Simon Fraser University
Engaging the World

Course Outlines

Fall 2025 - HIST 382 B100

African-American History, since 1865 (4)

Class Number: 3918

Delivery Method: Blended

Overview

  • Course Times + Location:

    Sep 3 – Dec 2, 2025: TBA, TBA
    Burnaby

  • Prerequisites:

    45 units including 9 units of lower division History.

Description

CALENDAR DESCRIPTION:

Examines black history from the end of the American Civil War. The course focuses on the external and internal forces which shaped black communities across the nation. Special attention will be paid to these communities' struggles against the forces which sought to confine black people to an inferior place in society.

COURSE DETAILS:

The last five years have seen a massive Black-led movement to protest the murder of George Floyd and countless other African American victims of police violence; a pandemic over which African Americans died at a rate much higher than White Americans, when adjusted for age; and a political environment in which racism and racial inequality in the United States have been exposed more starkly than they have been for decades.

This blended-delivery course is designed to give students a historical framework through which to understand these events and others. The course will also focus on how African Americans have born witness to their oppression, along with their tireless quest for freedom, with a particular emphasis on Black popular culture. 

Intended Learning Outcomes

  • Course assignments are designed:
    • for students to learn how to connect and synthesize of a variety of primary and secondary sources to gain a broad, analytical understanding of particular historical topics and questions.
    • to build students’ skills in discussing complex historical topics in writing and verbally.
    • for students to learn how to apply their newly gained historical understanding to specific examples of contemporary African American popular culture.
  • The term paper assignment is designed to teach students to research, structure, and write an argument-driven, evidence-based research paper.

How the course will run

In this blended-delivery course students will prepare for weekly 110-minute, in-person, discussion-based tutorials through multimedia course materials including recorded lectures, documentaries, podcasts, lectures from other sources, etc., averaging to less than one hour of material weekly. In addition, students will also prepare for tutorial by doing readings averaging about 100 pages weekly.

Grading

  • Tutorial participation 15%
  • Quiz on fundamental concepts and events (in late September or early October) 15%
  • In-class tutorial preparedness quizzes 10%
  • Midterm paper 15%
  • Term paper (due on last day of class) 25%
  • Takehome essay-based exam (due during exam period) 20%

Materials

REQUIRED READING:

Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor’s From #Blacklivesmatter to Black Liberation (Expanded 2nd Edition, 2021) is the only course book that students are required to purchase for this course. It is available from both Amazon and Indigo as a paperback or an e-book. All other course materials and readings will be available through the course Canvas site.  


REQUIRED READING NOTES:

Your personalized Course Material list, including digital and physical textbooks, are available through the SFU Bookstore website by simply entering your Computing ID at: shop.sfu.ca/course-materials/my-personalized-course-materials.

Department Undergraduate Notes:

Learn more about studying History at SFU:

History areas of study


Why study History?

Registrar Notes:

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY: YOUR WORK, YOUR SUCCESS

At SFU, you are expected to act honestly and responsibly in all your academic work. Cheating, plagiarism, or any other form of academic dishonesty harms your own learning, undermines the efforts of your classmates who pursue their studies honestly, and goes against the core values of the university.

To learn more about the academic disciplinary process and relevant academic supports, visit: 


RELIGIOUS ACCOMMODATION

Students with a faith background who may need accommodations during the term are encouraged to assess their needs as soon as possible and review the Multifaith religious accommodations website. The page outlines ways they begin working toward an accommodation and ensure solutions can be reached in a timely fashion.