Semester/Term: Spring 2021

Credit Hours: 3

Meeting Days/Time/Location: T R 2pm - 3:15pm Online

[The Zoom link will be sent to your uky.edu account with the password]

Course Website: https://cla462g-aas400-blackclassicism.weebly.com/

Password: [you will receive and email to your uky.edu account with the password]

Format & Structure

The Course will meet synchronously online twice a week (TR) for 1hr and 15 minutes. All classes will be recorded and made available to you for future study purposes through the uky.edu zoom platform.

During the first six weeks of the course, we will spend every Thursday in Germany (virtually) with Professor Anja Bettenworth and her students at the University of Cologne. We will take the opportunity to compare contemporary American and German constructions of anti-blackness / anti-Africanness as we consider how Du Bois' attitude toward German changed over time. These sessions are funded by the DAAD and will be recorded and made available through the class website to all participants..

Instructor Information

Instructor: Dr. Jackie Murray

Office Building & Room Number: POT 1077

Email: jmu245@uky.edu

Virtual Office Hours: F 3pm-4pm or by appointment

Information will be sent to you via your uky.edu account

Course Description

W.E.B Du Bois (1868-1963) was undoubtedly one of the greatest American minds. His long and prolific intellectual life spanned almost a century and his writings are a great library in themselves. In his early academic and literary works he married his determination to fight racism to his fascination with and inspiration from the ancient world to produce some of the world's greatest literature.

The aim of the course is to consider Du Bois' early career, influences and writings about education and racial justice in the wider intellectual and social context of 19th century and early 20th century discourses about race and education in America and colonial Africa. Whereas the role of Classics is prominent when we look at Du Bois' African contemporaries, very little attention has been paid to the significance of Classics for Du Bois and his American contemporaries. Yet, in America, as much as in the colonial African context, the Classics plays an important role in the way Black and White identities have been and continue to be constructed in a dynamic of racial antagonism. The under-valuing of the Classics in America's history of race is largely due to the way Greco-Roman antiquity and Classics as a discipline have been successfully recruited to serve White supremacist agendas, especially in education, since the Founding Fathers. So, interrogating this connection has always been made difficult by rhetorics that claim "Classics is for Whites only", whether they come from Classics scholars who have long pretended the study of Greco-Roman antiquity has nothing to do with Africa or with modern issues of racial justice or African American studies scholars who eschew any engagement with Classics as assimilationist.

In this course we will investigate how Du Bois’ long life's devotion to anti-racism was inextricably bound to his deep learning and abiding interest in the ancient world and the place of Africa and Africans in it. This course will also situate Du Bois' efforts to make Blackness in antiquity visible in his writings as a countervailing voice against the mainstream academic discourse that constructed antiquity in the image of the modern world's white supremacist imagination. We will focus primarily on his early works: Souls of Black Folks, The Quest for the Silver Fleece, The Negro and others which we will put in their historical and intellectual context. We will also use Du Bois' autobiography, Dusk of Dawn (1940) to get a sense of how he saw his early life and career as a teacher and activist.

We will begin the course with an overview of the history of Anti-Black / Anti-African Racism and the state of 19th and early 20th century white supremacist theories of race, US history, with special focus on the history of racism in education. We will work with an understanding of race that is transhistorical and that will make the distinction between anti-blackness and race clear so that there will be no confusion when we discuss depictions of Africa and Africans in the ancient sources. We will deconstruct the White supremacist and pro-slavery constructions of antiquity that have been the prevailing academic discourse since Du Bois was growing up, studying and teaching until our present moment. We will follow with ancient depictions of Africans and how they have been appropriated to serve the White supremacist agendas as well as African claims to the ancient world for heritage and identity. We will then spend the rest of the course reading Du Bois’ writings in their intellectual context and using him to think about how to disentangle the ancient world from white supremacy and racism more generally.

