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African American History: From Emancipation through Jim Crow

Reveal the historical realities of African American life in the United States after the end of slavery and before the rise of the Civil Rights Movement, and explore how African Americans from all backgrounds fought back to secure key freedoms across public and private life.
African American History: From Emancipation through Jim Crow is rated 4.6 out of 5 by 33.
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Rated 5 out of 5 by from A Must Watch Course I well remember the civil rights movement that was one of the many incredible life transforming lead stories of the iconic 1960's. I was only a teenager during the 1960's but the civil rights movement along with the anti-war sentiments of the Vietnam war, the march on Washington, the passage of civil rights and voting legislation that ensued as well as the horrific assassinations of not only JFK and RFK but also of Martin Luther King and yes, Malcolm X (please read his autobiography) left strong impressions on me that have never subsided since those strong impressionable events occurred. I would like to applaud Great Courses for its obvious dedication in presenting courses like this one that should educate us and remind us all of our compelling call and need to support and uplift our sense of humanity towards each of the regardless of sex, color, ethnicity, geographic origin or inherited culture. As an American I do believe that we should all aspire in unison as being "One nation under God with liberty and justice for all" as well as embracing in our collective hearts, minds, spirit and voice that "We are one nation (under God) of - men and women - endowed with certain inalienable rights that includes life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness - that, in my opinion, includes a right to higher education and the right to own residential property." Having said all of that when I concluded this course watching hearing Professor Jeffries speak on how black athleticism began to stir our nation's consciousness by the performances of great black athletes such as Joe Louis and Jackie Robinson my passion for equality for all Americans and those who seek political asylum within our borders was stirred, motivated and compelled to write this review. May God continue to bless our American ideal for freedom and equality for us all. Thank you, again Great Courses.
Date published: 2023-02-27
Rated 5 out of 5 by from Thank you!!! I have renewed my pride and determination. YOu have helped me to understand my feelings of resentment and helped me to correct my behaviors. You have helped to save my and my family's life. Thank you.
Date published: 2023-02-04
Rated 5 out of 5 by from Riveting, informative and fair-minded The professor in this course was absolutely outstanding - eloquent, clear, forceful and persuasive. I have been after The Great Courses for years to offer courses on African-American and Latin American history, and here we finally are. I have already recommended this course to others, and I hope there is a sequel to this course covering the Civil Rights era to the present. For me, the biggest revelation was the extent to which African Americans actually lost freedoms after Emancipation, especially in the South. And the extent of the violence against African Americans - not only lynchings but also indiscriminate mob violence - was eye-opening. I wish there was more in the course about what was happening in the North, because I didn't get a clear enough picture of the situation in the Northern USA during the Jim Crow era. The professor's discussions of what he called "freedom rights" and "slavery by another name" were especially effective. The best lecture in the course was the last one, in which he discussed the triumphs and travails of Black athletes in the first half of the 20th century. I am not a big sports fan, but I found his narration of the stories of Jackie Robinson, Jesse Owens and Joe Lewis particularly dramatic, illuminating and compelling. My only criticism of the course - and it is a small one - is that I found his discussion of "manliness" in reference to African Americans' military service disturbing. It seemed that he agreed that military prowess indeed was a crucial measure of a man's worth. Yes, that is one kind of achievement, but the men described as brilliant legal strategists to me should be regarded as equally "manly." He should have given a more nuanced treatment to this issue.
Date published: 2023-01-08
Rated 5 out of 5 by from GOAT Professor! Faxcinating course by an interesting teacher. He strikes that delicate balance between the deadly dull science professor of The Wonder Years and the spastic, excitable guys from infomercials. Wait! There's more! He always makes whatever topic he's discussing a relatable human being, rather than merely a historical figure. Get it? Got it? Good! Seriously, buy this course!
Date published: 2023-01-06
Rated 4 out of 5 by from What might have been. I am a “Great Course” geek and have taken well over a hundred courses in all disciplines. History is a particular favorite. The facts of what happened are vital, but not the end all, be all. One I can’t help but thinking why things occurred. History is made by people and people do things for a reason and they are influenced by their life experiences. I can’t help but wondering how history would be different if Lincoln had a full second term. There were significant benefits accompanying the “reconstruction amendments” but what would have been the benefits of a a strong and moral leadership. The war’s aftermath and, perhaps, no Jim Crow legacy would have been the result. The benefits to our country both financially and morally would have been different. Professor Jeffries accurately and painfully brought this shameful epoch of our country’s experience to life. And although the behavior of this period is no longer acceptable the mindset of degrading of a substantial part of our population continues, if beneath the surface. As an American of European descent I can read the history but I can not feel the experience and Prof Jeffries has made it what it should be, an emotional as well as an intellectual exercise. I highly recommend this lecture series.
Date published: 2022-12-17
Rated 5 out of 5 by from Very Informative Professor Jeffries does an excellent job of covering the history of African American history. I wish this level of detail was covered in my high school and college history classes. So glad I purchased this course.
Date published: 2022-12-10
Rated 5 out of 5 by from Held my attention every minute I have watched or listened to dozens of Great Courses in history, music, art, science and other fields, but this one held my attention like no other. Many of the names and events are familiar from my reading, but Dr. Jeffries has way of making it all new. Out of an immense subject he weaves 12 compelling lectures, and he's a master storyteller. I hope to dig into some of the reference material and learn more. Excellent as an introduction for someone new to the subject, it will be equally interesting for people like me who are somewhat familiar with the story. In particular, this course should be on the recommended list for all American high school seniors.
Date published: 2022-11-20
Rated 5 out of 5 by from Outstanding course for ALL Americans Professor Jeffries provides an outstanding history of Jim Crow America and offers pertinent illustrations for the points he makes. The many stories he tells held this (white male) viewer's interest through all twelve lectures. The only negative thing I can say is that I wish there had been another two (or more) lectures to cover Brown v Board of Education and the Civil Rights era through at least 1965. There is so much more content that Professor Jeffries is clearly prepared to offer, some of which is noted in other reviews. Professor Jeffries is clear and forceful in his presentation. Having him seated while speaking (and recorded from multiple camera angles) is an improvement on Great Courses lectures that have speakers pacing in a repetitious pattern. This course is timely, and I hope it will have many viewers.
Date published: 2022-10-06
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Overview

