Monthly Subscription Starting at AED 99 + VAT
- Level Foundation
- Duration 14 hours
- Course by The Museum of Modern Art
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Offered by
About
Architecture structures our daily lives. It shapes our homes, streets, neighborhoods, cities and more. But who gets to create and occupy these spaces? In the United States, a long history of anti-Black racism has created spatial inequalities that are built into the physical environment and erased the stories of Black architects and communities. Reimagining Blackness and Architecture explores the relationship between architecture and Blackness as an identity and a lived experience. You’ll hear directly from Black artists, architects, scholars, and writers who reimagine their surroundings and highlight the ways Black makers have changed the world. You’ll see how architects are working to transform American cities into more equitable places using everything from textiles, hip hop, and fiction to spices and spaceships. And you’ll hear from an international range of artists, who create spaces for their communities and make visible the stories of Black life in their work. The course is structured around five themes: Imagination, Care, Knowledge, Refusal, and Liberation. Each week, through original films, audio interviews, and readings, you’ll expand your understanding of architecture as a practice that reaches across time, place, and form. Creative activities and prompts for reflection will encourage you to consider your own role in shaping your communities. Course image credit: Dawoud Bey. A Couple at a Main Street Bus Stop, Rochester, NY. 1989. Gelatin silver print, 11 7/16 × 22 1/16" (29.1 × 56 cm). The Museum of Modern Art, New York. Acquired through the generosity of Ruth Nordenbrook. © 2021 Dawoud BeyModules
Introduction
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2
Videos
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4
Readings
2
Videos
- Trailer for Reimagining Blackness and Architecture
- Charles Davis on the expansive field of architecture
4
Readings
- Welcome to the course!
- Guide to Module 1
- Getting started: How does this course work?
- Interview with Sean Anderson and Mabel Wilson
Revisiting the past, redefining architecture
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3
Videos
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3
Readings
3
Videos
- Adrienne Brown on the Reconstruction era
- Kara Walker on 40 Acres of Mules, 2015
- Deana Lawson on Nation, 2017
3
Readings
- An artist confronts history
- The Black Reconstruction Collective
- What is architecture?
Read and review
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6
Readings
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1
Assignment
1
Assignment
- Module 1 Quiz
6
Readings
- Key terms
- Optional readings and resources
- Recordings of virtual sessions (optional)
- Ground rules for engagement
- Optional prompts for discussion, reflection, and creative response
- Optional pre-course survey
How can imagining bring us together?
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3
Videos
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4
Readings
3
Videos
- Walter J. Hood on Black Towers / Black Power
- Germane Barnes on A Spectrum of Blackness
- Pope.L on The Black Factory Archive, 2003–ongoing
4
Readings
- Introduction to this week
- Walter Hood, Black Towers / Black Power
- Germane Barnes, A Spectrum of Blackness
- What is Blackness?
How can representation empower people?
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2
Videos
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2
Readings
2
Videos
- Michelle Joan Wilkinson on representation and Black space
- Garrett Bradley and Donna Crump on America, 2019
2
Readings
- New ways of seeing
- Advice for emerging architects and creatives
Read and review
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2
Readings
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1
Assignment
1
Assignment
- Module 2 Quiz
2
Readings
- Optional readings and resources
- Optional prompts for discussion, reflection, and creative response
How do you build a community of care?
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2
Videos
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3
Readings
2
Videos
- J. Yolande Daniels on Black City: The Los Angeles Edition
- Sekou Cooke on We Outchea: Hip Hop Fabrications and Public Space
3
Readings
- Introduction to this week
- J. Yolande Daniels, Black City: The Los Angeles Edition
- Sekou Cooke, We Outchea: Hip Hop Fabrications and Public Space
What does care look like?
