Jews, Blacks, and the Idea of Race
Diane Klein
Description
With a Black president and a Jewish Chief of Staff, the relationship between African-Americans and Jews is poised to (re-)emerge on the American political scene. In this course, we will use the tools of Critical Race Theory, one of the most exciting and challenging intellectual developments in the American academy today, to think about the idea of race itself. Should Jews and/or African-Americans embrace or reject the idea of “race”? What would it mean to move “beyond race,” and is that somewhere we wish to go (as Jews or otherwise)? Are Jews White? Is antisemitism a form of racism?
Diane Klein is a lawyer and law professor in Los Angeles. Some of her legal scholarship focuses on critical theory, particularly as it relates to race, as well as queer theory, two discourses in which being a heterosexual White Jewish woman and mother can be a challenging status/identity.
Notes
Categories
- Arts and Literature
- Contemporary Issues
- Afternoon Course