The course will explore the origins of racial categories in America. Drawing on primary sources such as memoirs, film, and government records as well as writings by scholars, we will examine how beliefs about these categories changed over time and with what consequences for the unfolding of American history. Arriving at the present day, we will consider such contradictory developments as the accelerating influence of Black Lives Matter and the headline-grabbing white nationalism on display at the “Unite the Right” rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, August, 2017. Restricted to first-year students. Not eligible for CR/NCR option.