The dark years of the Middle Ages were ended by the Bubonic plague, giving rise to the Renaissance in Europe in 1700. The Black Death in London led to sweeping municipal regrowth and development in 1666. The Coronavirus pandemic so far in 2020 has brought about ultra-modern systems of community, industry, education, and health.

Race is a socially constructed social category based on physical appearance that has been used to put people into separate groups. Racism builds social structures which bring advantage to some groups and disadvantage to others. The most obvious one is slavery, but most every aspect of social structure and the economy is affected. The course will focus on what white people need to know about race in America. We will use videos, lectures, and class discussion to look at ways race has been used in American society historically and currently to build social and legal structures which disadvantage persons of color. Strategies to dismantle racism will be suggested.