Courses

Proseminar: (African American) Narratives of Slavery

Course Description

Since the 19th century, narratives of slavery have been integral in discussing the race and identity of enslaved Africans in the “New World”. From their inception, these narratives played a role in the social and political struggles of the African diaspora, which produced them. “Slave narratives” functioned as a mouthpiece for abolition in the 19th century. Twentieth-century “neo-slave narratives” were likewise integral to Civil-Rights activism in the United States. We will discuss this seminar’s narratives of slavery from the 19th, 20th, and 21st centuries to fully understand the tradition of the genre and its cultural-historical development. We will discuss how the genre transcends its primary function as a text of antislavery and abolition or as a “protest text”, especially in the 21st century. This seminar will focus on the importance of these narratives in the context of slavery, in terms of the complexities of “race” and identity and the cultural self-expression of the African diaspora.

Vorlesung: The History of Race and Racism in the U.S.

Course Description

1619 marks the first recorded arrival of “20 and odd Africans” from West Central Africa, who were traded as commodities for food in Jamestown, colonial Virginia. With the arrival of the first slaves, the institution of slavery spread and became of great significance for the settler colonial project. The dispossession of Indian tribes and slave labor eventually made the colonies profitable. As the number of slaves grew, the colonial leaders laid the foundation for the invention of race and racial identities to separate African slaves from European servants, who after serving their terms had the opportunity to realize their ambitions to become settlers themselves. Even though the American revolution was fought in the name of republicanism and inalienable human rights, the spirit of the Declaration of Independence did not reach Native Americans or Black slaves. Hence, slavery and the powerful idea of race were not peripheral but central to the economic, cultural, and political thought in the colonies and the early republic. The 13th amendment in the wake of the Civil War eventually ended slavery, yet ideas of racial inferiority were already firmly rooted and had been institutionalized – both explicitly and implicitly – within public perception, conventions, laws, or government that caused rigid segregation and racial terror in the South and widespread discrimination in the North of the U.S. Ongoing forms of protest and the Civil Rights Movement pressured governments to outlaw racial discrimination and finally admit constitutional rights for African Americans. Up to today, stark racial disparities persist in every measure of societal well-being from housing and school (de)segregation, to voting or reproduction rights, or police brutality, mass incarceration and state-sanctioned violence. Hence, knowing U.S. racialized history is crucial to understanding U.S. society and comprehend current realities such as hate crimes, various forms of discrimination, ongoing protests, and demands as voiced by the Black Lives Matter Movement.
This lecture investigates how the legacy of slavery and subsequently the coherent ideology of race has shaped U.S. history, its institutions, and continues to directly affect the social contours of contemporary society, individual lives, and life opportunities. Based on theoretical considerations of critical race studies/critical whiteness studies it brings attention to race as a central element and structural force in U.S. history and society.
Please note on June 28th, we will host an in-person interdisciplinary Symposium “A Critical Race Perspective on U.S. Welfare Regimes”. Next to lectures that critically address the entanglement of racism and migration in specific localities, namely Texas and Minnesota, it offers opportunities for discussion in an interactive workshop and a roundtable discussion. The Symposium will substitute for two lectures, hence your attendance at the symposium is required. Make sure to attend the all-day event as its content is relevant for the written exam. Also, the written exam on July 20th will take place in person.

Course Description

The “peculiar institution” of slavery was officially abolished in 1865. Yet the status of African Americans freed from slavery remained highly precarious and was continuously challenged. Although they received the rights of citizenship and the “equal protection” of the Constitution in the 14th Amendment and the right to vote in the 15th Amendment, these provisions of the Constitution were often ignored or violated. Blacks were routinely subjected to widespread oppression, lynchings and racial terror in the South as well as other forms of discrimination. For instance, prior to the achievements of the Civil Rights Movement the state and federal governments provided numerous wealth-generating resources to primarily White citizens thereby excluding Blacks and other people of Color thus enhancing existing racial inequalities. Up to today, stark racial disparities persist in every measure of societal well-being from housing and school (de)segregation, to voting or reproduction rights, or police brutality, mass incarceration and state-sanctioned violence.