From time to time we will have visiting scholars join our class to discuss their work. Students are required to prepare any readings they assign and actively participate in discussion. These sessions will be recorded for your reference and should be consulted for assignments. The second half of the course coincides with the Penn State - University of Kentucky virtual conference on W.E.B. Du Bois and the Ancient Mediterranean. Students will be required to attend lectures (at least one must be attended synchronously) by experts on Du Bois from around the world who will be discussing his importance to the study of the ancient world and the importance of the study of the ancient world to him. These conversations will help to frame our close readings of Du Bois’ own works.

Course Prerequisites

None

Skill Requirements

None

Student Learning Outcomes

1. Students will gain an understanding of and the ability to distinguish between the concepts, race, ethnicity, racism, White Supremacy, Blackness.
2. Students will gain an understanding of the inextricable connection between race, racism, on the one hand, and slavery, exploitation, dehumanization and oppression, on the other.
3. Students will race as a social construct that is historically contingent and dynamic process for establishing and maintaining social domination.  
4. Students will understand how to discern race and racial oppression in pre-modern contexts
5. Students will understand how certain pre-modern and modern constructions of Africa and African peoples in the ancient world have been used to support White Supremacy.
6. Students will become familiar with W.E.B. Du Bois’ thoughts about Classics, the ancient world, and ancient Africa and Africans.
7. Students will be able to situate W.E.B. Du Bois’ early writings about race within the intellectual history of race, racism, Blackness, and White Supremacy in the late 19th and early 20th century.
8. Students will be able to situate W.E.B. Du Bois’ early writings within the intellectual history of his own thinking about race, racism, Blackness, and White Supremacy.
9. Students will come to know what the ancient Greek and Roman sources have to say about ancient Africa and Africans, as well as what they have been made to say in the service of White supremacist agendas as well as anti-racist agendas.

Required Materials

Required Texts: (check to see if there is an electronic copy already available in the library)

Henry Louis Gates, Stony the Road: Reconstruction, White Supremacy, and the Rise of Jim Crow

W.E.B. Dubois, Dusk of Dawn

W.E.B. Dubois, Souls of Black Folk*

W.E.B. Dubois, Quest for the Silver Fleece.* 

Online Resources accessed through the Class Website and Canvas

*Note: There are free kindle versions of this title on Amazon.com

Technology Information and Requirements

Technology Requirements

Minimum technical requirements for UK courses and suggested hardware, software, and internet connections are available at ITS Student Hardware & Software Guidelines.

Technical Support

For account help, contact UK’s Information Technology Customer Services online, by email, or by phone at 859-218-HELP (4357).

Activities and Assignments

Evaluation:

Each of the following components will determine a fraction of the final grade:

Attendance, Preparedness and Class Participation - 20%

Students are expected to attend all sessions. More than 3 unexcused absences may result in a reduction of a student’s grade. A student who misses more that 20% of the classes for this course will receive a failing grade.

Students will prepare all assignments (readings, video lectures, write responses to discussion prompts) before each session or by their due date.

Students are also expected to attend all the special lectures associated with this class as indicated on the schedule, including at least two of sessions of the W.E.B. Du Bois and the Mediterranean Workshop scheduled for March 19-21 (more details will follow).

Students are expected to prepare for class by taking notes and preparing comments and discussion questions. Some of the video lectures will have questions attached (via Edpuzzle or the like); students are expected to answer these questions as homework.

Students are also expected to demonstrate that they have prepared for class by engaging in active discussion about each of the readings and in other in-class activities.

Work upto 3 days later will be penalized by the deduction of a grade point, i.e. A work will receive a B grade, B work a C grade, C work a D grade, D work and E grade. After 3 days without a valid excuse, work that has not been turned in will receive a E.

Discussions - 20% (2x10%)

Each Graduate student will pick two topics from the readings or discussion about Du Bois and the ancients and lead the class discussion. Dates TBD

Response to reading (5% x 4) =  20%

Students will write 4 short responses (1-2 pages) to one of the reading assignments. Dates TBD

Reports on Talks (10% x 2) = 20% Due: March 22 @5pm EST

Each student will be assigned two of the lectures to attend during the Penn State / UK Workshop on Du Bois and the Ancient Mediterranean (March 19-21).

