Fall 2002
Freshman Seminar:
Eyes on the Prize – Civil Rights Struggles in the U.S. 

Pitzer College

Professor Halford Fairchild 

(Hfairchild@pitzer.edu or HalFairchild@aol.com)

Office Hours:Fairchild – 203 Scott Hall.MonWed 11-12:00 and by appointment. X 7-3056

Course Web Page:http://bernard.pitzer.edu/~hfairchi/courses/

Synopsis and Objectives:This course is grounded in the examination of the Civil Rights Struggle in the United States, 1954-1965.Supplementary emphases are on:(1) providing a socialization experience to Pitzer College, The Claremont Colleges, and Southern California; (2) exploring controversial themes of contemporary social and cultural significance.

Course Meeting Times and Places:The class meets Mondays and Wednesdays, 2:45 – 4:00 p.m.On alternate Wednesdays, students are required to attend 

Required Texts:

  1. Eyes on the Prize: America’s Civil Rights Years 1954-1965, Edited by Juan Williams (NY: Penguin Books, 1987). 
  2. Faces at the bottom of the well: The permanence of racism, by Derrick Bell (NY: Basic Books, 1992).
  3. Collected Writings (Extracts), by Halford Fairchild (book in preparation).
  4. A Writer’s Reference by Diana Hacker (NY: St. Martin’s, 1999). 
Requirements

9/4/02    Introductions and Course Overview.Social Issues Forum (drugs).PM Session (6:30 – 8:00; Avery Auditorium)

9/9/02    Social Issues Forum (drugs).Reflection paper due on Twilight Los Angeles; Readings:Twilight Los Angeles and The Fires This Time.  The instructor's paper on this assignment is online:  click!

9/11/02    On Writing by Jackie Levering-Sullivan (guest speaker).On Writing by Halford Fairchild.Background to Brown.Readings:Hacker (review and become familiar with contents).

9/16/02    Social Issues Forum (drugs).Background to Brown.Readings: Williams, pp. viii – 22.

9/18/02    School Desegregation.Readings:Williams, pp. 23-35; Handout: (to be announced).PM Session (6:30 – 8:00; Avery Auditorium)

9/21/02    Saturday Field Trip!The Getty Museum, Venice Beach, 3rd Street Promenade, Dinner at the home of Professor Fairchild.10:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m.
9/23/02    Social Issues Forum (drugs).School Desegregation.Readings:Fairchild, Denzel.
9/25/02    Emmitt Till.Readings:Williams, pp. 38-57; Handout (Articles on the Emmett Till Case, and “Coming of Age in Mississippi” by Anne Moody.

9/30/02    Social Issues Forum (sex).Readings:Fairchild, The N Word should be odious from anyone and Glorification of things White.

10/2/02    Montgomery Bus Boycott.Readings:Williams, pp. 58-89.Handout:Interview with Rosa Parks, Speeches by Martin Luther King (“The Movement Gathers Momentum” and “At Holt Street Baptist Church”), PM Session (6:30 – 8:00; Avery Auditorium)

10/7/02    Social Issues Forum (rape).Readings:Fairchild, Drip by drip, the indignities go on and A whole community faces a lifetime of neglect.Critique paper due on the two readings by Fairchild.

10/9/02    The Little Rock Story.Readings:Williams, pp. 90-119..

10/13/02    Sunday Field Trip!First AME Church, Watts Towers, Science Center, Olvera Street.10:30 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.
10/14/02    Social Issues Forum (The SAT).Readings:Fairchild, SAT’s halo effect casts a long shadow and SAT:The Sacred Cow of American Higher Education.
10/16/02    The Movement’s Next Generation.Readings:Williams, pp. 120-161.PM Session (6:30 – 8:00; Avery Auditorium)

10/21/02    FALL BREAK

10/23/02    The Lessons of Albany and Birmingham.Readings:Williams, pp. 162-194.

10/28/02    Social Issues Forum (War).Readings:Fairchild, A Wake-up Call for Peace.

10/30/02    The March on Washington.Readings:Williams, pp. 196-205.PM Session (6:30 – 8:00; Avery Auditorium)
 

11/3/02    Field Trip to First AME Church


From Left:  Michael, Sky, Hal and Marcus, Rae, Neal, Raumene, David

11/4/02    Social Issues Forum (Intergroup Relations).Reading:Fairchild, Modern-Day racism masks its ugly head and Our ‘ostrich mentality’ on racism.

11/6/02    Mississippi – Freedom has never been free.Readings:Williams, pp. 206-249

11/11/02    Social Issues Forum (Intergroup Relations).Reading:Fairchild, Recipe for “American Fire Pie” (1992).Argument paper due on Fairchild’s article.
11/13/02    Selma – The Bridge to Freedom.Readings:Williams, pp. 250-299.PM Session (6:30 – 8:00; Avery Auditorium)

11/18/02    Social Issues Forum (Police Violence).Reading:Fairchild, Truth sought…

11/20/02    The nature of racism.Bell, pp. ix – 31.

11/25/02    Social Issues Forum.Afrolantica; Racial Preference.Reading:Bell, pp. 32-64.

11/27/02    THANKSGIVING IS TOMORROW!Library Assignment.(No class.)

12/2/02    The Last Black Hero, Racial Realism.Reading:Bell, pp.65-108.Library Assignment is due. 
12/4/02    Racial Rules, Activist Scholars.Reading:Bell, pp. 109-146.PM Session (6:30 – 8:00; Avery Auditorium)

12/9/02    Social Issues Forum.Racial Secrets, The Space Traders.Reading:Bell, pp. 147-200.

12/11/02    On Social Responsibility.Term Paper due today.

Requirements and Grading

·Attendance with discussion notes and participation.Students are required to be in attendance every day, with written notes (based on that day’s readings).Such attendance must include active participation (including active listening).Absences reduce the highest possible grade according to the following table:

No. of Absences Highest possible grade

1 or 2 A
3 A-
4 B+
5 B
6 B-
7 C+
8 C
·Library Passport.An exercise to acquaint students with the libraries at The Claremont Colleges.Failure to complete the assignment counts as 1 absence.
·Theme Papers.Four theme papers must are required, 500-750 words (3-5 pages), that use the techniques of reflection, critique, argument, and research.

·One library assignment. An out-of-class library assignment is scheduled for November 27th.Students are to go to the library, find an article relevant to the Civil Rights movement that was published in the current year, and write a short (1 or 2 page) review of that article.Incorporate discussion of relevant course readings.

·Term Paper.Students must write a term paper entitled, “Civil Rights in the U.S.:Then and now.”This paper must provide an encapsulated summary of the course materials, itemize and discuss contemporary civil rights struggles, and conclude with a personal statement regarding the student’s personal commitment or non-commitment to one or more of these struggles.

Grading:Subjective by the instructor.