HJS 215 Race and Rebellion
3 hours
This course examines the ways in which race and related modes of defining genealogical, linguistic, ethnic, or theological hierarchies have been used to justify subjugation and the denial of rights. Especially important, this course examines instances of resistance and rebellion that have sought to counter oppression and realize civil rights. Using the tools of history, literature, and philosophy, students will consider the ways in which definitions of race broadly conceived have been drafted to sustain privilege and empower one group over another. The focus of the course is global and embraces all periods of history. Topics may include Jewish resistance against the Romans in the ancient world; Protestant resistance against Catholics during the Reformation; the racial hierarchies dividing many Latin American countries after colonization; the disenfranchisement of indigenous peoples worldwide; the slave trade and the “peculiar institution” of slavery in the U.S.; the Taiping Rebellion; the Irish “troubles”; the négritude movement; the modern civil rights movement; and modern civil wars.
Notes
This course satisfies the John Jay College Option: Learning from the Past area of the Gen Ed Program.