"Racial Passing in the 20th Century"

Taught by Bildner Visiting Scholar Donavan L. Ramon, Department of English, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville.

About the Session

The twentieth century saw an increasing number of African Americans passing as Jews, particularly after World War II. We will explore texts that highlight the fluidity of the color line for Blacks and Jews, including excerpts from W.E.B. DuBois’s Souls of Black Folk, Nella Larsen’s Passing, and Philip Roth’s The Human Stain.

About the Mini-Course

From the very moment the Founding Fathers wrote the Constitution, they were not only interested in who belonged in the United States, but also in who did not. In the nineteenth century, questions of “assimilation” and “Americanization” became prominent. This mini-course will explore African American and Jewish literary texts that engage the issues of racial passing and belonging in the United States. Readings will be posted in advance.