Open currency, time zone, and language settings

Feminist History: African-American Feminists

In this class, students will learn about the history of African-American women in the women’s movement and some of the thoughts and theories that they have contributed.

Bek Dawson

Average rating:

4.8

Number of reviews:

(95)

What's included

4 live meetings

3 hrs 40 mins in-class hours

Class Experience

This class will focus on the history of black feminists in the United States. Throughout these three classes, we will cover the four waves of the women’s movement, however there will be some discussion of other social movements as well, as many of these feminists also worked with other groups. We will discuss events and policies that happened during this time as well as the lives and contributions from individuals, briefly summarizing some feminist theories and concepts coined by or contributed to by African-American feminists, such as Womanism and intersectionality. At the end of the class, we will have a discussion about the impact of these women’s ideas on mainstream feminist thinking and activism today. There may be some cross-over from Feminist History: US Women’s Movement, however we will cover some people who were not discussed in that class and we will look at some of those who were mentioned in more depth.

Much of this class will require listening, however some class time that will be spent reflecting and engaging in discussion.

It is recommended that students know a little about feminism and/or women’s history.

Other Details

Parental Guidance

This focuses on gender and race, which can be a sensitive topic for some. We will also touch on issues such as class, disability, and sexuality and how that is relevant to feminism as well. We will be discussing oppression both historical and current, which may be upsetting to some (voting rights, workplace inequality, reproductive rights, etc.).

Supply List

I will have a PowerPoint for the students. Students will need to bring paper and pen. We will be spending parts of class reflecting on and discussing what we are learning.

External Resources

In addition to the Outschool classroom, this class uses:

Bek Dawson

Joined May, 2019

4.8

95reviews

Profile

Teacher expertise and credentials

I received a graduate certificate for women's and gender studies. During this, I taught an upper level women's and gender studies course. I am passionate about gender studies and focused on it as a part of my master's thesis. Most classes that I took discussed race in context, though I also took a graduate class on race in the United States and I am continuing to study the topic independently. I bring a sociological lens to discussions about gender, as well as an emphasis in the importance of recognizing history. In addition to this academic background, I also have experience teaching younger children. So, I can take some larger concepts and bring it to the level that they are at and show them how it can apply to their lives.