Black Performance as Social Protest – Online Course – FutureLearn
Understand artistic protest from the African Diaspora and how Black performance impacts social justice movements today Explore the history of social protest through Black performance 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 Engage with artistic protests across key historical frames 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 youll read watch and listen to performances that illustrate various forms of artistic protest from the African Diaspora Youll cover chants of the enslaved and dances of heritage before moving on to look at early 20th century migrations and United States protests Discover the role of performance in the Black Lives Matter movement Youll 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 youll produce a reflective manifesto for achieving racial equity through performance Learn from experts in African American studies from the University of Michigan This course is led by three professors at the school of Music Theatre and Dance at the University of Michigan all of whom teach performance history as well as having lived experiences as Black performers Theyll each guide you through the importance and impact of Black performance in social protest highlighting the intersections between the arts and social justice Week 1 Black Representation Slavery – Covers protest chants of the enslaved and dances of heritage Week 2 Early 20th Century Migrations and United States Protests Jim Crow – Explores lynching plays protest songs and the Great Migration Week 3 Civil Rights Struggles for Justice Equality and Black Nationalism – Explores music and theatre of the Civil Rights movement and Black Revolutionary Arts forms Week 4 Social Justice Now Black Lives Matter and the Performing Arts Police Brutality – Discusses the importance of performance past contributions to the Black Lives Matter movement Week 5 Call to Action – The course culminates in a reflective manifesto Through these specific examples participants will identify patterns of resistance against slavery lynching incarceration and disenfranchisement while analysing ways in which they contribute to ongoing social justice movements
