GER 370 - Black in Berlin

Berlin reflects African American history in many historical, political and cultural traces. This seminar will compare the troubled histories of the U.S. and Germany as we investigate the very different, but interwoven, changing definitions of, and expectations for, race, gender and identity. We will begin by considering Berlin as an unexpected place of openness and opportunity for African Americans, as it was here that W.E.B. DuBois analyzed race not as a biological but as a social phenomenon. We will continue to the deadly racial catastrophes of the early twentieth century and the changing social and economic climates of both countries. We will continue the course with the ecstatic German welcome of presidential candidate Barack Obama in 2008 and the hope for a new post- racial era. Our final weeks will examine present day Afro-German culture and activism.

Prerequisites
GER 240 or permission of instructor

Credits 4

Notes
Cross-listed with WGS 374 . Course taught in German.

Area
Humanities

Division
Arts and Humanities

Foundation
Beyond the West, Foreign Language

Compass Attributes
Global Honors, Foreign Language, Humanities, Structure/Power/Inequality, Taylor and Lane Scholars