AFRI122 PO - To tell the truth freely: Black Women’s Autobiographical Practices

When Offered: Offered alternate years; next offered fall 2023
Instructor(s): J. Finley
Credit: 1

Examining autobiographies written by Black women, we will consider the function and role of autobiography in the fashioning of identity, the interlocking systems of race, class, and gender, and questions of identity, politics, and style. Our objective is twofold: first, to explore the autobiographical practices of Black women and the arcs of their lives, approaching autobiographies as both creative works of art and historical documents. Secondly, we will analyze Black women’s autobiographies as models of the diverse ways available for writing one’s autobiography. The course will equip students to conduct close readings, engage in verbal and written analysis of creative texts, and prepare students to examine the lives of others as stimuli for examining and representing their own.

Satisfies the following General Education Requirement(s), subject to conditions explained in the Degree Requirements section of this Catalog:
Area 3