In this seminar, we will explore the views of several African American thinkers on fundamental political questions such as: what is freedom? How can freedom be achieved and preserved? What virtues are necessary to achieve and preserve a free society? What forms of resistance are necessary to achieve and preserve freedom? Over the course of our time together, we will read excerpts from several key figures in the African American tradition, including Frederick Douglass, Zora Neale Hurston, James Baldwin, the Black Panthers, and Audre Lorde.  

• Historic Site: African American Museum & Library at Oakland and Black Panther Party Museum

Gather with a small group of teachers from around the country for three days immersed in discussion and exploration of a single topic in American history. Weekend Seminars are a free opportunity for teachers hosted near an important historical site. Teachers will prepare ahead of time for seminars by reading selected historical documents in the provided course packet. Once the seminar begins, the discussion leader guides a peer-to-peer, text-based conversation among all participants. Meals, materials, single-occupancy rooms, and historical site visits are 100% covered by Teaching American History. At the end of each course, every teacher receives a letter of participation for fifteen contact hours of continuing education and a stipend of $600 to help defray travel costs.