Framing Race in U.S. History

From Birth of a Nation (1915) to Crash (2004) and beyond, film has both mirrored and shaped racial tensions in U.S. society. This FYS will focus on how film has represented and misrepresented pivotal moments and issues in U.S. history and U.S. racial mythology. The course will be organized on a loose chronological basis, beginning with silent film and moving through more contemporary films. However, the course will not be a history of race or a history of film in the U.S. but rather a snapshot of important historical moments in U.S. race relations. While the course will consider various racial and ethnic groups, it will not cover all groups, and the earlier films will focus primarily on black/white racial relations.