In the Horror Noire: A History of Black Horror documentary, Author, Filmmaker and Professor Tananarive Due says, “Black history is Black horror.” This asynchronous Quest 2 course examines the way in which filmmakers and scholar activists have advocated for social justice in horror movies. Quest 2 courses ask “what we can do” to address societal issues. Educators and filmmakers have created popular films over the years to discuss societal issues. In particular, they have described the racism that was occurring in America during various time periods in horror movies. In this class, students will examine real-world issues that cut across disciplines. We will examine questions such as the following:
- Did the Blaxploitation era of filmmaking end because of institutional racism or a lack of profits?
- How have filmmakers and educators used the horror genre of filmmaking to protest racism and promote social justice ideals?
- Is what ways are Black Americans continuing to experience “Black Horror” and how are they responding to it?
- How have these films affected the way in which you understand social justice issues?
In addition, students will examine the ways that data, methods, and tools from diverse fields have been used to address pressing questions facing human societies today. We will examine qualitative scholarly articles, historiographies, oral histories, documentaries, and films. We focus on two questions: “What are the unintended consequences of racism?” and “How have individuals publicized racism and the fight for social justice in popular films?” In essence, these “movies” are about more than entertainment, but have the goals of educating individuals about the issues African Americans confront in their lives and how they address them. There are eight modules. Each includes two weeks of assignments.