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African American Expats in Copenhagen and Paris

Ethelene Whitmire SU2 course picture.jpg

Semester & Location:

Summer 2021 - DIS Copenhagen
Type & Credits:

Elective Course - 3 credits
Study Tour:

TBD
Major Disciplines:

History, Critical Race and Ethnic Studies, Anthropology
Faculty Members:

Ethelene Whitmire
Program Director:

Andreas Brøgger
Program Coordinator:

Sanne Rasmussen, sra@dis.dk 
Office Hours:

TBD
Time & Place:

TBD


Description of Course

This course examines the experiences of African American expatriates in Copenhagen and in Paris. While many are familiar with the stories of James Baldwin, Josephine Baker, Langston Hughes, and Richard Wright in Paris, few know about the experiences of African Americans in Copenhagen. Drawing on a rich archive that includes documentaries, novels, government records, memoirs, biographies, music, letters, interviews, paintings, and newspaper accounts, we follow in the footsteps of African Americans including Booker T. Washington and Billie Holiday among many others. The course examines unknown or forgotten, yet fascinating, educators, painters, social workers, writers, one baseball player (but a very important one), singers, diplomats, dancers, servicemen, and Black Panthers who lived, studied, performed in, and visited Copenhagen and Paris.

Course Objectives

  • Learn about Danish and French history and culture in the 20th and 21st centuries as it relates to African American history.
  • Experience 21st century Danish culture through Nordic cuisine and the hygge lifestyle that has become an international obsession. Compare and contrast with French culture in the 21st century.
  • Deepen your understanding about why Denmark regularly tops the World Happiness Index as one of the happiest countries in the world.

Learning Outcomes - Ethnic Studies Learning Outcomes

  1. Be Aware of History’s Impact on the Present Ethnic Studies courses highlight how certain histories have been valued and devalued, and how these differences have promulgated disparities in contemporary American society.
  2. Be Able to Recognize and Question Assumptions Ethnic Studies courses promote recognition and application of critical thinking skills, specifically with respect to teaching students to harbor a healthy skepticism towards knowledge primarily as these relate to race and ethnicity. As part of this process, the course should challenge students to question their own assumptions and preconceived notions on these topics.
  3. Be Conscious of "Self" and "Other" Awareness of self is inextricably linked with awareness of and empathy towards the perspectives of others. In constructing a space for this kind of discussion in their classrooms, Ethnic Studies courses give students an opportunity to think about identity issues, including their own identity, as well as the connections they might have to people “outside” their focused social circle.
  4. Be Able to Participate Effectively in a Multicultural Society Ethnic Studies courses should be relevant to students’ “lives outside the classroom”, and pursuing the objectives above should not only lead to student behavioral change, but to action in the real world. The course should ultimately engender in students the ability to participate in a multicultural society more effectively, respectfully, and meaningfully. This participation may be as mundane as simply being able to discuss issues related to race with a colleague or friend, or to recognize inequities in interpersonal, institutional, or other contexts.

Faculty

Ethelene Whitmire (Ph.D., University of Michigan, 2001), Professor in the Department of Afro-American Studies, University of Wisconsin – Madison, 2001-present. With DIS since 2018. 

Study Tour 

On this five-day study tour of Paris we will follow in the footsteps of African American expatriates in Paris including Josephine Baker, Langston Hughes, James Baldwin, Richard Wright and many others. We will understand the experiences of African Americans who lived, performed, and worked in Paris during the 20th century and go on a walking tour of Black Paris. We will also compare and contrast the experiences of African Americans with people of African descent in Paris and tour the Little Africa section of Paris. At the end of the study tour we will consider one of our assigned readings, “Is Paris Still a Haven for African Americans?” In preparation and during our study tour I would encourage students to read, listen, and watch the following items:

Books

Stovall, Tyler Edward. Paris Noir: African Americans in the City of Light. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2012.

Sharpley-Whiting, T. Denean. Bricktop's Paris: African American Women in Paris between the Two World Wars. Albany: State University of New York Press, 2015.

 Podcasts:

“This American Life”—#165 Americans in Paris episode & the “Dinner for One” podcast.

Movies/TV Shows:

Round Midnight, The Divines, The Eddy, Girlhood

Other activities could include a general tour of Paris (walking or bus tour that includes the Eiffel Tower), a visit to the Centre Pompidou and/or the Louvre, and possibly a jazz concert).

 

Field Studies in Copenhagen

The field studies will consist of tours of Copenhagen on foot and by bike, tours to museums, sampling local Danish cuisine and dining with the Danes, and possibly a walking tour of Nella Larsen’s Copenhagen based on her book Quicksand.

 

Assignments

75%     Essays[1]-- 3 Reflection essays about living in Copenhagen and traveling in Paris. Students will reflect on their observations informed by their identity described by Beverly Tatum as the Complexity of Identity—race, class, gender, age, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, religion, and ability (mental and physical).

25%     Class participation – This grade is combination of attendance and participation. A passing grade requires that a student contribute nearly every day and that their comments demonstrate a comprehension of the course materials. The highest marks will go to students whose comments demonstrate insight and engagement with the course materials and whose comments stimulate discussion from the class as a whole. You are required to attend every class and every fieldtrip unless there is a documented emergency.

#1 Pre-Departure Essay (Due Sunday June 13th by 11:59 pm) 15%

  1. Describe the goals (academic, professional, personal), which you hope to accomplish through the study abroad experience. How will this particular program and location help you meet these goals?
  2. What do you expect to be the most challenging aspects of studying in the country you have selected and how do you plan to address them?