Read the pre-circulated talk, taking notes.

Write a 1-page summary of the paper that gives the speaker’s main arguments and proofs.

Compose one discussion and explain why you are asking it. It will be posed to the speaker during the session by the moderator. Include the speaker’s answer.

Final Essay - 20% (due May 11, 2021 @5pm EST)

Students will write an essay on a topic to be determined. The essay will be 6-8 pages, with an annotated bibliography. See steps on the assignments page of the class website.

Presentation - 10% (TBD)

Each student will submit the pre-final draft of their final essay to be circulated to the rest of the class for peer review. During class each student will have 10-15 minutes to present their paper and take questions and constructive feedback from the rest of the class.

Course Grading 

Work upto 3 days late will be penalized by the deduction of a grade point, i.e. A work will receive a B grade, B work a C grade, C work a D grade, D work and E grade. After 3 days without a valid excuse, work that has not been turned in will receive a E.

Grading scale for undergraduates        90 – 100% = A

        80 – 89% = B

        70 – 79% = C

        60 – 69% = D

        Below 60% = E

Grading Scale for graduate students        90 - 100% = A

(no D for Grad Students)        80 – 89% = B

        70 – 79% = C

        Below 70%= E

Mid-term Grade

Midterm grades will be posted in myUK by the deadline established by the University Senate and published in the Academic Calendar.

Resources

Distance Learning Library Services

Carla Cantagallo, Distance Learning Librarian, 859-218-1240

Add any additional resources you feel will be helpful for your course: Writing Center, ProctorU/NCTA information, etc.

Tentative Course Schedule

See the course website

Final Exam Information

There will be no final exam for this course. However, the final essay will be due on the day scheduled for the final exam: May 11, 2021.

The final exam is scheduled by the University. Please check the Exam Schedule on the registrar’s page.

Attendance Policy

Students are expected to attend all classes and extracurricular events associated with the course. Students will be penalized 2% off of their final grade for each unexcused absence, this includes unexcused absences from the scheduled extra-curricular events that are associated with this course..

This policy is in accordance with Senate Rules 5.2.5.2.3.3 on excused absences, see below.

Classroom Behavior Policies

Students are expected to pay attention and refrain from distracted behaviors such as unauthorized texting, checking social media, watching videos etc. Students are strongly encouraged to keep their zoom screen as much as possible, especially during presentations and discussions.

Excused Absences (Senate Rules 5.2.5.2.1)

Senate Rules 5.2.5.2.1 defines the following as acceptable reasons for excused absences: 1. significant illness; 2. death of a family member; 3. trips for members of student organizations sponsored by an educational unit, trips for University classes, and trips for participation in intercollegiate athletic events; 4. major religious holidays; 5. interviews for graduate/professional school or full-time employment post-graduation; and 6. other circumstances found to fit “reasonable cause for nonattendance” by the instructor of record. Students should notify the professor of absences prior to class when possible.

If a course syllabus requires specific interactions (e.g., with the instructor or other students), in situations where a student’s total EXCUSED absences exceed 1/5 (or 20%) of the required interactions for the course, the student shall have the right to request and receive a "W," or the Instructor of Record may award an “I” for the course if the student declines a “W.” (Senate Rules 5.2.5.2.3.1)

If an attendance/interaction policy is not stated in the course syllabus or the policy does not include a penalty to the student, the Instructor cannot penalize the student for any unexcused absences. (Senate Rules 5.2.5.2.3.3)

Verification of Absences (Senate Rules 5.2.5.2.1)

Students may be asked to verify their absences in order for them to be considered excused. Senate Rule 5.2.5.2.1 states that faculty have the right to request appropriate verification when students claim an excused absence due to: significant illness; death in the household, trips for classes, trips sponsored by an educational unit and trips for participation related to intercollegiate athletic events; and interviews for full-time job opportunities after graduation and interviews for graduate and professional school. (Appropriate notification of absences due to University-related trips is required prior to the absence when feasible and in no case more than one week after the absence.)

