This is a reading and writing seminar on the racial and social inequality of African Americans in the U.S. and the ensued Civil Rights movement in the 1960’s. James Baldwin was a writer who strongly influenced anti-colonial movements especially by black populations world-wide. Movies based on his essays and novels such as “I am not you Negro” and “If Beale Street Could Talk” draw connections to today’s Black Lives Matter movement. It shows that his writing is just as controversial and politically charged as 60 years ago.
We will read post-colonial academic material and then use James Baldwin’s writings in order to gain access to a subaltern perspective on power hierarchies. Each meeting will entail a discussion and free writing session. Conceptualized as a follow-up to the seminar ‘Revisiting Utopia’ from the winter semester, all students who are interested in post-colonial studies and in creative writing processes leading to academic writing are welcome to join. |
