| Kommentar |
In this seminar, we will explore how law contributes to the production of ‚race’ and how literary works by African American writers comment on this relation. Among the literature and laws we will explore are Harriet Jacobs’ Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl (property laws, Fugitive Slave Act), Nella Larsen’s Passing (‚one-drop’ rule), Richard Wright’s Black Boy (Jim Crow laws, urban segregation policies), and popular Urban Fiction (Anti-Drug Abuse Acts, mandatory minimums). We will read literary works from the 19th through the 21st century alongside legal and historical sources as well as concepts from Critical Race Theory, including Critical Whiteness Studies. Questions we will discuss include: How do the respective laws produce racial hierarchies and to what end? How does our perspective on U.S.-American law change when read through African American narratives? Can legal texts (such as the Constitution) be read as works of art? Please register for this class with an email to Kristina Graaff at graaffkr@cms.hu-berlin.de (please note the two ‘a’ and two ‘f’ in last name). |
