Course Details in 2026/27 Session

Module Title	LH Advanced Option: Black Activisms in the US South: Power, Feminisms, and Black Lives Mattering from 1960-present
School	History and Cultures
Department	History
Module Code	09 39783
Module Lead	Dr La Shonda Mims
Level	Honours Level
Credits	20
Semester	Semester 2
Pre-requisites
Co-requisites
Restrictions	None
Contact Hours	Lecture-10 hours Seminar-20 hours Guided independent study-170 hours Total: 200 hours
Exclusions
Description	This module will explore Black social movements from the 1960s to the present day, asking questions such as: \"What leads to the energy behind Black Lives Matter in the 21st century?\" We will consider how US southerners responded to a seemingly successful Civil Rights Movement that ultimately led to Black Americans being left behind in the late 20th century economic boom. Our discussions will focus on understanding the motivations behind activist organizing through an examination of primary documents written by Black Power leaders and Black feminists in the same era. Debating issues like the urban crisis in US industrial cities and comparing that to the supposed newness of the US South after major Civil Rights legislation, we will examine what defines success in a social movement. Taking up police brutality, we will investigate the beating of Rodney King in 1990s Los Angeles, the rise of mass incarceration, and the explosion of Black murders as a result of violent policing. Debating cultural touchstones in the 21st century, like the creative activism of Beyonce´ and the queer feminism behind #MeToo and Black Lives Matter, we will engage The 1619 Project as a tool to understand how scholars and politicians pushed back against the public discourse surrounding Black history.
Learning Outcomes	By the end of the module students should be able to: analyse and explain key events and historical processes relevant to the subject under scrutiny analyse and explain reasons for and implications of these events and processes (including analysis of primary evidence where appropriate)  compare and evaluate the main scholarly views on the subject under investigation, critically evaluate the historiographical context and trends of the subject under exploration  work with an appropriate degree of learner independence to explain and analyse the material under scrutiny  summarise, analyse and evaluate the subject material clearly and effectively in writing, synthesise and evaluate themes across a wide range of diverse material
Assessment
Assessment Methods & Exceptions	Assessment: If the module runs in Semester 1: 1 x 3,000 word essay (100%) If the module runs in Semester 2: 1 x 3,000 word Take Home Examination (100%) Reassessment: Re-submit failed component
Other
Reading List