Major Debates in African American Studies Short Essay Assignment
You must write a 4-6 page essay that critically analyzes one of the following works:
W.E.B Dubois, The Souls of Black Folk, due Friday, February 8th OR
C.LR. James A History of Pan-African Revolt, due Friday, February 22nd OR
Barbara Ransby, Ella Baker and the Black Freedom Movement,
The essay should identify and examine how the author engages in major debates in the Black experience. It should identify and critically analyze the central arguments of the text and interrogate the evidence the author uses to support her/his claims.
Submission Instructions: Your essay should be double spaced, and no smaller than 12pt font. The paper must be emailed to me (fg2368@columbia.edu) in Word format by 11:59 of the due date. You must receive an email confirmation from me to confirm submission. You can also send me your paper before the deadline. Papers submitted after the 11:59pm deadline will receive an F grade. No exceptions.
Guidelines/Suggestions:
You should situate the author you are studying within a discussion of the different conceptual essays we discussed during our second class session (Harding, Kelley, and Reed).
***Do not write a summary of the book. This is not a “history” paper. Focus on their central arguments and the ways their analyses highlight their approach to Black intellectual life.
Anticipate opposing arguments. Do not write a polemic. Write an essay that demonstrates your awareness of positions that counter your own.