Dr. Suzanne Smith Office
History 711 Race, Justice, and Memory in Twentieth Century America Spring 2013
Professor: Office: E-mail: Phone:
Dr. Suzanne Smith Robinson, B345 [email protected] (703) 993-2147
1) Course Time and Place: Thursday, 4:30-7:10 pm, University Hall 1203 2) Office Hours: Thursdays, 1:30-3:00 pm and by appointment. 3) Course Description and Objectives: This course is a graduate research seminar that examines African Americans' complicated relationship to the criminal justice system in the twentieth century. We will study how the end of slavery and the rise of Jim Crow segregation during Reconstruction directly influenced how the criminal justice system both responded to and reinforced racial inequality in modern America. We will trace the history of the concept of “black criminality” as well as how the convict lease system replicated power relations similar to slavery in the Deep South. We will also examine several pivotal cases including, the 1946 Moore's Ford lynching, the 1930s Scottsboro case and the 1955 Emmett Till case as a way to explore how African Americans’ collective memory about discrimination in the criminal justice system formed. Finally, we will explore the history of incarceration and the rise of the modern prison industrial complex. The goal of the course is for each student to write a major paper (25-30 pages), on a topic of his/her own choosing, based on original research in primary sources and situated in its appropriate historiographical context. 4) Grading: 20% Class participation 20% Response papers 20% Research proposal, rough draft, peer critiques, and oral presentation (5% for each) 40% Final Research Paper
Class Participation: Attendance and class participation are crucial to one's overall grade. Class participation will be assessed by attendance, participation in class discussions, and by maintaining progress on research project. The first half of the semester is devoted to readings and class discussion on the seminar topic. Therefore, as you do your reading for this class, begin as early as possible to envision potential research topics, any of which could become the basis of your thesis. The second half of the semester is devoted to independent research, the writing of early drafts of your paper, peer critiques of rough drafts, oral presentations, and final drafts. Although class will not meet regularly during this phase of the class, you will be expected to send me brief assignments and reports of your progress each Thursday by 7pm, which will be graded as a part of class participation. Written Assignments: During the readings portion of this course, you are responsible for a response paper. The paper should address your reactions and interpretations of the readings and any screenings for that week. The papers are relatively informal in structure, yet should address a central question or issue that you found provocative from the readings and any related films. Most importantly, avoid summarizing--move quickly into an analytical response. The goal of the assignment is for you to communicate in short writing exercises (approximately 2-3 typed, double-spaced pages) what you learned that week about course themes through the assigned texts. You should also submit 1 or 2 discussion questions about the readings. The papers and discussion questions are due on Blackboard no later than 10:00 am on Thursdays. NO late papers will be accepted for a grade. Final Research Paper: See details listed at the end of the syllabus. Decorum and Honor Code: Please make an effort to arrive in class on time. Turn off or silence cell phones before class begins. Laptops can be used for note taking ONLY. All of George Mason University's academic policies and honor code apply to this course. Violators will be brought before the University's Honor Committee for disciplinary action. 5) Readings: David M. Oshinsky, Worse Than Slavery: Parchman Farm and the Ordeal of Jim Crow Justice Kahlil Gibran Muhammad, The Condemnation of Blackness: Race, Crime, and the Making of Modern America Kevin Boyle, Arc of Justice: A Saga of Race, Civil Rights, and Murder in the Jazz Age James E. Goodman, Stories of Scottsboro Laura Wexler, Fire in a Canebrake Christopher Metress, The Lynching of Emmett Till *Danielle L. McGuire, At the Dark End of the Street: Black Women, Rape, and Resistance *Robert Perkinson, Texas Tough: The Rise of America’s Prison Empire *Eric Cummins, The Rise and Fall of California’s Radical Prison Movement 2
*William Stuntz, The Collapse of American Criminal Justice William Kelleher Storey, Writing History: A Guide for Students * Indicates reading that are optional for students in History 711 Class Schedule: Week 1: Jan. 24
Course Introduction
Week 2: Jan. 31
“Worse Than Slavery”: Jim Crow Justice Reading: Oshinsky, Worse Than Slavery Stuntz, Collapse of American Justice, pp. 1-40 Storey, Writing History, pp. 1-24 Assignment: 1) Response Paper and Discussion Questions due by Thursday at 10:00 am. 2) Begin investigating research topics
Week 3: Feb. 7
The Condemnation of Blackness Reading: Muhammad, The Condemnation of Blackness Storey, Writing History, pp. 25-51 Assignment: 1) Response Paper and Discussion Questions due by Thursday at 10:00 am. 2) Begin locating relevant sources for possible research topic
Week 4: Feb. 14
Rethinking Criminality in the Urban North Reading: Boyle, Arc of Justice Storey, Writing History, pp. 53-67 Assignment: 1) Response Paper and Discussion Questions due by Thursday at 10:00 am. 2) You should have reached a final decision on your research topic.
