AAAS 160B: If We Must Die: War and Military Service in African American HistoryInstructor: Betsy Plumb Prerequisites: None Course Description: This course traces African American participation in the US military from the American Revolution to Afghanistan. We will examine race and Blackness through African Americans’ experiences with warfare, military service, and as veterans. Throughout the course we will re-conceptualize the meaning of African American military history by addressing themes such as slavery and freedom, the meaning of citizenship, nationalism and imperialism, war and civil rights activism, gender and sexuality, representation, disability, and violence and trauma. <br><br>The asynchronous online course is comprised of weekly reading and media assignments, journal reflections, and discussion board posts. 2-3 public history website analyses, an archival-based oral history research project and an asynchronous-friendly presentation (utilizing the HistoryMakers collection and/or the Library of Congress’ Veterans History Project) round out course deliverables. <br><br>Open educational resources will be prioritized and/or I will make all readings and media available on LATTE. No purchases need to be made for this course. <br><br>Assignments may include selected chapters from<br>- Kimberly L. Phillips, War! What Is It Good For?: Black Freedom Struggles and the U.S. Military from World War II to Iraq. University of North Carolina Press, 2012. <br>- Karin Stanford, ed., If We Must Die: African American Voices on War and Peace. Rowman & Littlefield, 2008. <br>- Chad L. Williams, Torchbearers of Democracy: African American Soldiers in the World War I Era. University of North Carolina Press, 2010<br><br>Also, films like:<br>- A Soldier’s Story (1984)<br>- Da 5 Bloods (2020)<br><br> Session: Extended Day: Online Time: Asynchronous Credit Hours: 4 Credits Course Format: 2157 Brandeis Graduation Requirement Fulfilled: SS Enrollment Limit: 15 students Course Classification: Undergraduate Level Course Course Tuition: $3,100 Course Fees: None Open to High School Students: Yes |
