AFS 270 The Rule of Law: Black Americans and the Legal System

Students in this course will explore the myriad ways that Black Americans have, historically and in the present, contended with the U.S. legal system as a means of securing their full and supposedly "inalienable" rights. We will consider multiple areas of focus, including the criminal justice system, education, housing, healthcare, material and intellectual property rights, inheritance, immigration and citizenship, as well as human rights and international law. Through an interdisciplinary approach, we will consider how Black Americans have engaged with legal principles and frameworks through their creative expression, traditions of protest, political organizing, rhetoric, and media presence. Additionally, students will collaborate with Memphis-based community partners to consider how organizations continue to contend with the limitations and possibilities presented by legal frameworks that impact contemporary lived reality for Black Americans.