REL 251 Black Religions, Resistance, and Social Movements
This course explores the role of religion in shaping social movements and activism. From years of anti-colonial resistance in Africa, the Haitian Revolution of 1791, the Civil Rights Movement, to Black Lives Matter, religion continues to configure the structure of social movements led by Black revolutionary voices. The course identifies the socioethical foundations that propel these movements and asserts that Black religion has often provided necessary building blocks towards resistance and liberation for Black peoples. Investigating influences across Christianity, Islam, and Africana religions, and highlighting critical figures from Queen Nzinga to Simone Kimbangu, Sojourner Truth to Ida B. Wells, Toussaint Louverture to François Mackandal, Martin Luther King Jr. to Rosa Parks, and other revolutionary thought leaders, this course addresses the overwhelming presence of religion as a tool for social change and a trigger for political action among Black people.