Washington, D.C. and Maryland have long been home to pioneering and revolutionary African Americans like Frederick Douglass, Harriet Tubman, Mary McLeod Bethune, Paul Laurence Dunbar, Marvin Gaye, Ta-Nehisi Coates, among a host of others. Since the seventeenth century, African Americans have made an indelible mark on the region from cultivating Maryland’s cash crop—tobacco— to designing and constructing much of the National Mall, staffing integral federal agencies, and creating a rich cultural backdrop through music, food, dance, and art. This course will examine the social and cultural history of African Americans in Washington, D.C. and Maryland, while grappling with the politics of race, class, and place. Drawing on a range of historical, cultural, and political texts, throughout the quarter we will explore themes like slavery and abolition, race and housing, migration, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Black electoral politics, race and public memory, community building, and social justice. With significant attention paid to space and place, each week we will delve into the community-making efforts of different historically Black neighborhoods from across the region—Hillcrest, Deanwood, U Street/Shaw, Anacostia, Prince George’s County, Maryland’s Eastern Shore—while contending with contemporary issues like gentrification, displacement, divestment, and climate change.
About the Instructor:
Dr. Jeanelle K. Hope is an accomplished public historian and scholar specializing in African American Studies, with extensive teaching experience across K-12 and higher education. Currently serving as the Director and Associate Professor of African American Studies at Prairie View A&M University, Dr. Hope’s research focuses on Afro-Asian solidarity, Black political thought, and the role of art and cultural production in post-WWII social movements. Her forthcoming book, The Black Antifascist Tradition: Fighting Fascism from Anti-Lynching to Abolition, will be released in 2024 through Haymarket Books.
With a passion for experiential learning, Dr. Hope has led immersive academic experiences, such as civil rights movement tours across the South and curated art-focused events for students. Transitioning to Washington, D.C., to pursue public history work as a curator with the Smithsonian, Dr. Hope brings her expertise in community engagement, cultural preservation, and teaching to UCDC. She aims to develop courses that leverage the wealth of historical and cultural resources in the nation’s capital, fostering a dynamic and inclusive learning environment.
Requirement for ALL semester students:
The four weeks from March 24 to April 18 will be spent in a special topics module taught by Dr. Jimmy Ellis (or designated instructor) on Wednesdays from 6:30 to 9:30p.m. This module will account for 15% of the seminar final course grade.
Your selected seminar will begin the week of January 6 and your seminar instructor will officially be your instructor of record for the term, responsible for computing and submitting final course grades at the end of the term.
**NO additional registration required."
