African American History

African Americans became disillusioned with their prospects in the United States following the Civil War. Instead of providing for formerly enslaved people across the South, the government abandoned them to Jim Crow laws segregating buses, schools, stores, and even ticket windows by race. And in northern cities, white Americans responded to the influx of Black migrants not with compassion but with extreme violence and discrimination.

The period between slavery and lunch counter sit-ins was regressive and dangerous for African Americans in the United States. But nevertheless, they found ways to resist-through political movements, but also through art, sports, consumer boycotts, and more.

African American History: From Emancipation through Jim Crow explores an overlooked but pivotal period of African American history. In just 12 courses, delve into Black history in the United States from the Emancipation Proclamation to Jackie Robsinson's first Major League baseball game. With Associate Professor Hasan Kwame Jeffries as your expert guide, examine how white supremacy affected all aspects of American society from courtrooms to schools. Study the extreme injustices that defined the period, from lynchings to bogus convictions. Explore the number of ways African Americans cultivated culture and preserved a degree of autonomy through song, poetry, religions, and social clubs. And discover how Black men and women fought back against the scourge of white supremacy through marches, concerted legal efforts, and even excellence in sports.