The last decades of the 19th century (the 1880s and 1890s) are known in African American history as “the nadir” (low point). They witnessed the nation’s post-Civil War retreat from Black equality and the escalation of violence against African Americans. We will study how Black writers addressed racial inequality and violence in their short stories and novels, and how they viewed the role of literature in national debates over the possibilities of African American citizenship. In addition to substantive class participation, class assignments will include short responses and paper workshops.