Class meets in person in HH 306 on Tuesday and Thursday from 3:30 pm - 4:45 pm and live on Google Meet on Wednesday from 4:00 - 4:50 pm unless otherwise indicated. Assigned readings should be completed before class the day they are listed (since we'll discuss in class).

Note that UMD defines 1 credit hour as being equal to 3 hours of work. This is a 4 credit hour class, so in total you should expect to spend about 12 hours a week on this class. 4 hours are devoted to attending class, leaving 8 hours per week for reading, writing, etc. Please let me know if you find that you are spending significantly more time on this class than that. 

Week 1

• Wed Jan 14 : [Google Meet] First Day of Class. Introductions. 

• Thur Jan 15: Read the Preface and Introduction of So You Want To Talk About Race (aka Talk About Race). Discuss. What is a Personal Essay? 

  • Note that the Preface and Introduction are approximately 15 pages.

Week 2

• Tue Jan 20: Read Chapter 1 and 2 of Talk About Race. Discuss. 

• Read Chapter 3 of Talk About Race. Discuss. 

• Wed Jan 21 : [Google Meet] Read Chapter 3 of Talk about Race. Discuss.

• Thu Jan 22 : Read Chapter 4 and 5 of Talk About Race. Discuss. 

  • Note that Chapters 1 - 5 are approximately 75 pages.

• Sun Jan 25: Personal Essay #1 due by 11:59 pm. Here are the essay guidelines : 

  • • NOTES : Reflect back on your life and make notes about about experiences you remember or were told about that have to do with your race or that of someone in your life (family or friend). You should describe whatever that experience was, who was a part of this, was anyone impacted for good or bad, and if so in what ways. You should have at least two experiences from each of these periods in your life : Pre or Elementary School (ages 0 - 10), Middle School (ages 11 - 13), High School (ages 14 - 18), and College (ages 18+). Note that these experiences do not have to be from school itself they should just be from that "era" in your life. You should have at least a total of eight experiences. 

    • OUTLINE : Once your notes are finished, make an outline by describing each element from the prompt below that you will need to address in your essay. Each item in your outline should be followed by the specific points you will make to address them. You should complete both your notes and outline before writing your essay. Please start  your essay after your notes and outline so that all are immediately visible in your submission. 

    • ESSAY : Discuss your personal experiences of race. What race do you consider yourself to be, and how has that factored into your life? What advantages or disadvantages come with being a member of your race? Have you experienced racism or prejudice due to being a member of your race? If so, and only if you are comfortable doing so, please discuss those experiences and the impact they have had on you. Have you had close friends or family of other races? If so, what races were they, and how did you perceive their race impacting their lives? What advantages or disadvantages did you perceive their race causing them? Did they experience racism or prejudice due to being a member of their race? If so, what impact do you believe that those experiences had on them, and did it have any impact on you?

Week 3

• Tue Jan 27 : Read Chapter 6 and 7 of Talk About Race. Discuss. 

• Wed Jan 28 : [Google Meet] Read Chapter 8 of Talk About Race. Discuss.

• Thur Jan 29 : Read Chapter 9, 10, and 11 of Talk About Race. Discuss.

  • Note that Chapters 6 - 11 are approximately 75 pages.

Week 4

Week 5

Week 6

Week 7

Week 8

Week 9

Week 10

Week 11

Week 12

Week 13

Week 14

Week 15