FS 102
Jazz and the Great Migration
Spring, 2017
American Culture, Music, and the Changing Socioeconomic Position of African Americans
PROFESSOR: John Christie-Searles
EMAIL: [email protected]
COURSE SCHEDULE: Tuesday, Thursday 9:30AM - 10:45PM
Quigley Hall, Room 123
OFFICE: 124A Quigley Hall
OFFICE PHONE: 814-332-3334
OFFICE HOURS: Tuesdays 11:00AM – Noon., Thursdays 4:30– 5:00 PM, Wednesdays 9:00AM. to
Noon, 1:00 – 2:30PM, and by appointment
COURSE DESCRIPTION
This course will explore the social and cultural history of the movement of African-Americans
from Mississippi, and other southern states, to the north, mainly Chicago, and the impact the
movement had on the evolution of American music. Students investigate the conditions that
made the migration necessary and the implications for both the north and the south. This course
will also emphasize writing and speaking assignments
COURSE GOALS
1. To develop skill in reading, writing, and presenting within an academic context
2. To participate in a sustained conversation with other writers and speakers
3. To learn to generate and effectively support, in writing and speech, strong thesis
statements that address clearly defined problems.
4. To become familiar with musical genres associated with the Great Black Migration and
the socioeconomic conditions that created the need to migrate.
TEXTS
Isabel Wilkerson, The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America’s Great Migration,
(New York, 2010)
William Ferris, Give My Poor Heart Ease, (Chapel Hill, 2009)
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Davarian L. Baldwin, Chicago’s New Negroes, (Chapel Hill, 2007)
Greg Kot, I’ll Take You There, Mavis Staples, The Staple Singers, and the March up Freedom’s
Highway (Scribner, 2014)
COURSE REQUIREMENTS
Because this course is a writing seminar, assignments will be designed to improve your writing
skills. Further, all students will complete in-class, speaking exercises.
Your course grade will be based on two short writing exercises and one longer paper, two inclass speeches and a final presentation of the longer paper.
Speech #1
15%
Speech #2
15%
Paper #1
15%
Paper#2
15%
Paper#3/ Final Presentation
25%
Informal Assignments/Activities
15%
REQUIRED MOVIES
This course will also include the movies listed below. These will be screened during class time
and then placed on library reserve.
Ken Burns, Jazz (2001)
Denzel Washington, The Great Debaters (2008)
Darnell Martin, Cadillac Records (2009)
Denzel Washington, Fences (2016)
Nicholas Lehman, The Great Migration and How It Changed America (1991)
Oscar Micheaux, Swing! (1938)
Andrew Stone, Stormy Weather (1943)
2
RECOMMENDED TEXTS
David Evans, Big Road Blues, (Berkeley, 1982)
African American Music (New York, 2006)
WRITING
A major goal of this course is to help you improve your writing. Accordingly, you will write a
series of short papers ranging from four to five pages to ten pages in length. These writing
assignments provide an opportunity to focus and organize your ideas; in short, writing is a form
of deliberating. Writing is also a craft, which improves with practice (like typing or playing the
piano). The more writing you do, the more skillful you become as a writer.
Your paper assignments will be based on your readings and films. I strongly encourage you to
seek other outside research materials as well. You will receive some guidance and training in a
research instruction session facilitated by Jane Westenfield. The hands-on, collaborative session
foregrounds the iterative process of doing research.
Lastly, I strongly encourage you to use the services available at the Learning Commons. Getting
feedback benefits writers at all skill levels, and the Learning Commons’ writing consultants can
offer a fresh perspective on any of your writing projects.
FINAL PRESENTATION
Each student presents his/her final papers to the class. The presentations can include multimedia,
PowerPoint, and other audio visual aids. The presentations will be between five and seven
minutes in length, leaving some time for questions and discussion.
The following criteria will be used to determine each presenter’s grade:





How effectively did each presentation reflect the purpose of the presentation, the
occasion, and responsiveness to the audience?
How effective was each presentation in demonstrating a coherent arrangement of main
ideas, a skillful use of transitions, and organizational logic that enhanced the audience’s
understanding of the goal of the presentation?
How skillful was the presenter in employing strong reasoning and compelling supporting
evidence?
How well did the presenter convey a strong understanding of the content?
How skillful was the presentation evidenced through the powerful use of voice and
skilled use of the body/face?
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
How skillful did the presenter in using varied, interesting and creative language and word
choice?
