EGL 237 - Reclamation & Renaissance: Black Literary Arts 1900 to 1960

Course Units: 1.0

In this course we will read literatures of African diaspora from the United States and from the English-speaking African Diaspora more broadly speaking, written in the early to mid- 20th century, stemming from the early 20th century Pan-African movement. We will explore: reclamation of the self (being American; being Black; racial and social passing); miscegenation; claims to culture through literature; political and social change through literature (relationship between aesthetic production and political action); self-representation and activism through literary arts; rise of pride in being part of African diaspora; gender roles in literary and social contexts. We will engage with the complexities of cultural diversities within the African diaspora while we contemplate the traditions we follow. From the turn of the 20th century, we will move through what some called the Harlem Renaissance to the literature of the pre- and post- WWII era, ending the term with what was known as the Black Arts Movement. Prerequisite(s): One 100-level English course or a score of 5 on the AP English Language or Literature and Composition test. CC: LCC, HUL, HUM, WAC, JLIT ISP: AFR, AMS