Week 5: Feb. 21
Research Workshop: Fenwick Library Class meets with Jason Byrd, History Department Library Liaison Location: Fenwick Library Instruction Room A-214 Topics: Research Resources for class; Using Zotero Assignment: **Paper Proposal due on Blackboard 9:00 pm.**
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Week 6: Feb. 28
Stories of Scottsboro: Perspectives on Narrative History Reading: Goodman, Stories of Scottsboro Assignment: Response Paper and Discussion Questions due by Thursday at 10:00 am.
Week 7: March 7
The Last Mass Lynching in America Reading: Wexler, Fire in a Canebrake Assignment: 1) Response Paper and Discussion Questions due by Thursday at 10:00 am. 2) **Proposed Thesis Statement due on Blackboard**
Week 8: March 14
No Class—Individual Research Assignment: Spring Break!
Week 9: March 21
The Emmett Till Case: Analyzing Primary Sources Reading: Metress, The Lynching of Emmett Till Assignment: 1) Response Paper and Discussion Questions due by Thursday at 10:00 am. 2) **Brief Introduction of your paper due on Blackboard**
Week 10: March 28 No Class--Individual Research Reading: Storey, Writing History, 95-113 Assignment: Post progress report and final outline of paper on Blackboard Week 11: April 4
No Class—Work on First Drafts
Week 12: April 11
No Class—Exchange Rough Drafts
Week 13: April 18
Peer Critiques Reading: Storey, Writing History, pp. 115-119 Assignment: Bring two copies of each critique to class.
Week 14: April 25
Oral Presentations
Week 15: May 2
Oral Presentations
**Final Paper Due due by 5:00 pm on Thursday, May 9, 2013** No late papers will be accepted for a grade.
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Final Research Paper: A. Objective: One of the major assignments for this course is a 25-30 page research paper on race, justice, and memory in twentieth-century America. The specific topic of the paper is up to you. You can focus on any aspect on race and criminal justice that interests you, but I would warn everyone to be as narrow as possible in your focus. For instance, writing a 25-30 page paper on "Prison Reform" will only produce a paper full of broad generalizations. If, however, you are sincerely interested in the topic of prison reform, there are many ways to narrow your paper into something manageable. You could research and analyze a particular event or organization or issue about prison reform. There are endless possibilities, but you have to make a choice and keep it as reasonable as possible. B. Research Proposal: The first stage of this project is the research proposal. The proposal will allow me to assist you in designing a productive project. The proposal is due posted to Blackboard on Thursday, February 21 by 7:00pm. Your proposal should address three major issues: 1) What is your topic and why did you choose it? How do you plan to narrow yourself to keep the project manageable? 2) How do you plan to research the topic? Are there enough primary and secondary sources available to you to finish the project? What archives or libraries do you need to consult? What is your timetable for accomplishing these tasks? 3) What specific primary and secondary sources are available on your topic? In this part of the proposal, I would like to see a preliminary annotated bibliography on your project. In other words, provide a list of books, articles, and web sites that may assist you with your project. The entire proposal should be approximately 3-4 typed, double-spaced pages. C. Individual Research Phase Beginning in Week 7 of the semester, you will begin the process of researching and writing your first draft of your paper. To facilitate this process, I have organized a series of assignments that will help you to stay focused on the mechanics of this task. Please make note of the following assignments: Week 7 (March 7): Submit your proposed thesis statement for the paper
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Week 8 (March 14): Spring Break; Submit a brief progress report via e-mail Week 9 (March 21): Reading: Storey, Writing History, 89-94 Submit a brief introduction to your paper Week 10 (March 28): Reading: Storey, Writing History, 95-113 Submit the final outline of paper. D. First Drafts and Peer Review To facilitate your best performance on your research project, you will write a first draft of your paper/project that will be critiqued by your peers. Your first draft will be due on Blackboard on Thursday, April 11 by 7:00 pm. The following week, you will bring in written critiques (1-2 pages) back to class and have small group discussion of the drafts. Please note that you should also bring in two copies of each critique that you write (1 copy for the author and 1 copy for the professor). You will be graded on the thoroughness of your critiques, so be thoughtful with your constructive criticism. E. Oral Presentations: At the end of the semester, we will devote class time to oral presentations on research projects. Each student will give an oral presentation (approximately 15-20 minutes) on his or her research project. This will give us a chance to learn what others have worked on throughout the semester. Students will be graded on their oral presentations according to the following criteria: o Clarity and organization o Ability to handle questions from the audience o Completion of presentation's essential elements within the allotted time o Ability to engage and maintain the audience's attention F. Final Due Date: The final draft of the research paper is due on Thursday, May 9 at 5:00 pm. NO late papers will be accepted under any circumstances.