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4
Videos
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2
Readings
4
Videos
- Audrey Petty on High Rise Stories
- Zora J Murff on the series At No Point in Between, 2018–19
- Betye Saar on "Keep for Old Memiors", 1976
- Maren Hassinger on Leaning, 1980
2
Readings
- The tender lenses of two photographers
- Artists repurposing objects and salvaging materials
Read and review
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3
Readings
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1
Assignment
1
Assignment
- Module 3 Quiz
3
Readings
- Optional readings and resources
- Optional prompts for discussion, reflection, and creative response
- Optional mid-course survey
How do you build better worlds?
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2
Videos
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4
Readings
2
Videos
- Amanda Williams on We’re Not Down There, We’re Over Here
- Olalekan Jeyifous on The Frozen Neighborhoods
4
Readings
- Introduction to this week
- Amanda Williams, We’re Not Down There, We’re Over Here
- Olalekan Jeyifous, The Frozen Neighborhoods
- Portfolio: Bodys Isek Kingelez
How do you build tomorrow?
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3
Videos
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3
Readings
3
Videos
- Jacob Lawrence, The Migration Series, 1940–41
- Willie Cole on Domestic ID III and IV, 1991–92
- Lorna Simpson on Wigs, 1994
3
Readings
- Portraits of yesterday
- The magic of stories
- Artifacts for the future
Read and review
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2
Readings
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1
Assignment
1
Assignment
- Module 4 Quiz
2
Readings
- Optional readings and resources
- Optional prompts for discussion, reflection, and creative response
How do you reclaim the story of a place and community?
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3
Videos
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4
Readings
3
Videos
- Emanuel Admassu on Immeasurability
- V. Mitch McEwen on R:R
- Robert McNeill, The Bronx Slave Market series, 1937
4
Readings
- Introduction to this week
- Emanuel Admassu, Immeasurability
- V. Mitch McEwen, R:R
- Artists making their own stories
How do you preserve stories that have been erased?
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4
Videos
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2
Readings
4
Videos
- V. Mitch McEwen on Philip Johnson, Architecture, and White Supremacy
- Faith Ringgold on American People Series #20: Die, 1967
- Robin Coste Lewis reads a poem on Barbara Chase-Riboud, The Albino, 1972
- Melvin Edwards on Lynch Fragment Series, 1986–89
2
Readings
- Artists making their own path
- Artists refusing expectations
Read and review
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2
Readings
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1
Assignment
1
Assignment
- Module 5 Quiz
2
Readings
- Optional readings and resources
- Optional prompts for discussion, reflection, and creative response
How do you build a dream?
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2
Videos
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3
Readings
2
Videos
- Felecia Davis on Fabricating Networks: Transmissions and Receptions from Pittsburgh’s Hill District
- Mario Gooden on The Refusal of Space
3
Readings
- Introduction to this week
- Felecia Davis, Fabricating Networks: Transmissions and Receptions from Pittsburgh's Hill District
- Mario Gooden, The Refusal of Space
What does liberation look like?
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3
Videos
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3
Readings
3
Videos
- Justin Garrett Moore on Architectures of Difference
- Hervé Télémaque on No title (The Ugly American)
- Ibrahim El-Salahi, Prison Notebook, 1976
3
Readings
- Searching for freedom
- The power of printmaking
- Sheldon Gooch on Wangechi Mutu’s “Eve”
Read and review
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3
Readings
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1
Assignment
1
Assignment
- Module 6 Quiz
3
Readings
- Optional readings and resources
- Optional prompts for discussion, reflection, and creative response
- Optional course completion survey
Auto Summary
"Reimagining Blackness and Architecture" delves into the intersection of architecture and Black identity, exploring how anti-Black racism has shaped spatial inequalities in the U.S. Led by Black artists, architects, scholars, and writers, the course covers themes like Imagination, Care, Knowledge, Refusal, and Liberation. Over 840 minutes, participants engage with original films, interviews, and readings, fostering a deeper understanding of architecture's transformative power. Offered by Coursera with Starter and Professional subscription options, this foundational course is ideal for those interested in arts and humanities.
Arlette Hernandez
Sean Anderson