In class, we will investigate how the legacy of slavery and subsequently the coherent ideology of race has shaped U.S. history and institutions and continue to directly affect the social contours of contemporary society, individual lives, and life opportunities. Based on theoretical considerations of critical race studies/ critical whiteness studies we will explore the social ramifications of slavery that have come to last.

This class is cooperating with the Gymnasium Vilshofen. On Dec. 9^th the student exchange group who just returned from their High-school exchange with Boston will visit us. Also, on Jan. 13^th the W-Seminar of Dr. Christian Große entitled “America, how are you?” will visit us and stimulate a larger discussion on current issues such as voting rights, abortion rights, demographic changes, and LGBTQ rights.

Course Description

This seminar will introduce students to the literary, artistic, and cultural movements of the Harlem Renaissance. We will read Claude McKay’s novel Home to Harlem and a selection of his poetry about social decay, inequality, and structural racism against African Americans, including “The Harlem Dancer” and the famous “If We Must Die”. We will then turn to the visual culture by watching the 2021 film adaptation of Nella Larsen’s novel Passing, which addresses identity crises and race-based discrimination. Next, participants will watch some excerpts of music and dance performances by Josephine Baker and Louis Armstrong in the context of “Harlem nightlife”. We will explore how nightlife in Harlem fueled cultural encounters between African Americans and the “white” majority community amid rising racial tensions—primarily focusing on how such performances opened avenues for cultural self-expression, pride, and consciousness among African Americans.

The analysis of these cultural texts will offer fresh ways of re-reading canonical works and authors of the period alongside overlooked texts and personalities. The seminar will critically examine “structural racism” (Joe Feagin), inequality, and the politics of representation, which were integral to the Harlem Renaissance. The seminar will adopt W.E.B. Dubois’ concept of the “color-line” as a lens for examining structural racism and inequality in 1920s Harlem and its aftermath today among African Americans.

Finally, we will consider the interconnections between the intellectual work of the Harlem Renaissance, the “New Race Consciousness”, and activism against structural inequality and racism. We will discuss how this race and aesthetic consciousness shaped debates about and triggered identity politics among African Americans and influenced the desire to challenge the stereotypical representation of Black people and redefine a new image through the figure of the “New Negro” (Alaine Locke). In concluding the seminar, we will review the legacies of the black literary “Mecca” of Harlem in the 1920s and analyse how contemporary African American and African diaspora artists draw inspiration from and build on the gains about race and identity accrued from the Harlem Renaissance.

Course Description

With the Reagan administration and the neoliberal turn in economic policies, income inequality has sharply increased with higher incomes flowing to the very top and nearly zero economic growth for the majority of the population. Although this “exceptional inequality” affects all members of society, some groups feel the brunt of it as they experience more sinister effects along the intersection of race, gender, and socioeconomic status. The coronavirus pandemic that affected disproportionately Black Americans brought this interconnectedness even more to light.

In class, we will investigate causes and effects of intersecting oppressions that result in multiple forms of discrimination leading amongst other things to higher poverty, policing, mortality, or incarceration rates for African Americans. Based on theoretical considerations of critical race studies/critical whiteness studies in accordance with intersectionality, we will examine how the intersection of race, gender, and class has shaped social institutions and perpetuates disparities that are recurrently voiced in the Black liberation struggle.
 
Please note on May 12, 2022, we will host the workshop: ”Intersecting Oppressions: Roots & Causes of the Black Lives Matter Movement”. This workshop will be held in cooperation with Alisa Kessel (University of Puget Sound) who is currently visiting scholar in Passau and also teaching a Hauptseminar. In joint cooperation the workshop will take place in presence and is part of our seminar, so your physical attendance is required.