6
Professor: Office: E-mail: Phone:
Dr. Suzanne Smith Robinson, B345 [email protected] (703) 993-2147
1) Course Time and Place: Thursday, 4:30-7:10 pm, University Hall 1203 2) Office Hours: Thursdays, 1:30-3:00 pm and by appointment. 3) Course Description and Objectives: This course is a graduate research seminar that examines African Americans' complicated relationship to the criminal justice system in the twentieth century. We will study how the end of slavery and the rise of Jim Crow segregation during Reconstruction directly influenced how the criminal justice system both responded to and reinforced racial inequality in modern America. We will trace the history of the concept of “black criminality” as well as how the convict lease system replicated power relations similar to slavery in the Deep South. We will also examine several pivotal cases including, the 1946 Moore's Ford lynching, the 1930s Scottsboro case and the 1955 Emmett Till case as a way to explore how African Americans’ collective memory about discrimination in the criminal justice system formed. Finally, we will explore the history of incarceration and the rise of the modern prison industrial complex. The goal of the course is for each student to write a major paper (25-30 pages), on a topic of his/her own choosing, based on original research in primary sources and situated in its appropriate historiographical context. 4) Grading: 20% Class participation 20% Response papers 20% Research proposal, rough draft, peer critiques, and oral presentation (5% for each) 40% Final Research Paper
Class Participation: Attendance and class participation are crucial to one's overall grade. Class participation will be assessed by attendance, participation in class discussions, and by maintaining progress on research project. The first half of the semester is devoted to readings and class discussion on the seminar topic. Therefore, as you do your reading for this class, begin as early as possible to envision potential research topics, any of which could become the basis of your thesis. The second half of the semester is devoted to independent research, the writing of early drafts of your paper, peer critiques of rough drafts, oral presentations, and final drafts. Although class will not meet regularly during this phase of the class, you will be expected to send me brief assignments and reports of your progress each Thursday by 7pm, which will be graded as a part of class participation. Written Assignments: During the readings portion of this course, you are responsible for a response paper. The paper should address your reactions and interpretations of the readings and any screenings for that week. The papers are relatively informal in structure, yet should address a central question or issue that you found provocative from the readings and any related films. Most importantly, avoid summarizing--move quickly into an analytical response. The goal of the assignment is for you to communicate in short writing exercises (approximately 2-3 typed, double-spaced pages) what you learned that week about course themes through the assigned texts. You should also submit 1 or 2 discussion questions about the readings. The papers and discussion questions are due on Blackboard no later than 10:00 am on Thursdays. NO late papers will be accepted for a grade. Final Research Paper: See details listed at the end of the syllabus. Decorum and Honor Code: Please make an effort to arrive in class on time. Turn off or silence cell phones before class begins. Laptops can be used for note taking ONLY. All of George Mason University's academic policies and honor code apply to this course. Violators will be brought before the University's Honor Committee for disciplinary action. 5) Readings: David M. Oshinsky, Worse Than Slavery: Parchman Farm and the Ordeal of Jim Crow Justice Kahlil Gibran Muhammad, The Condemnation of Blackness: Race, Crime, and the Making of Modern America Kevin Boyle, Arc of Justice: A Saga of Race, Civil Rights, and Murder in the Jazz Age James E. Goodman, Stories of Scottsboro Laura Wexler, Fire in a Canebrake Christopher Metress, The Lynching of Emmett Till *Danielle L. McGuire, At the Dark End of the Street: Black Women, Rape, and Resistance *Robert Perkinson, Texas Tough: The Rise of America’s Prison Empire *Eric Cummins, The Rise and Fall of California’s Radical Prison Movement 2
*William Stuntz, The Collapse of American Criminal Justice William Kelleher Storey, Writing History: A Guide for Students * Indicates reading that are optional for students in History 711 Class Schedule: Week 1: Jan. 24
Course Introduction
Week 2: Jan. 31
“Worse Than Slavery”: Jim Crow Justice Reading: Oshinsky, Worse Than Slavery Stuntz, Collapse of American Justice, pp. 1-40 Storey, Writing History, pp. 1-24 Assignment: 1) Response Paper and Discussion Questions due by Thursday at 10:00 am. 2) Begin investigating research topics
Week 3: Feb. 7
The Condemnation of Blackness Reading: Muhammad, The Condemnation of Blackness Storey, Writing History, pp. 25-51 Assignment: 1) Response Paper and Discussion Questions due by Thursday at 10:00 am. 2) Begin locating relevant sources for possible research topic
Week 4: Feb. 14
Rethinking Criminality in the Urban North Reading: Boyle, Arc of Justice Storey, Writing History, pp. 53-67 Assignment: 1) Response Paper and Discussion Questions due by Thursday at 10:00 am. 2) You should have reached a final decision on your research topic.
