John

Tiedemann Office hours: TR, 2:00–4:00, in

T 4:00–5:50 Anderson Academic Commons. Email
334 Sturm me to make an appointment.
John.Tiedemann@du.edu Office: Academic Commons 380U
Course blog: sjus.blogspot.com

• sjus 2010: selma: its histories and legacies...

 THE CLASS
2018 marks the fiftieth anniversary of the Poor People’s Campaign, one of the high-water marks of
the mid-century Civil Rights Movement as well as the long history of the struggle for social justice. In
this course, we will explore the marches, the Movement, and the histories that led to it; we will also
consider how the Movement of the 50s and 60s bears upon the struggle for social justice today. In so
doing, we will learn about how systemic racism — one of the three pillars of social injustice,
according to MLK — has operated, and continues to operate, in the US; about how to combat it;
and about how social justice activists have struggled to create a freer, more equal world.
Along the way, we will also encounter a great many inspired and inspiring activists from the period,
whose stories will challenge us to examine ourselves and our beliefs, to change and to grow, and to
discover how we, today, can commit ourselves to the cause of social justice.
Of course, because this course is part of a Living and Learning Community, class doesn’t finish when
the bell rings: it carries over to the hall, across campus, and with us into town. So all the work that we
undertake in class will contribute to our shared purpose as members of the Social Justice LLC: to build
a collaborative community of inquiry and activism, one that engages critically and creatively in the
struggle for social justice across campus and beyond.

ASSIGNMENTS
In addition to taking part in discussions and activities in and out of the classroom, students will (1) post
weekly to a learning journal; (2) write a final paper; and (3) make a poster presentation on their final
paper. All written work will be turned in via Google Drive. Instructions are on the “Sharing” tab on our
course blog: http://sjus.blogspot.com/.

OFFICE HOURS
I’m available to meet between 2 and 3:30 on Tuesdays, between 2 and 4 on Thursdays, and at other,
scattered times throughout the week. Make an appointment by emailing me at
John.Tiedemann@du.edu. Students who would like an extra 5 participation points should send me an
email right now that says “Life-transforming ideas have always come to me through books.”
`

GOALS AND EXPECTATIONS

• Goals
SJUS 2010 is the first of three courses taken by the students in the Social Justice LLC. The course has
two goals. First, by critically examining ideas, figures, and texts from the social justice tradition,
students will acquire a deeper understanding of the broad philosophical and historical context in
which their own efforts on behalf of social justice take shape. Second, in order to grow as social
justice scholars and activists and to work effectively with the broader community, we must learn how
to organize ourselves as a community, one that embodies the social justice values we hold in
common. This first course in the SJUS sequence, then, lays the foundations for the work that students
will do in the second and third courses, as well as the work they will do in the community.

• Academic Expectations
The experience of taking part in the Social Justice LLC differs from more traditional classroom
experiences. Students have a good deal of autonomy in shaping their learning experiences; they
therefore have a high degree of responsibility for their individual work and for the learning experience
of the group. What is more, the SJLLC learning experience includes not only in-class work and
homework, but also other learning opportunities that the LLC sponsors, such as service opportunities,
guest speakers, retreats, and symposia. Finally, the work that students do in the classroom is directly
relevant to the work they do in the community outside it, and vice versa. In short, the SJLLC learning
experience isn’t a series of discrete tasks that you can tick off on a checklist. Rather, it consists in
collaborating with one another and with the wider community to create and sustain an ongoing,
open-ended process of active intellectual and social engagement.
That said, some of the expectations for this course can be stated in conventional academic terms: In
addition to class time, students can expect to devote four or more hours a week to reading, writing,
group work, and community work. SJUS classes are designed to be every bit as intellectually rigorous
and rewarding as any other class on campus, and students are expected to take that work as
seriously as they do their work in, e.g., Honors Writing, advanced calculus, or organic chemistry.


