230654 The Long Black 1960s: Protest & Popular Culture (S) (WiSe 2026/2027)

The years between 1955 and 1975 constitute one of the most turbulent and consequential periods of the twentieth century. In the United States, a multifaceted revolt against racial segregation and white supremacy took shape. The Civil Rights and Black Power movements, leaders such as Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, and Angela Davis, the Black Panther Party, demonstrations and sit-ins, as well as urban rebellions, defined the struggles of this era. These developments were closely connected to global youth and protest movements and unfolded against the backdrop of decolonization, the Cold War, the Vietnam War, second wave feminism, and international student activism. A defining feature of this era was the exceptional importance of popular culture to social and political movements. Culture was not simply a reflection of political change: music, art, film, literature, fashion, and sports actively shaped the language, imagery, identities, and practices of protest. At the same time, social movements transformed popular culture, giving rise to new aesthetics and forms of Black cultural expression. This dynamic and reciprocal relationship lies at the heart of the seminar. Through examples such as soul and funk, the emergence of hip-hop, the Black Arts Movement, “Black is Beautiful,” Muhammad Ali, and Blaxploitation cinema, the seminar examines the intersections of politics, protest, and popular culture. It asks how cultural forms articulated and circulated political demands while exploring the tensions between social emancipation, cultural self-determination, commercialization, and media representation.

Requirements for participation, required level

The ability to read academic texts in English and a basic knowledge of U.S. history are required.