In African American History: From Emancipation through Jim Crow, join Hasan Kwame Jeffries, Associate Professor of African American history at The Ohio State University, to learn about the African American struggle for freedom and civil rights from 1865 to the 1940s. In 12 lectures, accompany Hasan on a journey from Reconstruction to Jackie Robinson’s first Major League Baseball game, examining the unique struggles faced by Black Americans who were technically free but increasingly limited in what they were able to do.

About

Hasan Kwame Jeffries
Hasan Kwame Jeffries

In this course, we'll revisit a history that has sometimes been forgotten, often misremembered, and in many cases, intentionally rewritten.

INSTITUTION

The Ohio State University

Hasan Kwame Jeffries is an Associate Professor of History at The Ohio State University who teaches, researches, and writes about the African American experience from a historical perspective. He earned a PhD in American History with a specialization in African American History from Duke University. He is the author and narrator of the Audible Original series Great Figures of the Civil Rights Movement, and he tells the remarkable story of the original Black Panther Party in Bloody Lowndes: Civil Rights and Black Power in Alabama’s Black Belt. He is the editor of Understanding and Teaching the Civil Rights Movement and the host of the podcast Teaching Hard History.

By This Professor

African American History: From Emancipation through Jim Crow
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African American History: From Emancipation through Jim Crow

Trailer

Emancipation: The Fight for Rights Begins

01: Emancipation: The Fight for Rights Begins

The fight for freedom did not end for Black Americans when President Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation. In the course’s inaugural lecture, explore how African Americans participated as soldiers and strikers during the Civil War, and examine their efforts to codify key freedom rights in the late 1860s.

