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The Black Arts Movement: Selected Topics
ENGL119 SP

Crosslistings: AFAM119

This course will explore the period of African American popular creative expression known as the Black Arts movement that took place in American cities from the late 1960s to the mid-1970s. Taking its cues from political philosophies of black nationalism, the Black Arts movement attempted to articulate an authentically black sound primarily through the use of poetry and theater in performance modes. The black aesthetic that developed in this period placed a high premium on using language and subject matter that seemed to challenge accepted literary norms. In this course, we will consider the historical, cultural, and political context of this artistic movement and its literary predecessors, as well as the poetry, plays, and manifestoes of th e movement itself.

MAJOR READINGS

Selected authors may include: Amiri Baraka (LeRoi Jones), Gwendolyn Brooks, Angela Davis, Nikki Giovanni, Gayl Jones, Etheridge Knight, Audre Lorde, Haki Madhubuti (Don Lee), Clarence Major, Larry Neal, Carolyn Rogers, Sonia Sanchez

EXAMINATIONS AND ASSIGNMENTS

There will be a mid-term essay exam; in addition, there will be two short papers and a longer final paper.

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS and/or COMMENTS

Unless preregistered students attend the first class meeting or communicate directly with the instructor prior to the first class, they will be dropped from the class list. NOTE: Students must still submit a completed Drop/Add form to the Registrar's Office.

COURSE FORMAT: Lecture

REGISTRATION INFORMATION

Level: UGRD    Credit: 1    Gen Ed Area Dept: HA ENGL    Grading Mode: Graded   

Prerequisites: NONE

Last Updated on MAR-24-2000

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