HMCS 488: Blackness/Politics/Media

Capstone Seminar, Fall Semester 2009

Wednesdays.12: 30-3:30

Prof. Leola A. Johnson

Rm. 301 Humanities

Thus. 1-4, M&W, 11-12

Other Times by Appointment

696-6025

leola.johnson@comcast.net

johnsonl1@macalester.edu

Purpose

This capstone seminar is an opportunity for students in HMCS and American Studies to use the skills they have acquired in previous coursework on race, media and popular culture. The goal of this seminar is to provide a space for the production of a scholarly paper and/or a cultural artifact related to the theme of the course. Students are expected to produce work that demonstrates higher-level skills in reading, writing, research, editing, self-critical analytical thinking and oral communication, culminating in high quality public presentations.

Goals

1. Students should be able to produce essays using MLA format citation requirements and accepted research strategies. Essays should be built around strong theses and should use textual and 9other kinds of evidence for support. Students should demonstrate an ability to make consistent, clear, and non-contradictory arguments and to draw strong and thoughtful conclusions. Finally, students should be able to present their arguments in oral form, demonstrating an awareness of their audience.

2. Students should be able to knowledgeably discuss major Black political ideologies, including Nationalism, Integrationism, Conservatism, and Feminism; and major categories of Black political identity, including gender, sexuality, class and occupation.

3. Students should be able to knowledgeably discuss the way Black politics have been represented in media texts, across a variety of forms, genres and periods.

4. (Optional) Students should be able to produce representations of Black political ideas, movements, figures, or events, submit these representations to their peers for critique, and use the critique to produce high quality public presentations. Students can fulfill this goal in a variety of forms and genres (e.g., photography, digital artwork, etc.) Students who pursue this goal must also produce an essay explaining their work.

Required Texts

Kevin Gaines, Uplifting the Race: Black Leadership, Politics and Culture in the

20^th Century, (University of North Carolina Press, January 1996)

Richard Iton, In Search of the Black Fantastic: Politics and Popular Culture in the Post-Civil Rights Era, (Oxford, 2008)

Melissa Lacewell Harris, Barbershops, Bibles and BET: Everyday Talk and Black Political Thought, (Princeton: 2006)

Jane Rhodes, Framing the Black Panthers, (New Press, 2006)

Other readings as assigned

Recommended Text

Tali Mendelberg, The Race Card: Campaign Strategy, Implicit Messaging, and the Norm of Equality, (Princeton,

Goals and Outcomes:

1. Students will possess higher-level skills in reading, writing, research, editing, self-critical analytical thinking, and oral communication.
2. Students will demonstrate a chronological and categorical knowledge of Black American political ideologies, electoral politics and mass political movements.
3. Students will demonstrate a familiarity with the industrial, generic, or formal contexts within which media representations of Black politics have been produced.
4. Students will demonstrate an understanding of class, gender, sexuality and occupation in relation to representations of Black politics.
5. (OPTIONAL) Students will be able to produce and defend their own representations of Black political figures and movements.

Assignments:

1. Class participation (40%). Attendance is required. Each week, you should come to class with a short written response to the readings (at least 2 pages). In these papers, you should specify things that you did not understand in the readings, and ideas/events/people that you would like to know more about. You should be prepared to share your thoughts with your classmates. A good faith effort to do these papers will earn you a grade of pass. If you turn in all these papers, you will get full credit for this assignment.

2. A capstone paper. You must produce a rough draft of your capstone paper by Thanksgiving break. You must turn in a capstone paper on the day of the capstone conference, and then an edited copy of this paper no later than Dec. 22. The capstone conference is open to the public, is usually held in the Student Center on the second floor, and usually takes 4 hours. We will decide on a date collectively when we get closer to the end of the course. Guests are asked to respond to your presentation in writing during the capstone conference. I compile their comments, and add comments of my own, and give them to you within three days of the conference. You are expected to use these comments to do your editing. You do not have to accept all the critiques, but you do have to explain to me which ones you rejected and why (in a separate memo). (60%)

Your capstone paper will be posted on the HMCS website and will therefore be available for public use. It is thus in your best interest to make sure it is high quality, seamless work.

