Black Thought: Black Studies Theory In this course, we will explore some of the central themes and issues of Black Studies across the Black diaspora. We will ask: What is race and how has it functioned in the development of modernity, geopolitics, and selfhood? What constitutes blackness? How is it lived and expressed? What are the ideological and material legacies of slavery? What relationship does antiblackness have with capitalism, nation, and war? We will also investigate how (anti)blackness has shaped the lives and spaces of Black communities. We will read from texts such as W.E.B. Du Bois’ The Souls of Black Folk, Frantz Fanon’s Black Skin, White Masks, and Patricia Hill Collins’ Black Feminist Thought.

Black Feminist Thoughts In this course we will study the development and materialization of Black feminist theories and ideologies within historical, social, political, and cultural contexts through the discussion of literary texts, theoretical and historical essays, and visual arts. This course will map feminist theory and practice as a heterogeneous field of knowledge encompassing multiple streams of gender- and race-cognizant articulation and praxis as developed by Caribbean, African, Afro Latina, and Black British feminists across the Black Atlantic and African Diaspora. BLST101 or BLST201 or BLST301 or GSF200 or GSFS210.

The Caribbean Novel: Constructing a Diasporic Identity In this course, we will examine essays, novels, and artworks of Caribbean-heritage creatives to explore the vital role that artistic production has played in creating different worldviews. These novels and artwork explore issues such as decolonization; migration; racial, class, and gender identities; language; diaspora; and notions of “home” and belonging. Through these investigations, students will comprehend how the legacies of colonialism and the social constructions of race, class, sexuality, ethnicity, and gender are necessary points of analysis to understanding intersectional oppressions and narratives of resistance throughout the Caribbean and its diaspora.Writers may include Barbadian-American Paule Marshall, Dominican-American Julia Alvarez & Junot Díaz, Haitian-American Edwidge Danticat, and Jamaican-American Jonathan Escoffery. Visual and performance artists may include Myrlande Constant, Louisiane Saint Fleurant, Edouard Duval-Carrié, Scherezade García, Belkis Ramirez, Lucía Méndez Rivas, Tania Bruguera, Coc Fusco, Jose Bedia, and Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara.

Black Studies Methods In this seminar, we will explore the historical formation, philosophical debates, and methodological basis of Black Studies. Students will gain a deeper understanding of both the central issues and the range of methodological strategies that have helped shape the field since its inception in the late 1960s. Particular attention will also be paid to community-engaged/informed work and activist-scholarship, as well as debates on the role, form, and function of such praxis-based methodological and epistemological stances. Recommended for juniors and seniors. Emphasis will be given to preparing students for independent inquiry in the field. (BLST 0101 and BLST 0201) (BLST majors and BLST minors or with instructor approval) 3 hrs.sem.

The Caribbean Novel: Constructing a  Diasporic Identity In this course, we will examine essays, novels, and artworks of Caribbean-heritage creatives to explore the vital role that artistic production has played in creating different worldviews. These novels and artwork explore issues such as decolonization; migration; racial, class, and gender identities; language; diaspora; and notions of “home” and belonging. Through these investigations, students will comprehend how the legacies of colonialism and the social constructions of race, class, sexuality, ethnicity, and gender are necessary points of analysis to understanding intersectional oppressions and narratives of resistance throughout the Caribbean and its diaspora.Writers may include Barbadian-American Paule Marshall, Dominican-American Julia Alvarez & Junot Díaz, Haitian-American Edwidge Danticat, and Jamaican-American Jonathan Escoffery. Visual and performance artists may include Myrlande Constant, Louisiane Saint Fleurant, Edouard Duval-Carrié, Scherezade García, Belkis Ramirez, Lucía Méndez Rivas, Tania Bruguera, Coc Fusco, Jose Bedia, and Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara.

Aesthetics of Freedom: Arts of the Harlem Renaissance In this lecture-based course, students will be introduced to the Harlem Renaissance, which is sometimes referred to as the “New Negro Movement,” a period from 1920-1940. Students will be introduced to the major intellectual and social issues of this period in American history. Specifically, students will delve into the works of prominent Harlem Renaissance visual artists and multiple written genres including critical essays, poems, and novels, and artworks. While exploring these visual and literary artists and their work we will probe the impetus behind and meaning and legacy of a period in American history that saw a surge of African American artistic and cultural expressions.

Introduction to Black Studies This course considers the issues, epistemologies, and political investments central to Black Studies as a field. We will explore chronologically, thematically, and with an interdisciplinary lens the social forces and ideas that have shaped the individual and collective experiences of African-descended peoples throughout the African Diaspora. This course is a broad survey of the history of chattel slavery, colonial encounters, community life, and social institutions of black Americans. We will address issues of gender and class; the role of social movements in struggles for liberation; and various genres of black expressive cultures. Students will develop critical tools, frameworks, and vocabulary for further study in the field. Course materials may include Maulana Karenga’s Introduction to Black Studies, C.L.R. James’s The Black Jacobins, and Hurston’s Their Eyes Were Watching God.

Jerry Philogene

Reviews and ratings for Jerry Philogene at Middlebury College.Jerry Philogene teaches Black Thought, Black Feminist Thoughts, The Caribbean Novel and more.  Explore top rated instructors and find the best for you.Is Jerry Philogene good ? Find out on MiddCourses.

I really enjoyed this Black Studies course because it provided a broad look at Black history, culture, and experiences. The class encouraged thoughtful discussions and helped me understand different perspectives and important topics that are often overlooked. Prospective students should be prepared to participate, think critically, and engage with the material, but overall, it was a valuable and interesting course.


Professor Philogene is extremely enthusiastic and has a fun teaching style. Class is discussion-based, with no exams, and 3 essays due throughout the course. I would love to take another class with her!

Professor Philogene is a great professor and the books she picked out for the class were incredible. I really enjoyed going to every single class as the discussions were very interesting and super helpful when I would write a paper for this class.