The Souls of Black Folk: Then and Now [6-weeks, $250 Suggested]

***This class has already begun, but interested students can still audit this course asynchronously.

Instructor: Collins | Tuesdays March 8-April 12 | 6:00-8:00 PM ET

In 1903, W.E.B. DuBois famously declared that “the problem of the twentieth century is the problem of the color line.” Today, well into the twenty-first century, the problem still persists. This course is a 6-week seminar that unpacks W.E.B. DuBois’s The Souls of Black Folk in conversation with contemporary texts that span media including written works, films, podcasts. Each week will focus on a different chapter of DuBois’s book and bring ideas in each chapter into conversation with contemporary writers and thinkers. Topics explored each week include notions of progress, education, the era of Reconstruction, work and capitalism, and southern identity. We’ll look at texts from bell hooks, Audre Lorde, James Baldwin, Kiese Laymon, Dee Reese, Barry Jenkins, Ryan Coogler, and Ava DuVernay in order to gain a nuanced understanding of the problems of class, gender, sexuality, as well as “the color line” that we face in the 21st century.

We depend on a mix of direct student donations and supplemental donations to make all classes pay-what-you-can. Please pick the pricing tier that corresponds with your needs and that you are able to pay now. If you would like to pay in installments, make your first payment now and make a note on your check-out form. If you would like to donate more later in the term, you can always come back and use the “Make a One Time Donation” button! To use a full scholarship, just pick the $3 tier to cover site/processor fees.

If at any point up to 48 hours before your first class session you realize you will be unable to take the class, we will work with you to reallocate your funds to a future class, to another student’s scholarship, or refund it. After classes begin, we are only able to make partial refunds and adjustments.