Schedule

September 9: Intro/Barack Obama and Rev. Wright/ Melissa Harris-Lacewell and Adolph Reed on Democracy Now, http://www.democracynow.org/2008/4/30/the_politics_of_the_rev_wright

September 16:

1. Everyday Politics in the Black Public Sphere: Barbershops, Bibles and BET: Everyday Talk and Black Political Thought, 1-34;
2. Everyday Politics in the Black Church: Barbershops, Bibles and BET: Everyday Talk and Black Political Thought, 35-78

Response Paper: Talk about the ideological positions discussed in the text, and examine the way these positions are reflected in one or more of the following Black responses to Barack Obama’s 9/09/09 Health Care speech to a joint session of Congress.

http://www.blackcommentator.com/341/341_cover_obama_analysis.html

http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/06/05/lacewell.race.agenda/index.html#cnnSTCText

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2009/9/13/781305/-Dowd-misses-it.Heres-the-real-work-of-racism

http://www.jackandjillpolitics.com/2009/09/president-obamas-healthcare-address-to-congress-open-thread/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=36T1fnIafC0

September 23:

1. Measuring Everyday Expressions of Black Ideology: Barbershops, Bibles and BET: Everyday Talk and Black Political Thought, 79-109
2. Conservatism and Feminism in the Black Public Sphere: Barbershops, Bibles and BET: Everyday Talk and Black Political Thought, 110-161

Response Paper: Talk about the strengths and weaknesses of the statistical and experimental studies Harris-Lacewell uses to support her arguments, or examine the various ideologies reflected in the Bill Cosby speech linked below:

http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/billcosbypoundcakespeech.htm

September 30:

1. Barbershops and Black Ideologies: Barbershops, Bibles and BET: Everyday Talk and Black Political Thought, 162-203
2. The Million Man March, the Tom Joyner Show, and the Battle Over BET: Barbershops, Bibles and BET: Everyday Talk and Black Political Thought, 204-264
3. (In class) Clips from the movie Barbershop and also clips from Get On the Bus

Response Paper: Talk about the debate over the representation of Rosa Parks in the movie Barbershop, or the participation of Rosa Parks and Maya Angelou in the Million Man March, in terms of what these events suggest about Black ideologies. Or discuss Colin Powell and other leading Black conservatives in relation to whether or not Black conservatism is a monolithic ideological position. Below are some links to material that will help you think about these issues (in addition to material from the assigned readings):

http://www.slate.com/id/2071622/

http://www.keithboykin.com/articles/barbershop2.html

http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/display.php?id=7592

http://muzikalthoughts.blogspot.com/2009/09/gop-boggarts.html

October 7:

1. Political Ideologies in Black Culture: The Robeson Moment, In Search of the Black Fantastic: Politics and Popular Culture in the Post-Civil Rights Era, 1-80
2. The Nationalist Moment, In Search of the Black Fantastic: Politics and Popular Culture in the Post-Civil Rights Era, 81-100

Response Paper: Talk about the extent to which Robeson, Hansberry and other cultural workers of their generation conform to Harris-Lacewell’s categories of Black ideology. This might require you to read Raisin in the Sun, or to watch it on video (it will be on reserve in Media Services), or to read some more about Robeson, James Baldwin and others.

October 14:

1. Black Politics and Visual Culture: The Nationalist Moment, In Search of the Black Fantastic: Politics and Popular Culture in the Post-Civil Rights Era, 101-130
2. Black Politics in a Black Feminist and Hip Hop World, In Search of the Black Fantastic: Politics and Popular Culture in the Post-Civil Rights Era, 131-194

Response Paper: Think about the arguments between Black feminist, Black Nationalist and Black integrationist in terms of one of the cultural productions mentioned in the assigned readings (for example, The Message by Grandmaster Flash).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BN9-K0aZXRg

http://www.stlyrics.com/songs/g/grandmasterflash1716/themessage81659.html

October 21:

1. Garvey’s Ghost, In Search of the Black Fantastic: Politics and Popular Culture in the Post-Civil Rights Era, 195-258
2. Screening, The Harder They Come, Perry Henzell, 1972

Response Paper: Remembering what Harris Lacewell said about the relationship between two of our most famous Afro-Jamaicans, Colin Powell and Harry Belafonte, talk how Garvey’s Ghost (both the UNIA and Rastafarianism) complicates African-American and African-Jamaican diasporic politics. The links below might help you think about this issue. The first is to a piece discussing ideological similarities between Barack Obama and Bob Marley. The second is to a highly commercial website about Marley’s life and work. The third is to a website about Marcus Garvey that features a picture of him in a UNIA parade taken by African American photographer James Van der Zee

http://www.trinidadandtobagonews.com/blog/?p=702

http://web.bobmarley.com/story/?storypage=2

(Hagiography alert!)

http://www.marcusgarvey.net/Information/history.htm

October 28:

1. Black Feminism and the Politics of The Black Diaspora: In Search of the Black Fantastic: Politics and Popular Culture in the Post-Civil Rights Era, 259-290
2. Screening: Shirley Chisholm ‘72, Unbought and Unbossed, POV, 2004, Shola Lynch

Response Paper: Talk about the politics of Are My Hands Clean by Sweet Honey in the Rock in relation to the Black ideologies (and their representations) we have examined thus far. Below is a link to the lyrics of that song.

