Slavery and its legacy, systemic racism, have been subjects for American writers, for more than two centuries. Revealing a yawning gap between American ideals and practices, they continue to tell us something vital about our country. This course examines representations of slavery and racism in major texts such as Uncle Tom’s Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe, Absalom, Absalom! by William Faulkner, Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison, Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead, Citizen by Claudia Rankine, and I Can’t Think About the Trees Without the Blood by Tiana Clark. Prerequisite: One course with attribute G1 including AP or IB credit.