Course Listings

Use the pull-down menus to find classes based on day of the week, department, campus, course number or term. View courses at a glance for a quick view of all courses by day, campus and term.

This course serves as an introduction to African American literature from the Harlem Renaissance to the present. Students read and discuss novels that link literary expression to the history, culture, and identity of African-Americans, as well as to their relationship with white America. Students are encouraged to approach this diverse range of literature through active and thoughtful class participation with particular focus on cultural and textual criticism. Carries humanities credit.

Barack Obama has frequently cited Toni's Morrison's Song of Solomon as his favorite novel. This course provides students with an opportunity to explore how President Obama's literary interests have shaped his personal and political identity. Selected texts are primarily, but not exclusively, the works of African American writers. Collectively, this diverse selection of literature contains recurring themes that address issues of identity, the rite of passage of the black male tragic figure/hero/ancestor, and the challenges of black/biracial men coming of age in white America. The course also examines the ways in which literature provides an understanding of how President Obama has been able to successfully transcend issues of race, while at the same time embracing his identity as a black man. Carries humanities credit.