Merriam-Webster declared “culture” as the Word of the Year in 2014 and many years later the world is still trying to grasp what exactly “culture” is, let alone what “counterculture” is. For most Americans, the 1969 Woodstock Festival is the go-to image for countercultural moments that shaped American history, yet Black countercultural arts movements have arguably had the largest and longest-lasting impact on American history and culture. This seminar will explore the evolution of Black American counter and subcultures through various case studies.