This seminar will take place in Amerikahaus. Digital participation is not possible.

With the arrival of the first “20 and odd Africans” in Jamestown, colonial Virginia, in 1619, the institution of slavery spread and became central to the settler colonial project. Even though the American Revolution was fought in the name of inalienable human rights, the spirit of the Declaration of Independence did not reach Native Americans or Black slaves. Slavery and the powerful idea of race became the heart of economic, cultural, and political life in the colonies and the early republic. The 13th Amendment eventually ended slavery, but ideas of racial inferiority had already been institutionalized in public perceptions, conventions, laws, or policies that led to rigid segregation and racial terror in the South and widespread discrimination in the North. How is it that the social construct of race has so profoundly shaped U.S. history and institutions that it continues to directly affect the social contours of contemporary society, individual lives, and life chances?

In this seminar, we will examine how race and racism have evolved to become a structuring feature of all major institutions and social relations, resulting in severe racial disparities in wealth, income, housing, health, education, and almost every other aspect of life. Knowing the racial history of the U.S. is crucial to understanding U.S. society and comprehending its current realities. We will also look at practical resources and materials that you can use to apply a critical race perspective to your teaching. Overall, this seminar will provide you with a deeper knowledge of structural racism in the U.S., as several issues are now anchored in the school curriculum.

Schedule:
9.00: Introduction: What’s race got to do with it?
9.30: A Brief Overview of U.S. Racial History
10.45: Coffee Break
11.00: The Constraint of Race: Pervasive Inequalities
12.00: Bringing a Critical Race Perspective into the Classroom
13.00: Group Discussions on Structural Racism
14.00: End



Registration fee: € 10 per teacher seminar. Please note that the registration fee is due upon registration and can only be reimbursed after submitting a doctor's note or when the format of the seminar changes the way teachers can participate.

Please register via our registration form or via FIBS.
FIBS: Stiftung Bayerisches Amerikahaus gGmbH


Photo above: © Tasha Jolley / unsplash.com