AFAS 255 - African American Politics

This course focuses on the participation or, lack thereof, of African Americans in the politics and political processes of the United States of America. Since the participation of African Americans in the nation's politics in critical number did not start until the mid-1960s, our specific focus will be on the period following the Civil Rights Struggles of the 1960s till the present. To better understand this period however, there is the need to familiarize ourselves with the historical and political developments of the nation in the preceding era including the founding of the nation in 1776. We will focus on how African Americans history of oppression, including their exclusion from formal political science theorizing, has engendered an African American politics that is unique across such measures as political culture, political socialization, media sources, and voting behavior.