Africana Studies: Reconstruction
Midterm Overview
The midterm is due on Thursday.
Submission options are before class or by midnight (voting preferred midnight).
Instructor is 60% complete with grading previously submitted materials.
Group Questions and Concerns
Instructor expresses confusion over why students are asking questions just before due date.
Reminder of the project’s importance due to its high weight in the overall grading.
Rubric available at the end of the syllabus.
Students advised to review documentation before project submission.
Connection of Midterm and Final Projects
Midterm paper to present the core analysis of the topic.
Students must collaborate within their groups.
Final will be a creative interpretation of midterm findings.
Current Assignments and Projects
Mention of Step Africa performance that students attended; seeking feedback on experience.
Students appreciated the comparisons made between historical and modern performances.
Queries about how performances relate to D9 organizations.
Key Historical Context: Reconstruction Era
Reconstruction (1865-1877) aimed at remaking the nation post-Civil War.
Focus on transitioning freed Black individuals into citizens.
Emancipation meant grappling with the new social hierarchy.
700,000 deaths in the Civil War represented about 2% of the population.
Inquiry about the definition and scope of freedom for Black Americans.
Government and Social Change Post-Civil War
Reconstruction period characterized by efforts from the federal government aimed at ensuring civil rights.
W.E.B. Du Bois quote on the fleeting nature of newfound freedom.
Economic Changes and Land Redistribution
Sherman's 40 acres and a mule policy intended to provide land for freed people as reparations after destruction of Southern lands during war.
Contrast with Andrew Johnson's pardoning approach for Confederates.
Thirteenth, Fourteenth, and Fifteenth Amendments
Thirteenth Amendment (1865): Abolished slavery with the exception of punishment for crime.
Fourteenth Amendment (1868): Established citizenship for all born/naturalized; equal protection clause.
Fifteenth Amendment (1870): Granted voting rights to Black males.
Implementation Challenges
Freedmen's Bureau's role diminished due to resistance from Southern states.
Helped with education and family reunification, but unsuccessful with securing job contracts leading to sharecropping conditions.
Freedmen's Savings Bank lost millions of dollars for Black depositors (nearly $3 million).
Political Power and Opposition
The rise of Black political power during the Reconstruction era with 22 elected officials, including senators.
Most were Union soldiers.
The emergence of grassroots violence against Black citizens, particularly by groups like the Ku Klux Klan.
Compromise of 1877
Major turning point leading to withdrawal of federal troops from the South, removing protections for newly freed Black individuals, leading to systemic violence and oppression.
-Historical precedent likened to implications seen in events such as the January 6 uprising.
The Aftermath of Reconstruction
Reflection on intertwined history with systemic racism and the ongoing effects of Reconstruction policies on current societal structures.
Critical discussion of contemporary incidents in light of historical patterns.
Current Issues and Future Considerations
Discussion of the potential retraction of the Fourteenth Amendment under current political scrutiny, emphasizing the immediate relevance of historical knowledge.
Law and systemic racism debated in the context of ongoing disenfranchisement efforts in contemporary America.
Classroom Dynamics and Participation
Instructor encourages discussions around systemic racism and societal issues forming connections with historical contexts.
Recognition of disconnection among students and the importance of participating in discussions about race.
Content for Next Class
Students to focus on midterm and review Du Bois and Booker T. Washington’s arguments in preparation for the next class discussion.
No assigned reading due to midterms, but video materials provided for supplemental knowledge.