Introduction to African-American Politics
Political Science 3100.003, Fall 2014
Sage Hall, Room 356
Monday and Wednesday, 3:30-4:50 p.m.
Professor: Tony E. Carey Jr., Ph.D.
Office: Wooten Hall, Room 144
Office Hours: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, 2:00-3 p.m.
Email: [email protected]
Course Description and Goals:
This course explores the development of African-American politics in the United States. We begin by
examining the modes of thought that emerged in the black community in reaction to systematic racial
discrimination. Next, we deal with the social movements that took place within the African-American
community to combat racial segregation in the South; in particular, this portion of the course highlights
the legal battles that led to Brown v. Board of Education as well as the protest activities that paved the
way for the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Lastly, we will
cover issues related to African Americans’ transition from protest politics to mainstream electoral
involvement as well as current trends in African-American politics.
My goal for the course is to provide students with a supplemental narrative to the discussions that we
often have about American politics. I also hope to convey how influential the African American presence
in the United States has been to American politics. Lastly, my goal is to provide students with the tools to
think critically about issues of race and how they are employed in our national politics.
Required Reading:
Morris, Aldon D. (1984) The Origins of the Civil Rights Movement: Black Communities Organizing for
Change. New York: The Free Press. (OCRM)
In addition to the Morris text, there are a number of articles and book chapters that you will be expected
to read before each class. These course materials will be posted on Blackboard Learn.
Course Evaluation:
1) 3 Reaction Essays (20%): On select days (which are indicated in the schedule below) you will be
required to turn in an essay discussing the key issues brought up in the reading material for the week.
You must choose 3 essays out of a total of 5 potential topics scheduled throughout the semester. Each
essay should be no less than 700 words (approximately 3 double-spaced pages) and should reference
the relevant reading material from class. Any materials referenced outside of class material must
be cited on the back page in APA format. Half of the points will be automatically deducted from
the grades of any essay failing to meet these criteria. Reaction essays should be submitted on Turn-ItIn 10 minutes before class.
The essay should not only review the reading, but also provide an evaluation of the perspectives and
arguments offered in the reading. While I am asking for your thoughts, I want you to offer an informed
position rather than opinions based solely on your experiences or general feelings on an issue. Feel free
to introduce outside sources; however, you should prioritize your discussion around the material supplied
on the syllabus. Any outside sources should come from a credible source (e.g., books, research articles,
or articles from a reputable newspaper) and should be cited on a reference page in the back of the paper.
Blog posts and other unsourced information are not considered credible sources.
1 2) Midterm Examination (25%): The midterm examination will consist of a mixture of multiple-choice,
short answer, and essay questions. The midterm will be conducted in class. You are responsible for
bringing a bluebook and writing instrument for the midterm.
3) Pop Quizzes (10%): At undisclosed times, there will be quizzes on the assigned reading material. They
will consist of no more than five short answer questions. The number and frequency of the pop quizzes
are at the discretion of the instructor. There will be no make-ups for pop quizzes. If you are not
present on the day of a pop quiz without an approved excuse, you will receive no credit.
4) Oral Presentations (20%) Throughout the semester, every student will be given a topic to present to the
class. Students will be evaluated based on the substantive content, whether references not represented on
the syllabus are used, and the professionalism of the presentation. Students will be handed a list of topics
to be covered and will be able to select from them.
5) Final Examination (25%): The final exam will take place on Wednesday, December 11, 2013 at 1:303:30pm. Like the midterm examination, it will include a mixture of multiple-choice, short answer, and
essay questions. The final exam is cumulative.
6) Extra Credit: Students can earn 2 additional points on their reaction essays if they seek assistance from
the UNT Student Writing Lab. Students should seek assistance for their sentence structure, grammar, and
structuring their arguments. In order to gain credit, students will need to submit a stamped letter of
completion from the writing lab.
Grading Scale:
A = 90-100
B = 80-89
C = 70-79
D = 60-69
F = Below 60
Scores with any fraction below .5 will be rounded down, while any fraction above .5 will be rounded up.
I DO NOT NEGOTIATE GRADES AT THE END OF THE SEMESTER!!
Academic Dishonesty:
The Political Science Department adheres to and enforces UNT’s policy on academic integrity (cheating,
plagiarism, forgery, fabrication, facilitating academic dishonesty and sabotage). Students in this class
should review the policy (UNT Policy Manual Section 18.1.16), which may be located at
http://policy.unt.edu/sites/default/files/untpolicy/pdf/7-Student_Affairs-Academic_Integrity.pdf.
Any
student who violates the academic integrity policy in this course will receive an automatic failing grade
on the suspected assignment.
Acceptable Student Behavior:
Student behavior that interferes with an instructor’s ability to conduct a class or other students'
opportunity to learn is unacceptable and disruptive and will not be tolerated in any instructional forum at
UNT. Students engaging in unacceptable behavior will be directed to leave the classroom and the
instructor may refer the student to the Center for Student Rights and Responsibilities to consider whether
the student's conduct violated the Code of Student Conduct. The university's expectations for student
conduct apply to all instructional forums, including university and electronic classroom, labs, discussion
groups, field trips, etc. The Code of Student Conduct can be found at www.unt.edu/csrr 2 BlackboardTM System:
Class information and grades will be posted on Blackboard. You will log on at learn.unt.edu by using
your
EUID
and
password.
If
experiencing
problems,
you
should
visit:
https://ecampussupport.unt.edu/index.cfm?M=Student_Resources, which is the self-help webpage. If your
technical
issues
persist,
you
should
contact
the
helpdesk
by
email
at:
https://web3.unt.edu/helpdesk/email/email.php or telephone at (940) 565-2324. The helpdesk also takes
walk-ins at Room 119 in the Information Sciences Building (ISB).
Disability Support Services:
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a federal anti-discrimination statute that secures
comprehensive civil rights protections for persons with disabilities. This legislation requires that all
students with disabilities be guaranteed a learning environment that reasonably accommodates their
disabilities. If you believe you have a disability requiring special accommodations, you must contact the
Office of Disability Accommodation (ODA) before they will be supplied. Students who utilize the
testing center must complete an Alternative Test Request form from the ODA that must be signed by the
instructor for each course and exam that he or she wishes to take at the ODA Testing Center.
Course Schedule and Assignments:
Monday, August 25, 2014- Introduction
AFRICAN-AMERICAN POLITICAL THOUGHT AND PUBLIC OPINION:
Wednesday, August 27, 2014-Black Political Thought
Dawson (2000) Black Visions Chapter 1 “The Contours of Black Political Thought” pp. 1-23.
Monday, September 1, 2014- Labor Day-NO CLASS
Wednesday, September 3, 2014-Black Political Thought
Dawson (2000) Black Visions Chapter 1 “The Contours of Black Political Thought” pp. 24-43.
Monday, September 8, 2014-Radical Egalitarianism
Michael C. Dawson (2000) Black Visions Chapter 6 “The Diverse Shades of Black Liberalism.” pp. 238272.
Wednesday, September 10, 2014-Radical Egalitarianism
Michael C. Dawson (2000) Black Visions Chapter 6 “The Diverse Shades of Black Liberalism.” pp. 281302.
Monday, September 15, 2014-Black Nationalism
Michael C. Dawson (2000) Black Visions Chapter 3 “Visions of a Black Nation: Black Nationalism and
African-American Political Thought.” pp. 85-105.
Wednesday, September 17, 2014-Black Nationalism
Michael C. Dawson (2000) Black Visions Chapter 3 “Visions of a Black Nation: Black Nationalism and
African-American Political Thought.” pp. 106-134.
3 Monday, September 22, 2014-Black Public Opinion
Lee Sigelman and Susan Welch (1991) Black Americans’ Views of Racial Inequality Chapter 5 “Black
Explanations of Racial Inequality”
First Reaction paper due: What is radical egalitarianism and black nationalism? Discuss their main
principles? Discuss the strengths and weaknesses of both ideologies?
THE POST-RECONSTRUCTION ERA AND THE JIM CROW SOUTH:
Wednesday, September 24, 2014-Accommodation or Activism
W.E.B. DuBois (1993) The Souls of Black Folk
Chapter 1 “Of Our Spiritual Strivings”
Chapter 2 “Of the Dawn of Freedom”
Monday, September 29, 2014-Washington vs. DuBois
Booker T. Washington (1895) The 1895 Atlanta Exposition Speech (speech delivered to the Cotton States
and International Exposition in Atlanta), http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/39/
W.E.B. DuBois (1993/1903) The Souls of Black Folk
Chapter 3 “Of Mr. Booker T. Washington and Others.”
