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.