Programs with learning activities mandated by accreditation or licensure agencies may establish, as a matter of policy, educational consequences for students who have so many excused absences that they cannot complete the mandated learning activities. Pursuant to Senate Rules 6.1.1, the published program policies and individual course syllabi must describe these consequences, which may include the student being moved to a different graduation cohort.

Religious Observances (Senate Rules 5.2.5.2.1(4))

Students anticipating an absence for a major religious holiday are responsible for notifying the instructor in writing of anticipated absences due to their observance of such holidays. Please check the course syllabus for the notification requirement. If no requirement is specified, two weeks prior to the absence is reasonable and should not be given any later. Information regarding major religious holidays may be obtained through the Ombud’s website or calling 859-257-3737.

Make-Up Work (Senate Rule 5.2.5.2.2)

Except where prior notification is required, students missing any graded work due to an excused absence are responsible: for informing the Instructor of Record about their excused absence within one week following the period of the excused absence; and for making up the missed work. The instructor must give the student an opportunity to make up the work and/or the exams missed due to the excused absence, and shall do so, if feasible, during the semester in which the absence occurred. The instructor shall provide the student with an opportunity to make up the graded work and may not simply calculate the student's grade on the basis of the other course requirements, unless the student agrees in writing.

For students who add a class after the first day of classes and miss graded work, the instructor shall provide the student with an opportunity to make up the graded work (quiz, exam, homework, etc.). The instructor may not simply calculate the student's grade on the basis of the other course requirements, unless the student agrees in writing.

Excused Absences and W/I, All Students (Senate Rule 5.2.5.2.3.1)

If a student has excused absences for more than one-fifth of the required interactions for a course, the student can request a "W." If the student declines a “W,” the Instructor of Record may award an “I” for the course.

Excused Absences Due to Military Duties (Senate Rule 5.2.5.2.3.2)

If a student must be absent for one-fifth or less of the required course interactions (e.g., class meetings) due to military duties, the following procedure apply:

1. Once a student is aware of a call to duty, the student shall provide a copy of the military orders to the Director of the Veterans Resource Center. The student shall also provide the Director with a list of her/his courses and instructors.
2. The Director will verify the orders with the appropriate military authority and on behalf of the military student, notify each Instructor of Record via Department Letterhead as to the known extent of the absence.  
3. The Instructor of Record shall not penalize the student’s absence in any way and shall provide accommodations and timeframes so that the student can make up missed assignments, quizzes, and tests in a mutually agreed upon manner.

Accommodations Due to Disability

If you have a documented disability that requires academic accommodations, please see me as soon as possible during scheduled office hours. In order to receive accommodations in this course, you must provide me with a Letter of Accommodation from the Disability Resource Center (DRC). The DRC coordinates campus disability services available to students with disabilities. Visit the DRC website, email the DRC, contact them by phone at (859) 257-2754, or visit their office on the corner of Rose Street and Huguelet Drive in the Multidisciplinary Science Building, Suite 407.

Non-Discrimination Statement and Title IX Information

UK is committed to providing a safe learning, living, and working environment for all members of the University community. The University maintains a comprehensive program which protects all members from discrimination, harassment, and sexual misconduct. For complete information about UK’s prohibition on discrimination and harassment on aspects such as race, color, ethnic origin, national origin, creed, religion, political belief, sex, and sexual orientation, please see the electronic version of UK’s Administrative Regulation 6:1 (“Policy on Discrimination and Harassment”) . In accordance with Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, the University prohibits discrimination and harassment on the basis of sex in academics, employment, and all of its programs and activities. Sexual misconduct is a form of sexual harassment in which one act is severe enough to create a hostile environment based on sex and is prohibited between members of the University community and shall not be tolerated. For more details, please see the electronic version of Administrative Regulations 6:2 (“Policy and Procedures for Addressing and Resolving Allegations of Sexual Assault, Stalking, Dating Violence, Domestic Violence, and Sexual Exploitation”). Complaints regarding violations of University policies on discrimination, harassment, and sexual misconduct are handled by the Office of Institutional Equity and Equal Opportunity (IEEO), which is located in 13 Main Building and can be reached by phone at (859) 257-8927. You can also visit the IEEO’s website. 

