BLACK AND LATINO STUDIES ELECTIVES
FALL 2024
BLS 3015 Black Economic Development Arthur Lewin Th 6:05pm-9:00pm
BLS 3024 Women of Color Keisha Allan TR 10:45am-12:00pm
BLS 3038 Caribbean Literature Rebecca Salois TR 2:30pm-3:45pm
BLS 3050 Race and Global Inequity Karanja Carroll TR 4:10pm-5:25pm
BLS 3085 Mixed Race Literature Rafael Walker TR 2:30pm-3:45pm
BLS 4900 Seminar Black and Latino Studies Shelly Eversley F 11:10am-2:05pm
LTS 3007 Puerto Rican Culture Rojo Robles Mejias W 6:05pm-9:00pm
LTS 3021 U.S Mexican Border Lizbeth de la Cruz Santana MW 10:45am-12:00pm
LTS 3050 Race and Global Inequality Karanja Carroll TR 4:10pm-5:25pm
LTS 3059 Latin American Fiction in the U.S. Lizbeth de la Cruz Santana MW 12:50pm-2:05pm
LTS 3100 Latino Communities in the U.S. Gustavo Quintero Vera TR 5:50p7:05pm
LTS 4900 Seminar Black and Latino Studies Shelly Eversley F 11:10am-2:05pm
LACS/LTS/BLS 4902 Latin America and the Caribbean Joseph Caceres TR 10:45am-12:00pm or TR 2:30PM-3:45PM
BLS 3015
Black Economic Development – 1860 to Present
Th 6:05pm – 9:00pm
Prof. Lewin
Why was the Civil War fought in the 1860s. Why did the Reconstruction period afterwards fail to heal the nation? How can it be said that the Civil Rights movement, 100 years later, picked up where the Civil War left off? And why did the Second Reconstruction, which followed in its wake, also fail to reach fruition. The answers to these questions, and others, provide key insights on the hurdles and the accomplishments in the path of Black Economic development in over the last 150 years. We also explore the reasons for, and the methods to contain, the rampant consumerism that plagues not just Black Americans, but many in this nation, and keeps them from establishing the general wealth that is the key to real economic progress in this society.
BLS 3024
Women of Color
TR 10:45am – 12:00pm
Prof. Allan
This course introduces students to the major concerns explored in the literature of women of color, using interdisciplinary and intersectional approaches. We will examine texts by women writers of color from both academic and popular realms that may include fiction and non-fiction, prose and poetry, drama and autobiography, in addition to non-print sources such as film and music. We will discuss the focal place given to history in the writing of these authors; feminism and its concerns; how women writers of color approach topics such as enslavement and forced migration; and colonialism’s effect on ideas and attitudes toward women of color.
BLS 3038
Survey of Caribbean Literature in English
TR 2:30pm – 3:45pm
Prof. Salois
This course looks at Caribbean literature in English and covers themes of anti-imperialism and nationalism, globalization, migration and exile, the treatment of race, and the treatment of women. Students will engage in close reading and analytical practices with a variety of texts (written, audio, and visual) in different genres from different Caribbean countries. Class discussions are intended to promote an awareness of the cultural and historical factors of each text and how they both shape and reflect a multicultural world. The semester will culminate in a public-facing podcast project that demonstrates student understanding of the themes and topics covered in the course.
BLS 3050
Race and Global Inequality
TR 4:10pm – 5:00pm
Prof. Carroll
This course will explore the role of race in the creation and maintenance of global inequalities between and among states and nations. We will explore the origin of race as developing through the European Enlightenment and how this impacted historical and contemporary inequalities. We explore relationships among nations, along with the internal conflicts within nations that are impacted through the construction of and reliance upon the idea of race. Analysis will focus on examples primarily coming from South Africa, Australia, Asia, South and Central America.
BLS 3085
Mixed Race Literature
TR 2:30pm – 3:45pm
Prof. Walker
Fiction written by and centering on people of mixed black and white descent has perennially been assimilated into the African American canon, much in the same way that biracial individuals have historically been classified as black in the U.S. Against this tendency, this course will examine some of the many fictions published by and about biracial people, taking seriously the particular racial perspective that they explore. We’ll pay close attention to this literature’s historical context, considering it in relation to such developments as Reconstruction, the Great Migration, the Harlem Renaissance, shifts in gender ideology, and court cases. Writers include Charles Chesnutt, James Weldon Johnson, Nella Larsen, and Danzy Senna, among others.
BLS 3100:
Latino Communities in the U.S
TR 5:50pm – 7:05pm
Prof. Vera (online synchronous)
This interdisciplinary course examines the rich tapestry of experiences of Latinx individuals and communities throughout the US. Students will be able to explore the histories, identities, cultures and traditions, struggles, and media representations of Latinx communities through the analysis of literary works, historical and creative essays, documentaries, films, songs, podcasts and other media. Although we will study a diverse series of Latinx communities in the US (Dominican, Cuban, Mexican, and Central American), over the second half of the course our main focus will be placed in the case study of Puerto Rican (“Diasporican”) communities in the US. Some of the topics covered will revolve around issues of representation, migration, colonialism, race, class, gender, urban life, and access to citizenship, housing, and health.
