Online Courses

African American History to 1950

Instructor: Kathryn Walbert

In session (began April 14)

This course will explore African American history in the contexts of United States, North Carolina and world history. We’ll begin by connecting the experiences of African Americans in early U.S. history to the histories and cultures of the African communities of their ancestors and will follow those cultural connections between Africa and the United States throughout the course. Course topics will include African Americans in the colonies and the early Republic, the Middle Passage, American slavery and the experiences of free African Americans in the antebellum period, the abolition movement, the Civil War and Reconstruction, Jim Crow, the Great Migration, the Harlem Renaissance, and the experiences of African Americans during World War I, the Great Depression, and World War II. Throughout the course, we will discuss African American activism through churches, political organizations, and communities and discover African American culture through art, music, and other cultural forms.

Syllabus

Download the Course Syllabus.

Prerequisites

None

Course objectives

As a participant, you will have the opportunity to:

  • Analyze primary sources, including newspapers, slave testimonies, photographs, works of art, oral histories, historical pamphlets and more
  • Create a lesson plan for classroom use
  • Receive individualized constructive feedback and answers to content-oriented questions from a well-versed instructor
  • Join other teachers from across the state in lively online discussions that will enhance our exploration of critical issues in African American history

This course promises to be challenging, but it will also be a rewarding and tremendously valuable part of your professional development.

Materials required

None