Faculty members are obligated to forward any report made by a student related to IEEO matters to the Office of Institutional Equity and Equal Opportunity. Students can confidentially report alleged incidences through the Violence Intervention and Prevention Center, Counseling Center, or University Health Services.

Academic Integrity– Prohibition on Plagiarism (Senate Rules 6.3.1)

Per University policy, students shall not plagiarize, cheat, or falsify or misuse academic records. Students are expected to adhere to University policy on cheating and plagiarism in all courses. The minimum penalty for a first offense is a zero on the assignment on which the offense occurred. If the offense is considered severe or the student has other academic offenses on their record, more serious penalties, up to suspension from the University may be imposed.

Plagiarism and cheating are serious breaches of academic conduct. Each student is advised to become familiar with the various forms of academic dishonesty as explained in the Code of Student Rights and Responsibilities. Complete information can be found on the Academic Ombud page. A plea of ignorance is not acceptable as a defense against the charge of academic dishonesty. It is important that you review this information as all ideas borrowed from others need to be properly credited.

Senate Rule 6.3.1 (see current Senate Rules) states that all academic work, written or otherwise, submitted by students to their instructors or other academic supervisors, is expected to be the result of their own thought, research, or self-expression. In cases where students feel unsure about a question of plagiarism involving their work, they are obliged to consult their instructors on the matter before submission.

When students submit work purporting to be their own, but which in any way borrows ideas, organization, wording, or content from another source without appropriate acknowledgment of the fact, the students are guilty of plagiarism.

Plagiarism includes reproducing someone else's work (including, but not limited to a published article, a book, a website, computer code, or a paper from a friend) without clear attribution. Plagiarism also includes the practice of employing or allowing another person to alter or revise the work which a student submits as his/her own, whoever that other person may be, except under specific circumstances (e.g. Writing Center review or peer review) allowed by the Instructor of Record or that person’s designee. Plagiarism may also include double submission, self-plagiarism, or unauthorized resubmission of one’s own work, as defined by the instructor.

Students may discuss assignments among themselves or with an instructor or tutor, except where prohibited by the Instructor of Record (e.g. individual take-home exams). However, the actual work must be done by the student, and the student alone, unless collaboration is allowed by the Instructor of Record (e.g. group projects).

When a student's assignment involves research in outside sources or information, the student must carefully acknowledge exactly what, where and how he/she has employed them. If the words of someone else are used, the student must put quotation marks around the passage in question and add an appropriate indication of its origin. Making simple changes while leaving the organization, content, and phraseology intact is plagiaristic. However, nothing in these Rules shall apply to those ideas, which are so generally and freely circulated as to be a part of the public domain.

Please note:  Any assignment you turn in may be submitted to an electronic database to check for plagiarism.

Academic Integrity – Prohibition on Cheating (Senate Rules 6.3.2)

Cheating is defined by its general usage. It includes, but is not limited to, the wrongfully giving, taking, or presenting any information or material by a student with the intent of aiding himself/herself or another on any academic work which is considered in any way in the determination of the final grade. The fact that a student could not have benefited from an action is not by itself proof that the action does not constitute cheating. Any question of definition shall be referred to the University Appeals Board.

Academic Integrity – Prohibition on Falsification/Misuse of Academic Records (SR 6.3.3)

Maintaining the integrity, accuracy, and appropriate privacy of student academic records is an essential administrative function of the University and a basic protection of all students. Accordingly, the actual or attempted falsification, theft, misrepresentation or other alteration or misuse of any official academic record of the University, specifically including knowingly having unauthorized access to such records or the unauthorized disclosure of information contained in such records, is a serious academic offense. As used in this context, "academic record" includes all paper and electronic versions of the partial or complete permanent academic record, all official and unofficial academic transcripts, application documents and admission credentials, and all academic record transaction documents. The minimum sanction for falsification, including the omission of information, or attempted falsification or other misuse of academic records as described in this section is suspension for one semester.