RECONSTRUCTING BLACKNESS: ANTI-RACISM AND UNITY IN THE US (RSPR-8221)

This online course will examine how individual and collective transformation towards an anti-racist society necessitates the re-construction of race and Blackness in the U.S.  The course will explore some of the most significant manifestations of racism, root causes of issues presented with an interdisciplinary lens, and a unique Bahá’í perspective. Units will explore a solutionary approach to the following topics: constructions of race and the oneness of humankind; stereotypes and cultural appropriation; colonialism and slavery; Civil Rights Movement; segregation, gentrification, environmental racism, and reparations; Prison Industrial Complex and Black Lives Matter; Black women in the U.S.; racism and technology; and constructive resilience and community building. Participants will acquire the capacity to apply this knowledge to their academic work, lived experiences, community building and social discourse. This interactive course will utilize assessment strategies that meet requirements for graduate and undergraduate student work.The seminar course format allows for dialogical learning weekly with video conferencing. Students have an opportunity to work on a project in the course that includes reflection papers and presentations. The course is suitable for students from various programs.