Full course description
In this course, we look at the history of racism in the U.S., beginning with settler colonialism, genocide of Indigenous Peoples, and slavery of Africans, with an emphasis on how laws and policies have been used to institutionalize racism. We emphasize Indigenous and African resistance to white supremacy. We explore historical trauma and recognize it as an ongoing sociopolitical process. We utilize a variety of learning methods with a focus on theory and action.
By participating in this course, participants will:
- Examine the historical origins of racism in the United States, beginning with European settler colonialism.
- Identify how the law has been used to institutionalize racism, using the historical examples of slavery, citizenship, and whiteness, and the more present-day examples of housing discrimination.
- Identify instances of African and Indigenous resistance to colonization, slavery, and domination, and the struggle for freedom.
- Begin to conceptualize frameworks of historical trauma and recognize it as an ongoing sociopolitical process.
- Identify the implications of racism and historical trauma in the U.S on their practice and in the personal/professional settings they occupy.
Shimon Cohen is a social work educator, podcaster and change agent. He is passionate about racial justice and liberatory social work. He is the host and producer of the nationally recognized podcast Doin’ the Work: Frontline Stores of Social Change.
Charla Cannon Yearwood, MSSW, LCSW