• Civility, Tolerance, and Inclusive Excellence

The Social Justice LLC is committed to fostering a diverse learning community that is inclusive and
respectful. We encourage and appreciate expressions of different ideas, opinions, and beliefs, so
that conversations and interactions that could be potentially divisive instead turn into opportunities
for intellectual and personal growth. By respecting what others say and their right to say it, and by
listening to each other carefully, openly, and empathetically, we can create together a thoughtful
and enlightening dialogue.
Because our course relies heavily on interactions between all members of the LLC, we must act in a
manner that not only respects but actively supports different positions, perspectives, experiences,
heritages, and gender, racial, ethnic, class, sexual, and other identities. And because our LLC is
committed to social justice, we are particularly interested in hearing voices and learning about ideas
that emerge from marginalized groups.
The ideas we’ll discuss are often controversial, and some of the historical events and experiences
we’ll discuss can be disturbing, even painful — especially for classmates who have experienced
similar kinds of injustice themselves. As members of a Living and Learning Community, we must never
trivialize or dismiss those experiences; we must remain thoughtful, supportive, and caring.
All of this means that we strive to include one another fully in all of our interactions. We aim to use
inclusive language that allows everyone to participate. We listen carefully to one another, never
interrupt, and always to respond thoughtfully and respectfully. In sum, we are not here to prove
ourselves “right” and other classmates “wrong;” We are all here to help all of us to learn and to grow.
• Computers, etc.
To insure that we’re all fully present to the conversation and to one another, students will disconnect
from the internet, unless otherwise instructed. So put away your laptop, phone, tablet, etc., during
class, and come ready with a good old-fashioned notebook and pen.
Because some of what we talk about in class is of a personal or otherwise sensitive nature, there is to
be NO audio recording, video recording, or photographs taken in class.
 GRADES
• Learning journal
Most weeks, you’ll post an entry in a learning journal. Journal entries are to be shared by the start of
class on the day they are due. You’ll receive 33 points for posting a complete and manifestly
thoughtful response to the prompt. (By “manifestly thoughtful” I mean clear, coherent, and on topic.)
You will receive 16 or fewer points if the entry is incomplete, superficial, and/or appears to be hastily
composed. You will receive no points should you fail to share the entry when it is due. (You can
submit up to two extra journal entries for additional credit, upon request. Ask John for a prompt.)
• Final Essay and poster presentation
As the term progresses, you’ll compose an essay of roughly 1,500 words in response to a prompt
called “MeZeMeWe.” The prompt asks you to connect a story of your lived experience with social
justice (“me”) to the life story a figure from the history of social justice (“ze”), and then to draw some
lessons from that figure’s life that you can use to guide your own path forward (“me”), as well as
some lessons from which we can all benefit (“we”). Your essay will be due at the end of finals week.
Before that, on the last day of class, you’ll make a poster presentation about it.
• Class Participation (inside the classroom)
You’ll receive up to 20 points for the day when you make meaningful contributions to the day’s
discussion. (By a “meaningful contribution” I mean a contribution that’s thoughtful and fully
elaborated, thus moving the conversation forward and contributing to our collective understanding
of the topic under discussion.) You will receive no more than 10 points if you attend class without
contributing. Students will receive no points when they do not attend class, distract classmates by
conducting side conversations, etc., fail to observe the “no internet” policy, or otherwise disengage
from or disrupt class. Students will have 5 points deducted from the day’s participation if they are
late.
• Accommodations for Students with Disabilities
Students who have disabilities (i.e., physical, medical, mental, emotional and learning) and who
want to request accommodations should contact the Disability Services Program (DSP); 303.871.2372;
1999 E. Evans Ave.; 4th floor of Ruffatto Hall. Information is also available online at www.du.edu/dsp;
See Handbook for Students with Disabilities.
 GRADES (cont’d)
• Class Participation (outside of class)
Much of the work that we do takes place outside of class, e.g., during our retreat, on service days, in
one-on-one conferences, at family dinners, etc. Your full participation in these events is worth 40
points per event. Events sponsored by the LLC are listed on our blog, under the “Activities” tab. If you
learn of a lecture, workshop, or other event on a topic connected to social justice that you’d like to
attend, please talk with John in advance to see if you can use this event for participation points. If
you are doing volunteer work or activist work that you believe could apply, talk with John about that,
too. You can attend up to two extra activities for extra credit.
• Attendance Policy
As the participation policy indicates, there are no “excused” absences from class. If, for whatever
reason, you miss class, you will not receive credit for that day’s class discussion. Likewise, there are no
“make-ups” for events that take place outside of class.
• Grade Calculation
Learning Journal: 200 points
Final essay: 200 points
Poster presentation: 200 points
Participation in class 200 points
Participation outside of class 200 points
TOTAL 1000 points
I’ll assign your grade for the quarter based on a 1,000-point scale. Here’s the scale I’ll use to calculate
your final grade for the course:
A 930-1000+ B+ 870-899 C+ 770-799 D+ 670-699 F 0–599
A- 900-929 B 830-869 C 730-769 D 630-669
B- 800-829 C- 700-729 D- 600-629
•
CALENDAR

All viewings will be made available via our blog. The prompt for each week’s learning journal entry will be posted on the
blog the week before it’s due.

T Sept. 11 Introduction: The Beloved Community

T Sept. 18 The Montgomery Bus Boycott
• For class, please watch Eyes on the Prize, “Awakenings (1954–1956).”
T Sept. 25 Sit-ins and Freedom Rides
• For class, please watch Eyes on the Prize, “Ain’t Scared of Your Jails (1960–
1961).”
T Oct. 2 Selma
• For class, please watch Ava DuVernay and Paul Webb, Selma.
T Oct. 9 • Woodstock West: The Game
T Oct. 16 The critique of nonviolent resistance, I: Malcolm X / Stokely Carmichael
• For class, please watch Eyes on the Prize, “The Time Has Come (1964–
1975).”
T Oct. 23 The critique of nonviolent resistance, II: Black Panthers / Attica
• For class, please watch Eyes on the Prize, “A Nation of Law? (1968–1971).”
T Oct. 30 The Poor People’s Campaign
For class, please watch Eyes on the Prize, “The Promised Land (1967-1968).”
T Nov. 6 Final essay workshop.
T Nov. 13 Final essay poster session

THE FINAL DRAFT OF YOUR MEZEMEWE ESSAY IS DUE TO ME VIA GOOGLE DRIVE BY 6:00 P.M. ON
FRIDAY, NOV, 23.