Registration Deadline: 6/1/2021 10:59 PM

The goal of this course is to examine racial injustice in the United States within the framework of international human rights. The course focuses on the intersection between the global development of international human rights law and the domestic politics of human rights around issues of racial justice in the United States from the post-WWII period through the Cold War. After World War II, the newly-created United Nations quickly developed international human rights laws that inspired human rights movements across the globe. Civil rights organizations in the United States embraced these human rights laws and appealed to the United Nations to challenge ongoing, systemic human rights deprivations in the United States. Participants in the course will carefully examine primary documents, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, key UN treaties adopted after WWII, petitions to the United Nations by the NAACP and the Civil Rights Congress, and the report of President Truman’s Committee on Civil Right. The course should be of particular interest to social studies and history teachers.

This course will be held virtually. Students will primarily engage in self-guided, asynchronous learning. The course also will include several synchronous sessions to facilitate discussion of the course material and opportunities for collaboration in the design of lesson plans or other activities for fostering dialogue about racial justice and human rights in the K-12 educational system.

*Synchronous sessions:

-Monday, June 7 from 5:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. (CST) to go over the syllabus and course expectations.

-Synchronous sessions will be held at the end of each module on Tuesdays from 9 a.m. - 2 p.m. (CST).

-There will be a final synchronous session on Tuesday August 17 from 9 a.m. to noon. (CST).

*Alternative assignments will be developed for individuals who are unable to attend the synchronous sessions.

If it is necessary to withdraw from this course before the start date, a $50 non-refundable processing fee will be assessed. No refunds will be given after the start date.