This course explores the intellectual history of black captivity. We begin by analyzing how black political prisoners have been understood as symbols, while also paying close attention to how scientific racism not only legitimized black captivity, but also modern captivity in general. Students then concentrate on examining the transition from the notion of slave captivity to the premeditated containment of black bodies through criminalization, exploitation, human experimentation, and alienation. Lastly, we address how black social movements have used “captivity” as a trope within discourses of resistance and restorative justice.
