Beyond Gatsby and Bathtub Gin: Rethinking the “Roaring ‘20s”

The 1920s are known as the age of flappers, speakeasys, and the new carefree lifestyles of America’s upper classes, but other cultural changes, especially the creative contributions of African-Americans, are often overshadowed. This seminar offers a more nuanced and complicated picture of the era by examining the harsh economic conditions beneath the veneer of prosperity and exploring how African-Americans helped usher in wider American art forms while also developing an empowering aesthetic of their own.

TOPICS & SPEAKERS

The Not-So-Roaring ‘20s: Economic Realities in a Gilded Age
David Zonderman, Alumni Distinguished Undergraduate Professor and Department Head of History, North Carolina State University

The Development of Swing, Stride, and Big Bands in the 1920s
Stephen Anderson, Professor of Music

Literature of the Harlem Renaissance
Marc Dudley, Associate Professor of English, North Carolina State University

The Wide World of America Art in the Interwar Period
John Bowles, Associate Professor of African American Art

Culture, Race, and Creativity: What Really Happened in the 1920s?
A panel discussion with our speakers

TIME & COST

9:00am-5:00pm Saturday, October 27. The tuition is $125 ($115 until August 1st). Tuition for teachers is $62.50 ($57.50 until August 1st). Teachers can also receive a $75 stipend after attending (click here for more information) and 10 contact hours for 1 unit of renewal credit. The optional lunch on Saturday is $15.00.

Discounts are available for UNC students, faculty, & staff. See our UNC Student, Staff, & Faculty Discounted Registration Policy here.

Co-Sponsored by the General Alumni Association.

For information about GAA discounts and other scholarships available to Humanities Program participants, click here.

Register here or call us at 919.962.1544.