Research the famous U.S. brigade of the Spanish Civil War, the Abraham Lincoln Brigade. Which U.S. artists and writers fought or raised money for the Spanish Loyalists during this conflict?

Examine the rise of fascism in the 1930s in Europe. How do historians account for the popularity or power of Mussolini, or Hitler and/or Franco? Or, research what platforms and positions characterize fascism. