This class focuses on the long history of violence against African American women and their bodies in the United States. For African American women questions about the rights to their own bodies did not end with the abolition of slavery. Rather African American women endured acts of intimate violence during their long journey to “freedom.” Often, relying on only themselves and other women in their communities, African American women faced down these forms of oppression. In doing so, they forged a legacy and developed strategies that were often radical and liberatory. This class investigates this complicated history by using the words, actions, and change brought on by Black women from slavery to the present.
Days: TU TH  12:30-01:50 PM

Often heralded as the birthplace of modernity, the Caribbean has long stood at the crossroads of global transformation. This course traces the history of the Caribbean from the post-emancipation period to the present. Key themes include the struggles of formerly enslaved communities to define freedom; large-scale migrations to Central America, the United States, and Europe; and the Caribbean’s contributions to global culture, politics, and economy. We examine how colonial legacies of race, gender, and labor shaped the region; the rise of anti-colonial and nationalist movements; and the political and cultural assertion of self-determination (in its varied forms). Particular attention is given to the region’s enduring entanglement with global capitalism, including its vulnerability to climate change, the environmental costs of extractive industries, and the impact of neoliberal policies on social and economic life. Through historical scholarship, primary sources (ranging from treatises to song), and cultural works (novels and film), this course provides a critical perspective on the Caribbean’s past and its crucial role in shaping the modern world.
Days: TU TH  09:30-10:50 AM