Gender, Nationalism, Black Freedom Struggle Graduate Readings

Query From Tracey Weis tweis@marauder.millersv.edu 25 Nov 1997

Dear H-Women readers:

I am developing a graduate readings class on "Gender, Nationalism, and the Black Freedom Struggle, 1895-1995" for Spring 1998. The class will be open to history undergraduate and graduates, as well as undergraduates enrolled in the university's African-American Studies and Women's Studies programs. I am looking for some suggestions for books for the last section of the course. I generally use a mix of document collections, syntheses, monographs, and autobiographies. Here's what I have so far:

  1. Excerpts from _Imagined Communities_ by Benedict Anderson and _Words of Fire_ by Beverly Guy Sheftall and (introduction)
  2. _Classical Black Nationalism_ by Wilson J. Moses (background)
  3. _Black Liberation: A Comparative History of Black Ideologies in the United States and South Africa_by George Frederickson (synthesis and comparative investigation)
  4. _Words of Fire_Beverly Guy Sheftall

I would like to devote the last 3-4 weeks to an examination of various "case studies" on individual activists, organizations, and/or communities. I know there are a number of thoughtful and thought-provoking local studies (e.g. Dittmer's _Local People), biographies (e.g. Ivory Perry), and autobiographies (e.g. Elaine Brown) for the period from 1955 to 1975. Which have worked really well in the classroom?

I am especially interested in investigating the period 1975 to 1995 and am looking for recommendations for pertinent readings. Has anyone used Sister Souljah's _No Disrespect_? Other suggestions? Thanks in advance.

Responses:

Blount, Marcellus and George Cunningham, Eds., _Representing Black Men_(Routledge, 1996), esp. the essay by Robert Reid-Pharr

Garvey, Amy Jacques look for her writings

Hine, Darlene Clark, Wilma King, Linda Reed, Eds. _We Specialize in the Wholly Impossible: A Reader in Black Women's History_

Lorde, Audre _Zami_

Lubiano, Wahneema _The House That Race Built: Black Americans, U.S. Terrains_(Pantheon, 1997)

McClain, Leanita Clarence Page, Ed., _A Foot in Both Worlds_(1987, Northwestern U Press).

Murray, Pauli _Song in a Weary Throat: An American Pilgrimage aka The Autobiography of a Black Activist, Feminist, Lawyer, Priest, and Poet_

Omolade, Barbara _The Rising Song of African American Women_

Other Suggestions:

See also 2 volume book of documents about Black Nationalism in the US, published by NYU Press