Literature of Social Justice Syllabus

Over the past few years, I have taught various sections of the the junior/senior level Lillian E. Smith Studies Course. We have done courses on Christian Nationalism, the prison industrial complex, and more. This past year, we were able to expand the Lillian E. Smith Studies course by having it cross listed with a new sophmore level course entitled “Literature of Social Justice.” This move provides the opportunity for more students to enocunter Lillian Smith’s work because she resides at the center of the course. She is the fulcrum around which the course operates.

This upcoming semester will be the first time I teach the “Literature of Social Justice” course, and there are so many trajectories that the course could take. However, as I thought about the first iteration of the course, I thought about Appalachia. I am not a native Appalachian. I have only been here about five years, but the more I learn about the region and its history, the more I want students learn about the activism and social justice movements in the region. As such, the first syllabus for the course focuses on social justice in Appalachia, with a slight detour into how writing and art bring about social change. Below, you will find the course description and reading list for the class.

Course Description and Objectives: