An American Literature Classroom in the Twenty-First Century: Critical Race Theory, DEIJB, Feminist Theory, and Universal Design for Learning

Authors

• Julie Goodspeed-Chadwick
• Amelia Wagers
• Wendy Cartwright
• Hope Zimmerman

Abstract

By engaging in close reading and exploring the cultural purchase of literature in the undergraduate classroom, the authors consider the ethical implications in working with the novella Passing (1929) by Nella Larsen, the novel God Help the Child (2015) by Toni Morrison, and the poetry collection Urban Tumbleweed: Notes from a Tanka Diary (2013) by Harryette Mullen for twenty-first-century readers. The approach the authors take to relevant novels and poetry in American literature is informed by critical race theory (identity politics and intersectionality); the values of diversity, equity, inclusion, justice, and belonging (DEIJB); feminist theory; and Universal Design for Learning (UDL). A rubric for UDL projects is included, and examples and discussions of student UDL work—fine art and digital humanities—that exhibit critical understanding of DEIJB, feminism, identity politics, and intersectionality in connection with African American literary texts are illustrated and presented.

Recommended Citation

Julie Goodspeed-Chadwick, , Amelia Wagers, Wendy Cartwright, and Hope Zimmerman. 2026. "An American Literature Classroom in the Twenty-First Century: Critical Race Theory, DEIJB, Feminist Theory, and Universal Design for Learning." The Griot - Southern Conference on African American Studies, Inc. 43, (2):48-62. https://digitalcommons.pvamu.edu/griot/vol43/iss2/6