http://psychicsoundoff.blogspot.com/

October 29 - Nov. 1 Thursday - Sunday Fall Break

November 4:

1. The Class Question in Black Politics, Uplifting the Race: Black Leadership, Politics and Culture in the 20^th Century, 1-100
2. Screening, The Black Press, Soldiers Without Swords,

Response: Talk about the class politics of Black media in relation to the kinds of issues discussed in the text. I especially recommend looking at media that are influential in the Black community, including the Tom Joyner radio program, Tavis Smiley’s presentations on CNN or NPR, Juan Williams’s discussions of politics on Fox News, and also Ebony, Essence, Black Enterprise, and The Chicago Defender, all of which are available on the web.

November 11:

1. Women, Labor and Uplift, Uplifting the Race: Black Leadership, Politics and Culture in the 20^th Century, 101-178
2. Screening, The Great Debaters, Harpo Productions, 2007

Response: Talk about Oprah Winfrey’s class, race and gender politics, as reflected in a review of her website:

http://www.oprah.com/index

Weekend Screening at my house, with food: When the Levees Broke/Trouble the Water

November 18:

1. The City as a Site of Class Conflict Uplifting the Race: Black Leadership, Politics and Culture in the 20^th Century, 178-260
2. Screening, Street Fight,

Response: Talk about the way class politics are incorporated into and reflected in When the Levees Broke and/or Trouble the Water

November 25: Rough Draft of Capstone Project Due. Please schedule individual conferences for this week.

November 26 - 29 Thursday - Sunday Thanksgiving Break

December 2:

1. The Enduring Public Presence of the Black Panther Party, Framing the Black Panthers, 1-144
2. Screening, A Huey P. Newton Story, 40 Acres and a Mule, Spike Lee

Response Paper: Talk about the class, race and gender politics of 40 Acres and a Mule, Spike Lee’s production company, based on what you see on the company’s web site

http://www.40acres.com/

and also what you now about Spike Lee. Also talk about the ways in which the Huey P. Newton Story articulate with Panther ideology as explored in Framing the Black Panthers.

December 9:

1. Black Politics/Black Panthers/Black Anger: Framing the Black Panthers, 145-283,
2. Screening: The Nine Lives of Marion Barry, HBO, August 2009

Response Paper: Talk about the influence of the Black Panther Party on Black political iconography in the age of Obama. Look, for example, at the controversy over the New Yorker’s terrorist fist-bump cover, including:

http://www.newyorker.com/online/covers/slideshow_blittcovers

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/07/13/yikes-controversial-emnew_n_112429.html

December 14:

1. Blackness, Politics and Media in Obama’s America: Barack the Magic Negro, a presentation by Leola Johnson
2. Course Evaluations.

LAST DAY OF CLASS

Capstone Conference: TBA

GROUNDRULES FOR CLASS DISCUSSIONS

1. The best contribution that one can make to a class discussion is a to share a concrete, specific interpretation of a piece of text or a personal observation relevant to the issue being discussed. It is important to ground your discussion in the common reading for the session. But it is also important to feel free to share your life experiences.

2. Politely and privately share with the teacher or the discussion leader your concerns about students who dominate the conversation. Never directly confront such a student in front of others. These actions will provide the atmosphere where all opinions are equally heard.

3. Everyone is encouraged to continue the conversation outside of class. But personal stories should remain the property of the individual and the class, and should not be brought up and discussed outside of class.

4. Respect all opinions that are conveyed, even if one strongly disagrees with what is being said. This means taking an active listening role. A person with a differing opinion from what is being said should first listen to what is being said and then politely and respectfully raise a question or make a comment addressing the difference of opinion.

5. All members of the class should be respectful at all times of all discussion members. Do not make fun of any opinion relayed in class. Do not make fun of any person. Do not respond to others with “zaps,” i.e., put-downs. Disrespect damages the whole class by creating an unhealthy environment that is not conducive to discussion.

Academic Calendar 2009-2010

FALL 2009

September 18 Friday Last Day to Register or Validate

September 18 Friday Last Day to Add/Drop a Class

October 2 Friday Last Day to Designate a Grading Option

October 28 Wednesday Mid-Term Grades Due

October 29 - Nov. 1 Thursday - Sunday Fall Break

November 6 Friday Last Day to Withdraw From a Class

November 16 - Dec 4 Monday - Friday Spring 2010 Registration

November 26 - 29 Thursday - Sunday Thanksgiving Break

December 11 Friday January Independent/Internship Registration Due

December 15 Tuesday Classes End

December 16 Wednesday Study Day

December 17 - 21 Thursday - Monday Final Examination Period

December 30 Wednesday Final Grades Due