Wednesday, October 1, 2014-Brown v. Board of Education
Film, Eyes on the Prize
Second Reaction paper due: Discuss the major points of disagreement between W.E.B. DuBois and
Booker T. Washington. What were their positions on blacks’ pursuit of economic rights, political rights
and social rights? Which argument do you find most convincing? Why?
Monday, October 6, 2014-The Initial Stages of the Civil Rights Movement
OCRM, Introduction Chapter 1 “Domination, Church, and the NAACP”
Wednesday, October 8, 2014-The Initial Stages of the Civil Rights Movement
OCRM, Chapter 2 “Beginnings and Confrontations”
Monday, October 13, 2014-The Southern Christian Leadership Conference
OCRM, Chapter 4 “The SCLC: The Decentralized Political Arm of the Black Church.”
Wednesday, October 15, 2014-The Southern Christian Leadership Conference
OCRM, Chapter 5, “The SCLC’s Crusade for Citizenship.”
Third reaction paper due: According to Aldon Morris, how did the tactics of the National Association
for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and Southern Christian Leadership Conference
(SCLC) differ? What impact did their tactics have on their effectiveness in the black civil rights struggle?
Monday, October 20, 2014- Relationships between the SCLC, NAACP, and CORE
OCRM, Chapter 6 “Organizational Relationships: The SCLC, the NAACP, and CORE
Wednesday, October 22, 2014- The 1960s Protests
OCRM, Chapter 9, “1960: Origins of a Decade of Disruption.”
Monday, October 27, 2014- Birmingham Protests
OCRM, Chapter 10 “Birmingham: A Planned Exercise in Mass Disruption.”
4 Wednesday, October 29, 2014-Midterm Examination
Monday, November 3, 2014- Film, Eyes on the Prize
AFRICAN AMERICANS AND THE POLITICAL ESTABLISHMENT:
Wednesday, November 5, 2014- African Americans and the Republican Party:
Paul Frymer (1999) Uneasy Alliances: Race and Party Competition in America, Chapter 3 “National
Party Competition and the Disenfranchisement of Black Voters in the South, 1866-1932”
Monday, November 10, 2014- African Americans and American Political Parties
Paul Frymer (1999) Uneasy Alliances: Race and Party Competition in America,
Chapter 4 “Capture Inside the Democratic Party, 1965-1996”
THE NEW FRONTIER OF AFRICAN-AMERICAN POLITICS:
Wednesday, November 12, 2014-From Protest to Politics
Bayard Rustin (1965) “From Protest to Politics: The Future of the Civil Rights Movement.” In
Time on Two Crosses: The Collected Writings of Bayard Rustin, ed. Devon W. Carbado and
Donald Weise. San Francisco: Cleis Press pp. 116–129.
Lani Guinier (1994) Tyranny of the Majority, Chapter 3 “The Triumph of Tokenism: The Voting Rights
Act and the Theory of Black Electoral Success”
Monday, November 17, 2014- Addressing Black Grievances Through Public Policy
William J. Wilson (1993) When Work Disappears: The World of the New Urban Poor
Chapter 2, “Societal Changes and Vulnerable Neighborhoods.”
Fourth reaction paper due: Discuss African Americans’ historical relationship to the Democratic and
Republican parties. What is Frymer’s position on how both parties have negotiated acquiring votes from
blacks and making appeals to the broader American public? Offer examples. Do you agree with his
conclusion?
Wednesday, November 19, 2014-Addressing Black Grievances Through Public Policy
Michelle Alexander (2010) The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness.
Chapter 3, “The Color of Justice”
Monday, November 24, 2014-Racial and Gender Identities
Dawson (2000) Black Visions Chapter 4 “A Vision of Their Own: Identity and Black Feminist Ideology”
pp. 135-171.
Fifth Reaction paper due: Discuss the relationship between the feminist movement and the civil rights
movement. Were African Americans a part of the feminist movement? What drove the movements apart?
What was the womanist movement? Why did it emerge and what were its principles?
Wednesday, November 26, 2014- Film, “Street Fight”
Monday, December 1, 2014- The Future of African-American Politics?
Matthew Bai. (2008, August)“Is Obama the End of Black Politics?” The New York Times Magazine 3441.
Wednesday, December 3, 2014- Closing Remarks
Wednesday, December 10, 2014, 1:30-3:30 p.m.– Final Examination
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