AFS 220 Malcolm, Martin, Baldwin, and America

Malcolm X, Martin Luther King Jr., and James Baldwin were critical figures in the US Civil Rights Movement. Though united in a quest for racial justice, they articulated distinct—and, at times, conflicting—perspectives on the source of racial injustice and the path toward racial wholeness. This course will engage the social thought and religious faith of these three intellectual leaders, focusing on their trenchant critique of religion in America and the relevance of faith to social justice. We will also discern the significance of their thought for contemporary social justice movements.