Fight the Power! Race, Rights and Protest in the USA

Module code: HS2368

Protest has always been at the centre of American life. The nation owed its independence to protests against British colonial rule and in our own time protest movements remain an influential and contested feature of American politics and society. This module explores diverse forms of protest in the twentieth century United States related to issues of race and rights and connects them to ongoing debates and controversies in the present. You will have the opportunity to consider the strategies, tactics, membership and ideologies of various and varied protest movements, and to assess the factors that shaped their outcome. The module is based around eight case studies, including: racial segregation and white supremacy, Nativism and immigration, Native Americans and environmental movements, prisoners’ rights, Japanese internment during the Second World War and the Black Power movement.