The #BlackLivesMatter movement is the most significant political movement in African American life in the United States in the last fifty years. BLM leaders denounced anti-black racism, white supremacy, and police brutality and reshaped how we think about gender, sexuality, social justice, economic injustice, and crime. The movement is grounded in a long history of African American activism. From slave revolts to the Black Panther Party, from the founding of the Congressional Black Caucus, to the eruption of the #BLM Movements, this course is an interdisciplinary and historical exploration of the BlackLivesMatter movement.
In this module, learners will study the fundamentals of a "Racist Culture." Learners will analyze the history of racism in America, the making of the conservative movement and the diversity of African American communities. Learners must receive a passing grade (80%) on all quizzes. Discussion boards are optional.
Remarks by President Obama on "My Brother's Keeper" Initiative•10 minutes
The Kerner Commission•10 minutes
The Welfare Queen•10 minutes
The Southern Strategy•10 minutes
Remarks by President Obama on Economic Mobility•10 minutes
The National Black Political Convention•10 minutes
The Dilemma of the New Black Politician•10 minutes
3 assignments•Total 90 minutes
A Culture of Racism•30 minutes
The Conservative Movement•30 minutes
Divided Communities•30 minutes
3 discussion prompts•Total 30 minutes
Liberals, Conservatives and Racism•10 minutes
On Institutional Racism and Capitalism•10 minutes
On Black Communities•10 minutes
Race, Police and Justice in the United States
Module 2•4 hours to complete
Module details
In this module, learners will study the relationship between race and policing in the United States, by analyzing the history of policing, racial relations during the Obama Presidency and the tensions revealed by the killing of Trayvon Martin. Learners must receive a passing grade (80%) on all quizzes. Discussion boards are optional.
The Black Code of St. Landry’s Parish, Louisiana, 1865•10 minutes
A Report from Occupied Territory by James Baldwin•10 minutes
Racial gap in U.S. arrest rates: Staggering disparity•10 minutes
The Many Causes of America’s Decline in Crime•10 minutes
Chicago police misconduct payouts topped $50 million•10 minutes
Police killed more than twice as many people as reported by US government•10 minutes
Barack Obama’s Speech on Race•10 minutes
Black Voters Turn Out in Big Numbers for Obama•10 minutes
Has President Obama Done Enough for Black Americans?•10 minutes
The Dream That Never Was: Black Millennials and the Promise of Obama•10 minutes
Blacks back 'Occupy', want Obama to be tougher on Wall Street•10 minutes
The Terrorists in Blue•10 minutes
Obama's Statement on Trayvon Martin's Verdict•10 minutes
A Herstory of the #BlackLivesMatter Movement•10 minutes
How Trayvon Martin’s Death Launched a New Generation of Black Activism•10 minutes
3 assignments•Total 50 minutes
Policing Race in America•10 minutes
The Obama Presidency•20 minutes
The Trayvon Martin Moment•20 minutes
3 discussion prompts•Total 30 minutes
Law and Order•10 minutes
Barack Obama and Black Liberation•10 minutes
The Occupy Movement•10 minutes
Building The #BlackLivesMatter Movement
Module 3•4 hours to complete
Module details
In this module, learners will study the politics, the people and the organization of the Black Lives Matter movement. Learners must receive a passing grade (80%) on all quizzes. Discussion boards are optional.
Not all of the Black freedom fighters are men•10 minutes
A Herstory of the #BlackLivesMatter Movement •10 minutes
Obama on the Grand Jury Decision in the Death of Eric Garner•10 minutes
Amid tensions, Sharpton lashes out at younger activists•10 minutes
How to fund #BlackLivesMatter•10 minutes
Do Foundations Co-Opt Civil Rights Organizations?•10 minutes
The Black Youth Project 100 and Minimum Wage•10 minutes
Black Lives Matter on the Docks•10 minutes
3 assignments•Total 90 minutes
The Demographics of the Movement•30 minutes
The Organization of the Movement•30 minutes
The Politics of the Movement•30 minutes
3 discussion prompts•Total 30 minutes
Gender, Sexuality, Class and #BlackLivesMatter•10 minutes
Funding the Movement•10 minutes
Solidarity and Allyship•10 minutes
The Future of #BlackLivesMatter
Module 4•4 hours to complete
Module details
In this module, learners will study the future of the Black Lives Matter movement, by analyzing the George Floyd moment, the globalization of the movement, and future political options. Learners must receive a passing grade (80%) on all quizzes. Discussion boards are optional.
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