Dramas of the American Civil Rights Movement (1956-1966)
Racial egalitarianism was a central premise of the U.S. Civil Rights Movement; playwrights, using their voices as cultural arbiters, played a significant role in raising awareness about racial injustices, thus contributing in an important way to the success of the movement. Relying on critical analyses, archival material, oral interviews, and dramatic texts, students will explore how dramatists (Loften Mitchell, Lorraine Hansberry, Ossie Davis, Amiri Baraka, George Sklar) addressed crucial issues (education, housing, and voting) in their plays. Students will also have an opportunity to explore the role of comedy and militancy on the stage while simultaneously understanding how the theatre served as a vehicle for political progress and social change.