About this Course

Black performance and social activism have been a model for protest globally. It has enriched and activated cries for justice in multiple contexts. This course will help you expand your understanding of Black performance as social protest and its active effects on performance and protest today. 
The arts are a potent way of responding to issues of injustice. From slavery and lynching to incarceration and disenfranchisement, Black performance has resisted oppression across several historical frames. On this course, you’ll read, watch, and listen to performances that illustrate various forms of artistic protest from the African Diaspora. You’ll cover chants of the enslaved and dances of heritage, before moving on to look at early 20th century migrations and United States protests. 

You’ll identify ways in which patterns of resistance from the past contribute to ongoing social justice movements, such as Black Lives Matter. After investigating the history of Black performance as social protest, you’ll produce a reflective manifesto for achieving racial equity through performance.

Flexible deadlines

Reset deadlines in accordance to your schedule.

Shareable Certificate

Earn a Certificate upon completion

100% online

Start instantly and learn at your own schedule.

Coursera Labs

Includes hands on learning projects.

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Beginner Level

Approx. 23 hours to complete

English

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Flexible deadlines

Reset deadlines in accordance to your schedule.

Shareable Certificate

Earn a Certificate upon completion

100% online

Start instantly and learn at your own schedule.

Coursera Labs

Includes hands on learning projects.

Learn more about Coursera Labs

Beginner Level

Approx. 23 hours to complete

English

Could your company benefit from training employees on in-demand skills?

Try Coursera for Business

Instructors

Scott Piper

Norma L Heyde Faculty Development Professor of Voice and Associate Professor of Music

School of Music, Theatre & Dance

86 Learners

1 Course

Louise Toppin

Professor of Music (Voice)

School of Music, Theatre & Dance

86 Learners

1 Course

Syllabus - What you will learn from this course

Week1

Week 1

5 hours to complete

Slavery and The Whip

5 hours to complete

2 videos (Total 6 min), 15 readings, 1 quiz

2 videos

Welcome3mInstructor Performance: Ring Shout3m

15 readings

Syllabus10mContent Warning10mAssignment Overview: Mixtape and Manifesto10mHelp us learn more about you!10mLearning Objectives for Week 110mGuiding Image: The Whip10mDefinitions: Protest and Blackness10mThrow Me Anywhere Lord and the Circle10mRing Shout10mGullah Traditions of the South Carolina Coast10mGullah People Fighting to Preserve Their Land10mWorking Songs: Lightnin’ Long John10mPrison Songs10mGandy Dancers10mBrief Introduction to the Gamut Workbook Tool10m

Week2

Week 2

6 hours to complete

Jim Crow and The Noose

6 hours to complete

3 videos (Total 6 min), 9 readings, 3 quizzes

3 videos

Introduction to Early 20th Century Migrations and United States Protests1mInstructor Performance: A Reading of "Rachel" by Angelina Weld Grimke2mInstructor Performance: A Reading of "On Being Young—A Woman—And Colored." by Marita Bonner1m

9 readings

Learning Objectives for Week 210mGuiding Image: The Noose10mThe Great Migration10mAugust Wilson and the Great Migration to Pittsburgh10mDefinitions: Lynching and Degeneration10mThe Lynching Drama10mLynching Sites Interactive Map10mKoritha Mitchell: Lynching Dramas in Living Rooms10mPearl Primus and Billie Holiday: Strange Fruit10m

Week3

Week 3

4 hours to complete

Civil Rights and The Fist

4 hours to complete

2 videos (Total 4 min), 8 readings, 1 quiz

2 videos

Introduction to Civil Rights Struggles for Justice54sInstructor Performance: Improv Civil Rights and African Protest Songs2m

8 readings

Learning Objectives for Week 310mGuiding Image: The Fist10mDefinitions: Black Nationalism, Civil Rights, Pan Africanism, and Black Arts Movement 10mThe Music: A Short Film from Freedom Riders10mHollywood Roundtable10mBob Marley Protest Songs10mAfrican Nationalism and Pan-Africanism10mMama Africa10m

Week4

Week 4

5 hours to complete

Black Lives Matter and The Baton

5 hours to complete

1 video (Total 1 min), 11 readings, 2 quizzes

1 video

Introduction to Social Justice Now47s

11 readings

Learning Objectives for Week 410mGuiding Image: The Baton10mDefinitions: Black Lives Matter and Gentrification10m#DontMuteDC10m"Langston and Beethoven | Black and Proud" By Terrance McKnight10m"125th and Freedom" by Ebony Noelle Golden10mDefinition: Woke10m"You're (*not) #Woke" by Autumn Reed10m"Dear Karen" by DECORA10m"The Central Park Five" By Anthony Davis10mCreate a Mixtape Instructions10m

Frequently Asked Questions

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The course may offer 'Full Course, No Certificate' instead. This option lets you see all course materials, submit required assessments, and get a final grade. This also means that you will not be able to purchase a Certificate experience.
What will I get if I purchase the Certificate?
When you purchase a Certificate you get access to all course materials, including graded assignments. Upon completing the course, your electronic Certificate will be added to your Accomplishments page - from there, you can print your Certificate or add it to your LinkedIn profile. If you only want to read and view the course content, you can audit the course for free.
Is financial aid available?
Yes. In select learning programs, you can apply for financial aid or a scholarship if you can’t afford the enrollment fee. If fin aid or scholarship is available for your learning program selection, you’ll find a link to apply on the description page.

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Black Performance as Social Protest

Black Performance as Social Protest

About this Course