AMER306

This course examines cultural expressions of American left wing radicalism in the 20TH and 21ST centuries. By tracing changing definitions of dominance and resistance in punctuated eras of Left activism, we will assess the history of numerous creative expressions and their relationship to social movements and dissent politics. Lining our discussions will be themes like racism and
sexism, economic inequality and homophobia, and the ways in which different individuals and groups have struggled against stereotypes and the status quo in domestic and international ways. Ultimately, we will endeavor to answer the questions: Why are Mark Twain, Emma Goldman, Malcolm X, Talib Kweli, or Angela Davis oppositional figures in U.S. history? What makes photographs, literature, monuments, or music vehicles for dissent locally as well as globally?