34 min
The Promise and Betrayal of Reconstruction

02: The Promise and Betrayal of Reconstruction

As conflicting interpretations of Reconstruction tore the project apart, far more sinister economic and social systems began to take shape—not just in the South but across the United States. Investigate the rise of sharecropping and the Ku Klux Klan, as well as the political and legal setbacks that dashed Black hopes for a more equal America after abolition.

37 min
Separate and Unequal: The Rise of Jim Crow

03: Separate and Unequal: The Rise of Jim Crow

How was the “separate but equal” doctrine legitimized and enforced in the United States? Learn how one of the most consequential legal decisions in United States history paved the way for years of state-sanctioned discrimination in the South, and explore the ways in which Black Americans fought back.

36 min
Lift Every Voice and Sing

04: Lift Every Voice and Sing

Crushed under the weight of a system designed to limit their professional and political prospects, African Americans embraced schools, music, literature, churches, and nascent social clubs. Discover how Black communities used culture and institutions to insulate themselves from the harsh realities of the early 20th century.

37 min
The Terror of White Supremacy

05: The Terror of White Supremacy

Violent racial terrorism was endemic across the American South in the early 20th century. From Fifth Avenue marches to Congressional bills, see how African Americans worked to protect their communities from extrajudicial violence, and make sense of their embrace of Black boxing champion Jack Johnson in light of these efforts.

33 min
World War I: Hell in Our Own Land

06: World War I: Hell in Our Own Land

African Americans served in World War I to advance freedom and equality abroad while contending with rampant discrimination and terror back at home. Explore how the values that justified US involvement in World War I collided with the color line, by zeroing in on the experiences of Black troops.

31 min
Marcus Garvey Builds a Black Nation

07: Marcus Garvey Builds a Black Nation

In the early 20th century, a unique kind of ideology gripped the African American community, calling for racial solidarity and emigration to Africa. Get to know Marcus Garvey, the man at the center of early 20th-century Black Nationalism and investigate why scores of African Americans across the United States so readily welcomed his ideas.

32 min
The “New Negro” Fights Back

08: The “New Negro” Fights Back

African Americans were met with hostility as they searched for higher wages and better lives in the North. At the same time, Black art and business flourished in cities and in the Harlem neighborhood of New York City, in particular. Explore the Northern Black experience, from Red Summer to the Harlem Renaissance.

37 min
The Scottsboro Boys and the Great Depression

09: The Scottsboro Boys and the Great Depression

Why did the 1931 Scottsboro incident happen the way it did? What impact did the Great Depression have on the Scottsboro case and on African American economic life, in general? And how does any of this relate to public schools in the United States? Tackle these questions and more.

34 min
A New Deal for African Americans

10: A New Deal for African Americans

Understand why so many African Americans, fiercely loyal to the Republican Party for decades, cast their lot with Democratic presidential candidate Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1932. Explore the varying success of New Deal programs for African Americans, from the revelatory WPA to the outright harmful Home Owners’ Loan Act.

34 min
World War II: Fighting at Home and Abroad

11: World War II: Fighting at Home and Abroad

World War II was more than an overseas military conflict for African Americans. It was simultaneously a battle for defense industry jobs and a desegregated military at home. Become acquainted with A. Philip Randolph, a prominent Black activist, and examine how a major concession from Roosevelt opened doors for African Americans like the Tuskegee airmen.

35 min
Black Athletes Break Barriers

12: Black Athletes Break Barriers

Black boxers, baseball players, and track stars excelled at the highest levels of American athletics in the mid-20th century, but breaking the color barrier was not easy. Uncover what it meant to be a Black athlete in Jim Crow America, through the life and professional career of Jackie Robinson.

38 min

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