In the history of race relations, “blackness” and “whiteness” have stood in opposition to each
other.  How have black and white been defined throughout history?  Who has defined them?
Who is “black,” who is “white”?  Throughout history, white has signified not-Indian, not-
slave, not-black, not-immigrant, not-Asian, not-poor, and others.  But what is white without
the “not”?  How does one distinguish a “people” historically defined only in opposition to
others?  Answers to these questions reveal the history of racial oppression, yet simultaneously
offer possibilities for change in the next generation’s struggle against racial injustice.  From
Africa to Europe, from South America to North, this course examines ways that both
blackness and whiteness are understood through identity, experience, and relationship to the
world.  The course will also address the implications for contemporary efforts to combat
racism through understanding cultural identities. The semester will culminate in a final
project incorporating students’ own reflections on blackness and whiteness.