Explore Classes in This Program

Because much of the African diaspora resulted from the immensely global reach of the Transatlantic Slave Trade, it is crucial to understand these processes in terms of race and to engage in thinking about race critically. This course examines the origins of race-thinking and the myriad ways in which race has been constructed and deconstructed. You’ll focus on a critical interpretation of what race is, what it does, and how contemporary racial meanings are produced and reproduced.

Jazz originated, developed, and evolved in the United States; it is a significant American contribution to the world of music. Like any great music, it has progressed through distinguishable periods and introduced outstanding musicians to society and the world. In this course, you’ll study the history of jazz by tracing its emergence at the turn of the twentieth century, through the proliferation of styles current today. Through assigned readings, listening to recordings, watching videotaped performances, and attending live concerts, understanding and appreciation of swing, bebop, cool, and free jazz will be fostered.

This course examines the historical antecedent of the present-day prison system and the multiple dimensions in which criminal justice policies impact particular communities today. The course begins with a focus on philosophies of punishment, theologies of race, and nineteenth-century economies of plantations, jails, and prisons. You’ll then examine present-day patterns of punishment, specifically addressing moral discourse in contemporary politics, the school-to-prison pipeline, and successful activist challenges to the pervasiveness of exploiting criminalized persons.