Professor Kaye Whitehead reveals some of the insights-and fallacies-about race, which have been generated by history, biology, genetics, sociology, and anthropology.
Pilot Lecture: History of Race
Gain greater clarity and wisdom on what history, biology, genetics, sociology, and anthropology have to tell us about race.
Rated 5 out of
5
by
Brian M from
Excellent, looking forward to the full course.
The professor is knowledgeable and enthusiastic. I knew much of the context of the intro, but her framing and succinct analysis add clarity. I would certainly enjoy a full-length course.
Date published: 2024-03-04
Rated 4 out of
5
by
Thanuja from
A good summary!
It is an interesting summary of the African Americans history. I hope that more detailed episodes will give deeper understanding and discussion around the topic. As a single episode, it is good enough presentation to appreciate the complexity and relavance of the subject.
Date published: 2024-02-04
Rated 4 out of
5
by
Alison S from
Title and description change required
I really enjoyed the professors presentation of the material - it was done in an engaging way that enriched my knowledge of the subject matter. Their use of visuals and graphics enhanced and clarified the material. For these reasons, I gave the lecturer an overall rating of 4 or more out of 5. Unlike some other reviewers, I thought that the lecture was light on critical, critical race, and gender theories (etc.). I wish they had talked more about the junctures and disjunctures created by allowing black men the vote before women of any colour. This seems a key moment in history entirely relevant to the world we live in now. Of course, such a lecture could be a series on its own. I would definitely want to continue watching a series that used their work and experience as a launching pad.
Having said that, there is little in the lecture that indicates their overall vision and arc of a course entitled "History of Race" with the description attributed to it. I think the title and/or description should be reworked to more accurately reflect the contents of the lecture and signpost where the lecturer plans to take the viewers with respect to the subject matter. It strikes me that this may be a lecture to place in the middle of such a series and not as the pilot. If I could rate the title and description separately from the quality of the lecturers actual presentation, I would give it a 1-2 out of 5 rating.
Perhaps, given the breadth and depth of research on such an important topic, this may be outside of the purview of just one lecturer. It may be that several lecturers are needed to meet the ambitions of the description that clearly strives for an interdisciplinary approach. Doing so may also be a good way of introducing Wondrium and Great Courses viewers to a broader range of ideas, intellectuals and thinkers. Although the platform has improved, it would be better served by increasing the diversity in presenters and topics and a multi-lecturer introduction may be the way to further that process. If nothing else, short, concise introductory lectures (30-90 minutes) describing what and where ideas regarding intersectionality, critical race theory, and other related topics, along with introductory reading lists, would also meet the needs of Wondrium/Great Courses viewers.
Engaging with this history and these ideas is challenging but necessary.
I sincerely hope to see more lectures by this professor and more lectures like this one.
Alison
Date published: 2022-03-04
Rated 5 out of
5
by
Lamia from
Can barely wait for more! I liked the summary and I am excited to hear the presenter's opinions on this topic.
Date published: 2022-01-24
Rated 5 out of
5
by
Donno from
Extremely informative and timely
The professor knows her subject intimately. I enjoyed this preview immensely and look forward to the full course
Date published: 2021-05-20
Rated 5 out of
5
by
Bryce K from
Profoundly necessary. I hope they make more.
I'd like there to be more episodes released. I was always surprised I couldn't find more courses on Plus concerning Black history or race relations. It is one of my favorite and least proficient subjects.
Date published: 2021-04-28
Rated 1 out of
5
by
AAMc from
Not A History of Race
I expected this to be about the history of the concept of race, but it turns out to be nothing more than a piece of racial narcissism that is currently prevalent in American society today. I was under the impression that the Great Courses was for those who love learning, are open-minded, and value intellectual pursuits? The people push this racial narcissism/critical race theory/intersectional view-of-history, I am sure, do not share these values. I am for differing points-of-view, but if the Great Courses is going to start pushing this intellectual garbage, then I will cancel my subscription.
Date published: 2021-04-26
Rated 1 out of
5
by
pleasemorereason from
Heavy on Political Agenda, light on Science
The first lecture already makes one worried that this course will be light on science but the heavier on pushing a political agenda.
Any course on race, that does not begin with examining the biological/genetic differences between races is seeing the race problem not from a scientific but rather from a political point of view.
One of the most important questions to address should be:
How big are the differences in cognitive abilities between races actually?
Because as these differences are largely genetic, they won't go away, no matter how many quotas and other affirmative actions you take for the benefit of races that may not be so much disadvantaged by racism but rather by nature.
In order words, the most important question of the course should be:
Are disadvantaged races rather disadvantaged in cognitive ability than by (supposed) racism?
I don't think that this question will ever be addressed in an unbiased manner in this course, thus there'll be little to actually learn from that course.
So I rather recommend watching Dr. Haier's lecture about race and intelligence, there's a lot more scientific content to be found there.
PS: I'm generally worried about the recent tendency of GCP to become more woke and diverse while sacrificing good, unbiased presentation and quality of (scientific) content of the lectures.
Date published: 2021-04-22
Overview
About
Karsonya (Kaye) Wise Whitehead, Ph.D., associate professor of communication and African and African American Studies, is a three-time New York Emmy-nominated documentary filmmaker and the award-winning radio host of Today with Dr. Kaye on WEAA 88.9FM. Her scholarship examines the ways race, class, and gender coalesce in American classrooms as well as in political and social environments. Her work and her scholarship in activism, race, and African American history have garnered national attention and awards, including the Gilder Lehrman Preserve America Maryland History Teacher of the Year Award (2006), the Gilder Lehrman Fellowship in American History (2012), and the Collegium Visionary Award (2019); she has won several prestigious honors for her scholarly and activist work as the @blackmommyactivist. Named one of Essence magazine’s 2019 “Woke 100 Women” changing the world, the “Best Radio Host” in Baltimore by the Baltimore Sun; one of the “Top 100 Women” in Maryland by the Daily Record, and one of “25 Women to Watch” by the Baltimore Sun, she is one of the most sought-after keynote speakers in the country.
A K-12 Master Teacher in African American History, Dr. Whitehead has worked with more than one thousand teachers to become culturally responsive educators in diverse environments—and has served as a historical consultant for a series of documentaries on Philadelphia. A decorated author, Dr. Whitehead has published articles, essays, book chapters, and opinion-editorials on issues that face the Black community. Her 2014 book, Notes from A Colored Girl: The Civil War Pocket Diaries of Emilie Frances Davis, won the Darlene Clark Hine Book Award (2015) from the Organization of American Historians as the best book written in African American women’s and gender history, as well as the Letitia Woods Brown Book Award from the Association of Black Women Historians (2014). The founder and director of the Karson Institute for Race, Peace, and Social Justice, Dr. Whitehead is also the founding executive director of the Emilie Frances Davis Center for Education, Research, and Culture.
01: History of Race
The challenges of race and the struggle to have equality and social justice in this country originated with the beginnings of America—and striving for positive change continues today. Kaye Whitehead, Professor of African and African American Studies at Loyola University, takes you on an insightful journey from the 17th century to the 1970s, to look at how race became associated with skin color, intellectual and linguistic deficiencies, and intrinsic capabilities.
38 min
