Love in Black and White: Baldwin, Hurston, and Lorde

In this follow-up to last summer’s critical examination of the Western canon “Freedom in Black and White: Baldwin, Morrison, and the ‘Western’ Canon,” students will address the question, “What place do Black thinkers hold within the Western philosophy of love?” Although figures such as Martin Luther King, James Baldwin, and Audre Lorde have produced fundamental theories of love, academic accounts of love philosophies rarely include Black thinkers. Major works within the academic philosophy of love, such as Irving Singer’s The Nature of Love (1984-1987) and Simon May’s Love: A History (2011) make no mention of Black thinkers, nor do many publications within the emergent field of Love Studies. In this course, we will correct this oversight by putting major Black American love philosophies in conversation with those from the Western Canon. Every 2-3 weeks, we will consider love from a different thematic angle, tackling subjects such as “Love and Friendship,” “Love and Desire,” and “Love and Religion.” Each unit will include noteworthy works on love from the Western canon and landmark considerations of the topic from fundamental texts by Black Americans.

Course Outline

Course Syllabus

Notes

Online registration closes June 4 at 5 pm CT.

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