Week 5: Feb. 21
Research Workshop: Fenwick Library Class meets with Jason Byrd, History Department Library Liaison Location: Fenwick Library Instruction Room A-214 Topics: Research Resources for class; Using Zotero Assignment: **Paper Proposal due on Blackboard 9:00 pm.**
3
Week 6: Feb. 28
Stories of Scottsboro: Perspectives on Narrative History Reading: Goodman, Stories of Scottsboro Assignment: Response Paper and Discussion Questions due by Thursday at 10:00 am.
Week 7: March 7
The Last Mass Lynching in America Reading: Wexler, Fire in a Canebrake Assignment: 1) Response Paper and Discussion Questions due by Thursday at 10:00 am. 2) **Proposed Thesis Statement due on Blackboard**
Week 8: March 14
No Class—Individual Research Assignment: Spring Break!
Week 9: March 21
The Emmett Till Case: Analyzing Primary Sources Reading: Metress, The Lynching of Emmett Till Assignment: 1) Response Paper and Discussion Questions due by Thursday at 10:00 am. 2) **Brief Introduction of your paper due on Blackboard**
Week 10: March 28 No Class--Individual Research Reading: Storey, Writing History, 95-113 Assignment: Post progress report and final outline of paper on Blackboard Week 11: April 4
No Class—Work on First Drafts
Week 12: April 11
No Class—Exchange Rough Drafts
Week 13: April 18
Peer Critiques Reading: Storey, Writing History, pp. 115-119 Assignment: Bring two copies of each critique to class.
Week 14: April 25
Oral Presentations
Week 15: May 2
Oral Presentations
**Final Paper Due due by 5:00 pm on Thursday, May 9, 2013** No late papers will be accepted for a grade.
4
Final Research Paper: A. Objective: One of the major assignments for this course is a 25-30 page research paper on race, justice, and memory in twentieth-century America. The specific topic of the paper is up to you. You can focus on any aspect on race and criminal justice that interests you, but I would warn everyone to be as narrow as possible in your focus. For instance, writing a 25-30 page paper on "Prison Reform" will only produce a paper full of broad generalizations. If, however, you are sincerely interested in the topic of prison reform, there are many ways to narrow your paper into something manageable. You could research and analyze a particular event or organization or issue about prison reform. There are endless possibilities, but you have to make a choice and keep it as reasonable as possible. B. Research Proposal: The first stage of this project is the research proposal. The proposal will allow me to assist you in designing a productive project. The proposal is due posted to Blackboard on Thursday, February 21 by 7:00pm. Your proposal should address three major issues: 1) What is your topic and why did you choose it? How do you plan to narrow yourself to keep the project manageable? 2) How do you plan to research the topic? Are there enough primary and secondary sources available to you to finish the project? What archives or libraries do you need to consult? What is your timetable for accomplishing these tasks? 3) What specific primary and secondary sources are available on your topic? In this part of the proposal, I would like to see a preliminary annotated bibliography on your project. In other words, provide a list of books, articles, and web sites that may assist you with your project. The entire proposal should be approximately 3-4 typed, double-spaced pages. C. Individual Research Phase Beginning in Week 7 of the semester, you will begin the process of researching and writing your first draft of your paper. To facilitate this process, I have organized a series of assignments that will help you to stay focused on the mechanics of this task. Please make note of the following assignments: Week 7 (March 7): Submit your proposed thesis statement for the paper
5
Week 8 (March 14): Spring Break; Submit a brief progress report via e-mail Week 9 (March 21): Reading: Storey, Writing History, 89-94 Submit a brief introduction to your paper Week 10 (March 28): Reading: Storey, Writing History, 95-113 Submit the final outline of paper. D. First Drafts and Peer Review To facilitate your best performance on your research project, you will write a first draft of your paper/project that will be critiqued by your peers. Your first draft will be due on Blackboard on Thursday, April 11 by 7:00 pm. The following week, you will bring in written critiques (1-2 pages) back to class and have small group discussion of the drafts. Please note that you should also bring in two copies of each critique that you write (1 copy for the author and 1 copy for the professor). You will be graded on the thoroughness of your critiques, so be thoughtful with your constructive criticism. E. Oral Presentations: At the end of the semester, we will devote class time to oral presentations on research projects. Each student will give an oral presentation (approximately 15-20 minutes) on his or her research project. This will give us a chance to learn what others have worked on throughout the semester. Students will be graded on their oral presentations according to the following criteria: o Clarity and organization o Ability to handle questions from the audience o Completion of presentation's essential elements within the allotted time o Ability to engage and maintain the audience's attention F. Final Due Date: The final draft of the research paper is due on Thursday, May 9 at 5:00 pm. NO late papers will be accepted under any circumstances.
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