Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Individual Presentations: Guidelines & Schedule

Isaac and Rosa, Emancipated Slave Children, From the Free Schools of Louisiana, December 1863. Photo by Kimball.


Hi, class,

I am making a few modifications to the individual presentation guidelines. Please note the changes. You will be responsible for delivering a brief presentation (5 minutes maximum) on one of the readings from The Black Past, the online reference guide to African American history (click on link at left). The objective of the assignment is to present the work in such a way as to heighten the class’s interest in learning more about the author or the topic presented in the text.

You must provide a brief overview of the piece, as well as some analysis as to why you think the work is of continuing literary/historic value. Please provide a handout with one or two passages which exemplify the major theme of the piece. This handout should include at least 3 educational/scholarly links  to more information about the author (such as an online bibliography, collected works, etc.).

A 5-minute presentation is approximately 2 double-spaced typed pages. You may prefer to write out your presentation or you may work from notes. Time yourself and rehearse so that you may give a polished, professional presentation--I will stop the presentation at 5 minutes. Be prepared to answer additional questions from the instructor and your classmates on the topic of your presentation. Below is the schedule of readings. Class will begin with the delivery of the presentations, so please come to class on time on the date of your presentation.

*There will be no make-up allowed for this presentation, which is worth 10 points.*
 

Tuesday, 2/2

Lauren Talmadge: Frederick Douglass, "If There is No Struggle, There is No Progress" (1857)
Sameerah Coleman: John  S. Rock, "I Will Sink or Swim with My Race" (1858)
Jenelle Piercy: Frances E.W. Harper, "We Are All Bound Up Together" (1866)

Tuesday, 2/9

Damon Mongelli: Frederick Douglass, "The Composite Nation" (1869)
Ashley Henderson: Hiram Revels, "The End of Segregated Schools" (1871)
Sharrelle Thomas: John F. Bruce, "Reasons Why the Colored Man Should Go to Africa" (1877)
Catherine Kilpatrick: Peter H. Clark, "Socialism: The Remedy for the Evils of Society" (1877)

Tuesday, 2/16

Eric Cutliff: Ferdinand Barnett, "Race Unity" (1879)
Kyle Miller: Lucy Parsons, "I Am an Anarchist" (1886)
Cyndi Pinkney: Frederick Douglass, "On Woman Suffrage" (1888)
Pearl Burl: Anna Julia Cooper, "Women's Cause is One and Universal" (1893)
Khadeeja McElroy: Ida B. Wells, "Lynch Law in All Its Phases" (1893)

Tuesday, 2/23

Sandra Wansley: Booker T. Washington, "The Atlanta Compromise Speech" (1895)
Yarsiah Nelson: John H. Smyth, "The African in Africa and the African in America" (1895)
Milagros Herrera: Mary Church Terrell, "In Union There is Strength" (1897)
Iman Muhammad: Lucy Craft Laney, "The Burden of the Educated Colored Woman" (1899)

Tuesday, 3/2

Tonya Thornton: W.E.B.Du Bois: "To the Nations of the World" (1900)
Elizabeth Wellington: Mary Church Terrell, "What it Means to be Colored..." (1906)
Asia Pinckney: Ida B. Wells, "This Awful Slaughter" (1909)
Patrick Racine: William Pickens, "The Kind of Democracy the Negro Expects" (1919)
Brenda Francis: Archibald Grimke, "The Shame of America..." (1920)
Jackie Been: Marcus Garvey, "The Principles of the U.N.I.A." (1922)

Tuesday, 3/9

Shena Fraser: Charlotta Bass, "Acceptance Speech for Vice-Presidential Candidate..." (1952)
Leonard Stewart: Malcolm X, "Exhorting Afro-Americans to Confront White Oppression" (1965)
Timmia Dansby: Shirley Chisolm, "I Am for the Equal Rights Amendment" (1970)
Faraji Johnson: Stokely Carmichael, "Definitions of Black Power" (1966)
Amanda Griffin: Barbara Jordan: "Who, Then, Will Speak to the Common Good?" (1976)


Readings for 2/2: Harper, Douglass, & Larsen's Passing


Nella Larsen, photographed by James Allen in 1928, age 37. Harmon Foundation Records, Manuscript Division, Library of Congress.

Hi, class,

Here is the update* on the readings and presentations scheduled for next week:

Frances E.W. Harper: Read the handouts I gave you all.  In addition, here is a link to a more readable version of her short story, "The Two Offers"):
"The Two Offers"

 Douglass: I will bring in a short handout on "Claims of the Negro, Ethnologically Considered."
"What, to the Slave, is the Fourth of July?"

Please read the above pieces and be ready to comment on a section that you find of particular significance--pay attention to diction, language, tone, and theme.What is significant about each piece? What do you notice about the rhetorical style? We will spend our first hour on these pieces.

In addition, we will be starting on Nella Larsen's Passing. Please read Part One: "Encounter," pp. 3-69. Although I will not require it, you may want to read Mae G. Henderson's foreword--it will provide some background and context to the novel.

* I have removed a couple of the readings from our list--you are only responsible for the pieces listed above.


All best,


Prof. Williams

Monday, January 25, 2010

Readings for 1/26: Loguen, Truth, Harper, and Douglass



Hi, class,

For tomorrow, we will finish our discussion of Jefferson and Walker, and then will work on Jermain Loguen, Sojourner Truth (Web), and the Frances E. W. Harper pieces I handed out.

If we have time, we will begin our discussion of Douglass during the second half of the class, and we will continue with Douglass on 2/2.

Jermain Loguen
 Loguen "I Won't Obey the Fugitive Slave Law"

Sojourner Truth
Truth "Arn't I a Woman?"

Frances E.W. Harper (I gave handouts--but here is a link to her short story, "The Two Offers")
"The Two Offers"

 Douglass (I will bring in selection from "Claims of the Negro, Ethnologically Considered" tomorrow)
"What, to the Slave, is the Fourth of July?"

Please read the pieces and be ready to comment on a section that you find of particular significance--pay attention to diction, language, tone, and theme.

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Welcome, English 238/OAC Students!




1861 photo of girls in the school yard of the Colored Orphan Asylum, located at 5th Ave. & 43rd St. in New York City.


Good afternoon, students! Here is the blog for our class. I will post all links, handouts, and readings here. Take a look!


All best,


Prof. Williams