Resting in Power: Black Cemeteries and Unearthing Narratives of the Past

AFRICAN AND AFRICAN-AMERICAN STUDIES 3751

This course leverages the recent enactment of the African American Burial Grounds Preservation Act in December 2022 as a gateway to exploring the profound historical significance of Black cemeteries across the United States. Students will investigate the development and preservation of Black cemeteries. They will trace historical shifts in Black cemeteries-including the legacy of slavery, Reconstruction, Jim Crow laws, and the Civil Rights Movement and the present. General course themes include cemeteries as reflections of African American life, death, and resistance in the face of systemic racism and segregation. Through case studies of prominent Black cemeteries both in St. Louis and nationally, students will explore how these sites have served as places of mourning, celebration, and community organization, as well as how they have been impacted by urban development, neglect, and efforts at preservation. Course readings will expose students to how scholars use the stories of individuals and communities buried in these cemeteries, highlighting the ways in which Black cemeteries provide a counter-narrative to mainstream historical accounts and offering insights into the lived experiences, spiritual practices, and cultural expressions of African Americans across centuries. Students will also engage with contemporary discussions on the preservation and restoration of these cemeteries, understanding their significance not only as historical sites but as ongoing symbols of cultural identity and heritage. While St. Louis is the focal point and setting for the class, this course will equip students with tools for understanding cemeteries as not only places of death and mourning but also of Black commemoration and memory-making.
Course Attributes: AS HUM; AS SC

Section 01

Resting in Power: Black Cemeteries and Unearthing Narratives of the Past
INSTRUCTOR: [TBA]
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