Black performance and social activism have been a model for protest globally. It has enriched and activated cries for justice in multiple contexts. This course will help you expand your understanding of Black performance as social protest and its active effects on performance and protest today. The arts are a potent way of responding to issues of injustice. From slavery and lynching to incarceration and disenfranchisement, Black performance has resisted oppression across several historical frames. On this course, you鈥檒l read, watch, and listen to performances that illustrate various forms of artistic protest from the African Diaspora. You鈥檒l cover chants of the enslaved and dances of heritage, before moving on to look at early 20th century migrations and United States protests. You鈥檒l identify ways in which patterns of resistance from the past contribute to ongoing social justice movements, such as Black Lives Matter. After investigating the history of Black performance as social protest, you鈥檒l produce a reflective manifesto for achieving racial equity through performance.
Introduction to the Call to Action
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Skills You'll Learn
Storytelling, Performing Arts, Music, World History, Culture, Cultural Diversity, Advocacy, Writing, Creativity, Social Justice
From the lesson
Call to Action: Manifesto and The Circle
The final week of the course will culminate in a self-directed manifesto. To prepare for this we will explore other manifestos that have come out of the performance world.
Taught By
Scott Piper
Norma L Heyde Faculty Development Professor of Voice and Associate Professor of Music
Louise Toppin
Professor of Music (Voice)