African American History Lecture 1
The instructor, Randall, teaches African American History One at IU, drawing on his background from Michigan, Kansas, and his PhDs in comparative histories. He emphasizes a "grandfatherly" teaching style, incorporating personal stories from New Orleans and Chicago. His scholarly work includes books on Benjamin Mays and Martin Luther King Jr.
The course stresses that history is about context (region, space, institutions, power, culture) and understanding change, not just dates. Students are encouraged to broaden their perspectives through travel and critical examination of American history, acknowledging the country's flaws.
Key pedagogical points include:
Assignments: Five assignments (20% of grade, each weighted ), a midterm, and a final exam, all requiring essay-style responses in blue books.
Research: Students will create an annotated bibliography with a primary source, utilizing resources like the Lily Library and the Black Film Center and Archive.
Methodology: Emphasis on evidence-based interpretation by using multiple sources and primary documents, rather than relying on opinion. AI tool usage requires proper citation.
Slavery: The course will establish that slavery was integral to all colonial American states, including northern ones like Rhode Island, and will consider both American and African perspectives within the Atlantic world.
Global Context: Notes Brazil's significant Afro-descendant population, broadening the scope of African diaspora studies.
The class fosters a culture of storytelling, critical thinking, and respectful dialogue, encouraging students to form independent, evidence-based interpretations of historical narratives and cultural representations.