BLS/LTS 4900
Seminar in Black and Latino Studies
F 11:10AM-2:05PM
Prof. Eversley
This BLS/LTS capstone course is designed for students in the department to develop their interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary research and communication skills in areas that center indigenous, Black, and Latinx knowledges and experiences. Its goal is to foster connections between coursework and real-world applications beyond school. In this objective, BLS/LTS 4900 should help students refine the skills that resonate in the job market and in advanced study while they also support the BLS mission of racial and social justice. This semester’s theme will focus how we analyze articulations of race, gender, and sexuality to explore their relationships to power, money, and social differences. We will research and explore these concepts through readings critical theory, novels and poetry, history, film, and music.
BLS 4902
Latin America and the Caribbean
TR 10:45am – 12:00pm
TR 2;30pm – 3:45pm
Prof. Caceres
Employing sociological, historical, philosophical, literary and other aesthetic frameworks, this survey course will explore how artists and thinkers of African, Caribbean, and Latinx descent use language as a tool for political, social, and cultural expression in the Americas.
LTS 3007
Puerto Rican Culture
W 6:05pm – 9:00pm
Prof. Mejias
Embark on a journey through the diverse and vibrant cultural expressions of Puerto Rico, exploring its intricate blend of influences and its ever-evolving nature. This interdisciplinary course offers a nuanced understanding of Puerto Rican identity, examining how Afro-Taino, European, US, and Caribbean influences shape a culture that defies monolithic definitions. Through a rich variety of sources, including poetry, novels, historical essays, documentaries, videos, songs, and podcasts, we’ll delve into the complexities of island life and diasporic experiences. This course serves as a gateway to a culture that challenges established norms and power structures, offering critical perspectives on colonialism and its impacts on identity and national discourse. Join us as we unravel the layers of Puerto Rican cultural identity, celebrating its vibrancy and resistance in the face of historical and contemporary challenges.
LTS 3021
U.S Mexican Border
MW 10:45am – 12:00pm
Prof. Santana
In this course, the U.S.-Mexico border is a place of identity formation, cultural expression, revision, life, and death. We will begin by discussing the epistemologies or critical frameworks concerning the border. Then, we will focus on the social and ideological development of the border region, transnational relations, and policies. We will then center the cultural works and narratives about the border produced by Chicana/o/x/Latina/o/x/e storytellers who theorize about the U.S.- Mexico border represented in various genres (digital storytelling, memoir, poetry, art, film, etc.). Their theoretical and narrative contributions offer an assessment of the border considering the colonial, racial, hetero-patriarchal, and nation-making projects underway. For their final, students will have the opportunity to create a children’s book inspired by the stories in the Humanizing Deportation archive while drawing on the contents of the course.
LTS 3050
Race and Global Inequality
TR 4:10pm – 5:00pm
Prof. Carroll
This course will explore the role of race in the creation and maintenance of global inequalities between and among states and nations. We will explore the origin of race as developing through the European Enlightenment and how this impacted historical and contemporary inequalities. We explore relationships among nations, along with the internal conflicts within nations that are impacted through the construction of and reliance upon the idea of race. Analysis will focus on examples primarily coming from South Africa, Australia, Asia, South and Central America.
LTS 3059
Latino/a Literature in the U.S.
MW 12:50pm – 2:05pm
Prof. Santana
This course explores the creative process of writing about archives to explore the Mexican-American diaspora in the US. Throughout the semester, students will examine various genres including novels, short stories, poetry, memoirs, and essays penned by Mexican-American/Chicanx origin writers and authors covering migration related topics. By exploring themes such as migration, identity, assimilation, cultural heritage, and social justice, students will gain insight into the complexities of the Mexican-American experience and its intersections with broader issues of race, ethnicity, class, and gender in the United States. For their final, students will have the opportunity to write a short story, a collection of poems, or vignettes inspired by the stories in the Humanizing Deportation archive. An exercise that seeks to access their understanding of writing about the archive.
LTS/BLS 4900
Seminar in Black and Latino Studies
Prof. Eversley
F 11:10AM-2:05PM
This BLS/LTS capstone course is designed for students in the department to develop their interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary research and communication skills in areas that center indigenous, Black, and Latinx knowledges and experiences. Its goal is to foster connections between coursework and real-world applications beyond school. In this objective, BLS/LTS 4900 should help students refine the skills that resonate in the job market and in advanced study while they also support the BLS mission of racial and social justice. This semester’s theme will focus how we analyze articulations of race, gender, and sexuality to explore their relationships to power, money, and social differences. We will research and explore these concepts through readings critical theory, novels and poetry, history, film, and music.
LACS/LTS/BLS 4902
Latin America and the Caribbean
TR 10:45am – 12:00pm
TR 2:30pm – 3:45pm
Prof. Caceres
Employing sociological, historical, philosophical, literary and other aesthetic frameworks, this survey course will explore how artists and thinkers of African, Caribbean, and Latinx descent use language as a tool for political, social, and cultural expression in the Americas.