OUTSIDE CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (date to be determined)
CLASS ATTENDANCE AND PARTICIPATION
The success of this course depends on your willingness to attend, study, and actively participate.
Active student participation heightens interest, and learning. Accordingly, class attendance is
required. More than two unexcused absences will result in a grade reduction for the course.
This syllabus includes texts, images, depictions and situations related to race, violence, sex, and
bigotry that may be difficult for some for a variety of reasons. I encourage each student taking
this class to exercise self-care if they find the content particularly challenging due to past trauma.
This may mean taking a break for 5 minutes or stepping away for an entire class. This may be
done without academic penalty for this class, though students are responsible for material
covered in class. All are expected to actively allow new ideas to challenge previous ideas, but
also to attend to their own needs. If you would like to further discuss your reactions to course
material, either with the class or with me afterwards, I encourage such discussion as an integral
piece of shared classroom learning.
PLAGIARISM
Plagiarism means using someone else’s ideas or language without proper attribution. Hacker’s
A Writer’s Reference (pp. 502-504) identifies three different acts that constitute plagiarism:



Failing to cite ideas borrowed from someone else;
Failing to use quotation marks when borrowing someone else’s exact language;
Failing to use your own words when paraphrasing someone else’s text.
Plagiarism is a violation of Allegheny’s honor code and can occur even when a student does not
intend to cheat. In other words, ignorance is no excuse. Documented instances of plagiarism are
usually punishable by both failure of the assignment and failure of the course. So, don’t
plagiarize; when in doubt, cite.
COURSE OUTLINE
Topic readings should be completed at the start of the week. Dates are approximate and may be
subject to change.
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JANUARY
17
I.
Introduction – What is This Course About?
Readings: Wilkerson, pages 1 through 46
19
II.
Lecture: What was the Great Migration?
Readings: Ferris 1 through 69
24
III.
Research Instruction Session, Pellitier Library
26
IV.
Lecture: Voices of Mississippi
Readings: Wilkerson, pages 47 through 88
31
V.
Lecture: Other Southern Voices: New Orleans
View Jazz
[Review Speech #1 Assignment]
FEBRUARY
2
VI.
Speech #1
Class Discussion – Jazz
Readings: Wilkerson, pages 89 through 124
7
VII.
Lecture: Breaking the Orbit, Part 1
Readings: Wilkerson, pages 125 through 179
9
VIII.
Lecture: Breaking the Orbit, Part 2
Readings: Wilkerson, pages 179 through 222
14
IX.
View The Great Debaters
Paper #1 Due
16
X.
Persuasive Speech
5
Class Discussion -- The Great Debaters
[Review Speech #2 Assignment]
21
XI.
The Promised Land, Nicholas Lehman
Readings: Wilkerson, pages 223 through 284
23
XII.
Swing! (1938)
28
XIII.
Class Discussion on Movies, Begin Speech #2
MARCH
2
XIV. Speech #2
7
XV.
Lecture: Promised Land and Music.
Readings: Ferris 70 through 135
9
XVI. Lecture: Instruments and influences
Readings: Ferris 137 through 209
14
XVII. View Cadillac Records
Paper #2 Due
[Review Final Presentation Assignment]
16
XVIII. Lecture: Black Migration Meets the Music Industry
Class Discussion – Cadillac Records
Readings: Ferris 210 through 258, Kot 1 through 90
6
21
Spring Break
23
Spring Break
28
XIX. Lecture: Complications in the North
Readings: Wilkerson, pages 285 through 332
30
XX.
View Stormy Weather
Readings: Wilkerson, pages 332 through 384
APRIL
4
XXI. GATOR DAY
Class Discussion – Stormy Weather
6
XXII. Lecture: Chicago
Readings: Wilkerson, pages 385 through 431
11
XXIII. View Fences
Readings: Wilkerson, pages 436 through 525
13
XXIV. Making the North Home
Readings: Baldwin, pages 1 through 52
Class Discussion – Fences, reverse Migration
18
Class Presentations
7
20
Class Presentations
25
Class Presentations
28
NO CLASS
Readings: Wilkerson, Epilogue
MAY
1
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Visit, Cleveland, OH
Final Paper Due
Students with learning disabilities should contact John Mangine to discuss their situation and
review their options for classroom and assignment accommodations. Here is John’s contact
information:
John Mangine, Associate Director of the Learning Commons
The Learning Commons
814-332-2898
[email protected]
Note: Laptops may only be used in the last (back) row of the classroom.
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