Course Description

The nationwide protests following the death of George Floyd in police custody in May 2020, have once again shone a spotlight on the long-standing racial divide in the U.S. The coronavirus pandemic affected disproportionately Black Americans and thus brought even more to light deeply embedded racial inequities. The category “race” and subsequently racism are not so much a thing of the past that has been overcome -as many liked to believe when Barack Obama became the first African American president- but are still an (in)visible guide that determines every strand of life.

This course seeks to initiate a discussion on structural racism in the U.S. It is designed exclusively for students of education and provides the unique opportunity to learn more about racism in the U.S. in tandem with a student from the corresponding W-Seminar “America, how are you?” at the Gymnasium Vilshofen.

The course is threefold: First, we will meet in person in May to examine structural racism and its effects in the U.S. Second, you choose one of the key topics listed below that were provided by students from the W-Seminar at the Gymnasium Vilshofen. Based on your choice you are paired with the corresponding student from the W-Seminar, to whom you individually provide pedagogical support and assistance in researching and preparing the required research paper. Our class will meet again in June via Zoom where you will introduce and discuss your students’ topic in regard to structural racism in the U.S. Reflecting on the topic you will write a critical review essay (about 2.000 words) that entails how the chosen topic aligns and exemplifies structural racism in the U.S. Respectively, your tandem student will present and discuss the chosen topic in school in June/July. You are required to attend this particular school lesson and actively engage in the discussion of the topic. Also, you will need to write a two-page protocol of this particular lesson. Third, we will all meet for a final workshop in cooperation with DiLab.

In sum, this course will not only provide you with deepened knowledge regarding structural racism in the U.S., several topics are now anchored in the school curriculum, but also enhance your pedagogical and didactical skills and thus train you for the rewarding experience of being a teacher.

Course Description

The nationwide protests following the death of George Floyd in police custody in May 2020, have once again shone a spotlight on the long-standing racial divide in the U.S. The coronavirus pandemic that affected disproportionately black Americans brought even more to light the deeply embedded inequities in wealth, income, housing, health, opportunities, and nearly every other strand of life between blacks and whites. These racial disparities date back to a long history of narratives, frames, and public policies that either rendered and excluded African-Americans or exploited them. 

In class, we will investigate the trajectory of American inequality that has already been described as "exceptional inequality" in the Western world. Based on theoretical considerations of critical race studies/ critical whiteness studies we will discuss how race as a social construct has shaped U.S. history and institutions. Our discussions will thereby revolve around examples from sections such as wealth & poverty, education, and re-presentation in popular culture. 

Please note on October 29, 2021, we will host an online symposium on “Participation, Marginalization, and Exclusion in the U.S. Welfare State”. The symposium will be part of our class, so your attendance is required.

Course Description

In the wake of the structural shift from an industrial to a service economy that began in the 1970s, income and wealth inequality between the white majority population and racialized minorities in the United States worsened dramatically. For instance in 2016, the median wealth of the white population was 41 times higher than that of African Americans. In recent years, a level of inequality has developed that has already been described as "exceptional inequality" in the Western world. A deeply rooted systemic racism has contributed to the persistence of such race-based gaps that manifest in many different economic indicators and determines life chances.

In class, we will investigate the exceptional trajectory of American inequality. We will discuss the multiple heterogeneous traditions, cultural patterns, and guiding principles that gave rise to a distinguished U.S. "culture of welfare". Based on theoretical considerations of critical race studies/ critical whiteness studies we will discuss how race as a social construct has shaped U.S. history and institutions since its foundation, defines inequality and subsequently how racism determines who is worthy and who is unworthy of deserving welfare benefits. By scrutinizing various examples, we will examine how racialized narratives, images and (mis)representations of people of color are reproduced in and disseminated by the media and as such serve to discredit welfare in public opinion and further restrict social services.

This class is part of a BAA-joint-seminar in conjunction with FAU Erlangen-Nürnberg (Dr. Katharina Gerund) and LMU Munich (PD Dr. Charlotte Lerg) in regard to structural racism in the U.S. On July 23/24, 2021 we will all meet online for a student conference to present and discuss our work.