#2 First Impressions (Due Friday June 18th before class) 30%

Considering the readings and multimedia

  1. Describe at least one thing that has surprised you about Danish life or culture since arriving in Copenhagen.
  2. Think about why it surprised you. Did it challenge or disprove some of your own cultural expectations or assumptions?
  3. Has anything you’ve seen or experienced in Denmark so far made you think differently about your life—or life in general—in the U.S.?

#3 Final Impressions and Reflections (Due Friday July 2nd by 11:59 pm) 30% 

  1. Reread your first two essays (your original essay and first impressions essay). How would you edit or expand them now? In addition to revising your initial thoughts, ask yourself, if someone were to take these essays as a full account of your time in Copenhagen and Paris, what would they be missing? What would you add to your entries to help someone understand Denmark and France and your experiences here? Include information about our readings and fieldtrips and experiences outside of the classroom while on your own.

 

Course Summary 

Monday June 14th

  • Introduction to the course
  • Field Study: walking tour of Copenhagen and dinner at Reffen and a general admissions ticket to Tivoli that includes rides.

Tuesday June 15th - Denmark in the 1910s and 1920s

  • A News Item in the Springfield Republican “Negro Dined with King” by Booker T. Washington
  • Field Studies - A visit to the Happiness Research Institute and/or The Happiness Museum and read The Little Book of Hygge: Danish Secrets to Happy Living

Wednesday June 16th  - Denmark in the 1930s

  • Roy De Coverley, “Beauty, Beer and Beechwoods” Challenge, Volume 1, Issue 3, pp. 38-43, May 1935
  • Coverley, Roy D. "Race Question Not in Existence in Denmark." The Chicago Defender (National edition) (1921-1967): 4. Dec 21 1935
  • Field Studies - The Museum of Copenhagen tour

Thursday June 17th - Denmark in the 1930s (continued)

  • Powell, Richard J. “William H. Johnson’s Minde Kerteminde,” Black American Literature Forum, Vol. 20, No. 4, Women Writers Issue (Winter, 1986), pp. 393-403.
  • Thomas, Roberta G., and Flaurience L. Sengstacke. "Find Architecture of Denmark very Interesting." The Chicago Defender (National edition) (1921-1967): 11. Feb 04 1933.
  • First Impressions Paper Workshop
  • Field Study: Tour of the Statens Museum for Kunst

Friday June 18th  - Denmark in the 1940s and WWII

Monday June 21st - Study Tour

Tuesday June 22nd -  Study Tour

  • Jesse Fauset’s “Yarrow Revisited” & “This Way to the Flea Market”
  • Field Study: Tour of Black Paris/ Montmartre

Wednesday June 23rd  - Study Tour

  • Black France/France Noire: The History and Politics of Blackness “Introduction” & Jake LaMar’s “French Impressionism”
  • “Encounter on the Seine: Black Meets Brown” in James Baldwin’s Notes of a Native Son
  • “A Racial Awakening in France, Where Race Is a Taboo Topic”

                                 https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/14/world/europe/france-racism-universalism.html

Thursday June 24th  -  Study Tour

  • Gwendolyn Bennett’s Letters and Diary Entries from Bennett, Gwendolyn. Heroine of the Harlem Renaissance and Beyond: Gwendolyn Bennett's Selected Writings. University Park, Pennsylvania: The Pennsylvania State University Press, 2018.
  • Field Study: Tour of Louvre or Centre Pompidou

Friday June 25th  - Study Tour

Monday June 28th -  After WWII & Denmark in the 1950s

  • Review of Study Tour experiences 
  • William Worthy, “In Cloud-Cuckoo Land,” The Crisis volume 59, issue 4, 226-230, January 1952, p. 226.
  • "Something Rotten in Denmark." The Pittsburgh Courier (1911-1950), City Edition ed.: 6. Aug 09 1947.
  • Special to Journal, and Guide. 1947. "American Race Prejudice Goes to Denmark." New Journal and Guide (1916-2003), Aug 09, 8.
  • Field Study: Tour of the Danish Architecture Center

Tuesday June 29th  - Denmark in the 1960s

  • Malone, Leonard W. "The Negro in Europe. Part 1." Pittsburgh Courier (1955-1966), City Edition ed.: 2. Feb 10 1962.
  • Malone, Leonard W. "The Negro in Europe. Part 2" Pittsburgh Courier (1955-1966), City Edition ed.: 1. Feb 17 1962.
  • Malone, Leonard W. “The Negro Reports from Denmark.” The Crisis August-September
    1961, 451-454.
  • Field Study: Dining with Danes

Wednesday June 30th - Jazz and Denmark in the 1960s, 1970s, 1980s

  • Watch Cool Cats documentary
  • "Musicians Find 'Utopia' in Denmark." 1962. Chicago Daily Defender (Daily Edition) (1960-1973), Nov 07, 16. 
  • Nelson, Don. 1979. "American Jazz Swings in Denmark: It's so Peaceful in the Country." The Sun (1837-1989), Dec 17, 1.
  • Nelson, Don. 1980. “Looking for good jazz? Try Copenhagen.” The Boston Globe, Feb. 24, B12.
  • Field Study: Tour of Design Museum

Thursday July 1st

  • Weisbord, Robert G. “Scandinavia: A Racial Utopia?” Journal of Black Studies Vol. 2, No. 4 (June 1972), pp. 471-488.
  • Final Impressions and Reflections Paper Workshop
  • Field Study: Trip to Kronborg Castle

Friday July 2nd 

Last day of class

Saturday July 3rd

Last day of housing

 

[1] Revised from Humanities 350: Life & Culture in Denmark – Dr. Carrie Lane, California State—Fullerton


Please make sure to read the Academic Regulations on the DIS website. There you will find regulations on:

 

 

DIS - Study Abroad in Scandinavia - www.DISabroad.org

 

Course Summary:

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