Race 102
Partial Course Catalog
Trump
An unbiased case study course that analyzes Trump’s key business, political, and leadership shortcomings and successes
The Wire Season 1
Lessons on authority, systems, and inequality from one of the greatest tv shows ever made
The Damon Dash Breakfast Club Interview
Enough said
Mental Trappin
In this argumentative course, students will seek to disprove the claim that “Hotep thinking” is a tool of White male supremacy in the face of insurmountable evidence to the contrary.
Suga Sugar
A course analyzing mutually beneficial relationships
The 30s Lessons
Lectures from female elders in their 60s about the important lessons that they learned in their 30s
In defense of the Trump voter
America’s history from the perspective of the landless poor White man
Black Manhood Part 1
Lessons from the elders on how to navigate the long, bumpy, dangerous road to Black manhood
Can he say nigga?
A dissection of stories from Black people that have given out the Nigga card
The Plantation Society
This course builds upon Malcolm X’s “parable of a house negro” and explores the full plantation society
The Rollercoaster
An analysis of Freedom Poem 20, performed on the 1/30/19 episode of Good Morning Black People on Black.Radio
The Cookout Invite
Should invitations to the cookout be rescinded or escalated?
Black Freedom
What is it?
"I just don't understand"
Designed for a White audience, the lessons on racism, White Supremacy, and privilege that White people never learned in school
bin Laden
An analysis of Osama bin Laden’s 2002 “letter to the American people” and exploration of the potential nonviolent approaches Al-Qaeda could have taken to achieve their political goals
Read the Comment Section 101
An academic reading of selected racially uninformed Yahoo comments
Reverse Racism
In this argumentative course, students will rationalize and argue in favor of common “reverse racism” claims.
The White Culture Vulture
What is a culture vulture? What is the difference between appropriation and celebration? Is vulturism possible in an economic environment where Black Americans own and profit from their own culture?
Shades
A full exploration of colorism.
Roots
A granular intellectual analysis of this epic 1977 miniseries
Niggas vs Negros vs Black People?
Using Chris Rock’s most famous and controversial stand-up comedy routines as a starting point, this class seeks to explore segments of the Black American society.
Black Lives Don't Matter
In this argumentative course, students will argue against the provocative course title
The Block
A comprehensive business analysis of street capitalism
The D, The City
A study of the decline and perceived White resurgence of an iconic city
The Life of the First Chattel Slaves
A study of the experience of Black women during the middle passage and early slavery.
Eloquent Rage: A Black Feminist Discovers Her Superpower
A book club discussion of Brittney Cooper’s, Eloquent Rage.
Brittney Cooper is a professor of Women’s and Gender Studies and Africana Studies at Rutgers University. She also writes a popular monthly column on race, gender, and politics for Cosmopolitan.
Are all the favs are problematic?
The tolerance for ignorance on evolving social norms is lessening. How does this impact village discourse?
White Bae
At the crux of White Supremacy is the uneasy relationship between Black Women and Black Men. This course explores whether this dynamic and its impact on sexual and life partnerships.
The Respectability Train
Have you heard these common respectability tropes?
- What about the violence in Chicago?
- We have to respect ourselves before others can respect us!
- We cannot continue to blame White people for our troubles.
- Pull up those pants and get to Sunday school!
What is respectability politics? What are the beliefs and aims of those that follow this political strategy?
The Black Church
A study of the Black church and the strengths and opportunities for this venerable institution
Black Ink Crew: Chicago - Season 1
Lessons from Black Ink Crew: Chicago about life, love, relationships, business, and sister and brotherhood.
#mlkweek
An analysis of excerpts from Where Do We Go from Here: Chaos or Community? A 1967 book by Black minister, Nobel Peace Prize laureate, and social justice campaigner Martin Luther King, Jr. Advocating for human rights and a sense of hope, it was King’s fourth and last book before his assassination.
The Oppression Business
Black Business Models
A business case study on the businesses of Oprah Winfrey, Tyler Perry and Sean Combs.
I ain't with that gay shit
An exploration of masculinity and manhood in the Black gay and straight communities
Black Nationalism
The Southern Poverty Law Center describes the black nationalist movement as “a reaction to centuries of institutionalized white supremacy in America. Black nationalists believe the answer to white racism is to form separate institutions — or even a separate nation — for black people. Most forms of black nationalism are strongly anti-white and anti-Semitic. Some religious versions assert that black people are the biblical “chosen people” of God.”
Is the Southern Poverty Law center correct in their assessment? How does Black pride, power, heritage, separatism, culture protectionism, and superiority compare to that of dominant society. What is allowed from our village? What is not allowed?
Should we hang our own?
When White society demands that we hang our own, or begins the lynching process independent of us, what is our village lynching protocol?
Should we publicly join the White chorus in an effort to represent the village as civilized and respectable? Pray for the accused? Publicly protest against the accused? Circle the wagons in the name of the accused? Collectively plead the fifth? Private excommunication? Under what terms do we not protect “our own” from “our village”? If they harm someone from the village? If the behavior of the accused harms those in the village?
If we believe the accused is wrong should we testify in the public trial even if some would consider our testimony and indirect assist to the lynch mob? Should we refuse to tell our own truth or asking hard questions if it is damning to the accused in order to appease the village? Should the contributions to the village be considered in deliberations? What considerations should be made for the gender of the accused? Are there hiearchies?
This exploratory course seeks to understand the perspective of “the village”. What should the consequences be for those that betray the village, or, what some would consider worse, “embarrassing” the village.
Is Kanye Right?
In May 2018, West visited “TMZ Live” and said, “When you hear about slavery for 400 years — for 400 years?! That sounds like a choice. Like you was there for 400 years, and it’s all of y’all? It’s like, we’re mentally imprisoned.”
This class will attempt to build a full cohesive argument off of his thesis statement.
An analysis of Freedom Poem 9, performed on the 1/15/19 episode of Good Morning Black People on Black.Radio will also be covered in this course.