Beyonce’s recent turn to explicit political activism—performing in front of a giant “FEMINIST” LED at the 2014 VMAs, paying homage to the Black Panthers at the 2016 Super Bowl, and numerous Instagram posts supporting BLM and other anti-racist social movements—can not be divorced from the long history of Black artists’ activism in the United States. The overlap of Black popular culture and Black politics in the United States is undeniable in our current historical moment, as Black women performers speak out and on speak on issues ranging from electoral politics to international humanitarian crises. This course will focus on how Black women performers, from Billie Holiday to Beyonce, have articulated visions of freedom for Black Americans in their art and been supporters of African American political causes more broadly. This course will focus on Black women performers in the United States and thus we will also examine how race, gender, and sexuality have shaped their work and careers. Some of the artists we will study include Beyonce, Nina Simone, Billie Holiday, Aretha Franklin, Whitney Houston, and Missy Elliott. Course materials include albums, music videos, films, documentaries, scholarly articles, and work from popular outlets like Rolling Stone, the Feminist Wire, and The New York Times. Assignments include class presentations, performance reviews, a midterm, and a creative final project.

Intended Audience:

DAAS Major Students interested in the Afroamerican subject.

Class Format:

Lecture-Style Setting