This course will survey historical and contemporary debates about the sociology of Black communities. We will learn and discuss multiple forms of difference within communities (e.g., class, gender and sexuality). We will also study institutions within the community, and we will consider social issues that face Black people in the United States and throughout the African Diaspora. Class meetings will include a combination of lecture and discussion. They will also include reflections on the relevance of studying Black communities for social policy, the arts, law, medicine and more. Students will have an understanding of Black culture and consciousness by the end of the course.