Lecture, three hours; discussion, one hour. Introduction of methods, theories, conceptual frameworks, and key debates in black studies. Interrogation of how race structures notions of identity and meaning of blackness in relation to class, gender, and sexuality; essential role of African people in development of capitalism, liberalism, and democracy; what various disciplinary lenses and epistemologies (history, literature, sociology, geography, cultural studies, political theory, philosophy, etc.) reveal about experiences of black people in modern world. Key thinkers and ideas from across humanities and social sciences are highlighted. P/NP or letter grading.