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3.27 | Onward and Forward into the 21st Century. AAO, 749-778 | Essay Quiz 4 Exploration: 1. Mumia Abu Jamal Collection @ Brown 2. Black Lesbian Archives 3. Project Stand 4. The Baltimore Uprising Archive Project 5. Black America and Covid 19 Special Collections Research / Final Project You will have the unique opportunity to work with the Dr. Carl Russell Gross Papers, some of which has been digitized by Special Collections in the Adams Library. As the primary physician to the Black community in Providence for several decades, Dr. Carl Russell Gross (1888-1971) came to know well its members. Aided by his numerous connections with the Rhode Island Black community, Dr. Gross devoted himself to the research and writing of its history. The Dr. Carl Russell Gross Collections contains six manuscript versions of an unpublished book which Dr. Gross never finished and a subject file containing research material used for this project. Using the work of Dr. Gross: 1. You are to choose a topic from his exploration of the history of Black Rhode Islanders, ie: the colonial era, the Free Masons, Siserietta Jones, etc., to expand upon for your own digital archival project. This involves developing a research question to lay the foundation of your work as well as a purpose / mission statement. 2. Identify the tools you will use to build your project - storytelling, digital mapping, oral history, text analysis, social network diagrams, etc. 3. How will you build your collection of primary sources and what repositories will you use? Here, you will identify 3-5 primary sources, describe each and explain why these sources are relevant to your project.
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4. What secondary sources will you include for further reading? Here you will identify 3-5 secondary sources , describe each and explain why you chose these sources to further the discussion of the topic you chose to explore. 5. Put it all together in a final 5-10 minute presentation. I encourage you to be as creative as you want, using images, video, animations, etc. Project Schedule: 4.01 | Introduction to Special Collections by Dr. Veronica Denison •
Definitions and Terminology (collections, primary sources, finding aids, inventories, etc.)
•
Care and handling of materials
•
Examples of collections – initial exploration
•
Zine project intro
4.03 | Exploring Collections •
Keeping track of primary source research
•
Taking pictures of materials for your project
•
More time to explore collections
•
Book your follow up appointment! Instructions to follow.
4.08 | Research Day, 4.10 | Research Day, 4.15 | Research Day, 4.17 | Research Day, 4.22 | Research Day 4.24 | Research Day, 4.29 | In Class Presentations
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African Americans and the Struggle for Freedom. Choose One to Explore. (Sources for 1.29 Class) •
“Phillis Wheatley’s Poem on Tyranny and Slavery in the Colonies, 1772.”
•
“‘Natural and Inalienable Right to Freedom’: Slaves’ Petition for Freedom to the Massachusetts Legislature, 1777.”
•
“Pennsylvania – An Act for the Gradual Abolition of Slavery, 1780.”
•
“‘Having Tasted the Sweets of Freedom’: Cato Petitions the Pennsylvania Legislature to Remain Free.” 1781.
•
“Belinda Sutton Petition, 1783.” The Royall House and Slave Quarters. (Background information: “Belinda Sutton and Her Petitions.” The Royall House and Slave Quarters.)
•
Massachusetts Constitution and the Abolition of Slavery: Mum Bett and Quock Walker
•
“James Petitioned the General Assembly, November 30, 1786.” (Background information: Encyclopedia Virginia. Virginia Humanities.)
•
“Petition of 1788 by Slaves of New Haven for the Abolition of Slavery in Connecticut.”
•
George Washington’s Letter to Tobias Lear. April 12, 1791.
•
“‘I Began to Feel the Happiness, Liberty, of which I Knew Nothing Before’: Boston King Chooses Freedom and the Loyalists during the War for Independence (1798).”
•
“Washington’s Runaway Slave,” The Liberator (August 22, 1845) [Orig. Pub: Rev. T. H. Adams, “Washington’s Runaway Slave and How Portsmouth Freed Her,” The Granite Freeman (Concord, New Hampshire), May 22, 1845].
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NOTES:
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Prof. Sherri V. Cummings | scummings@ric.edu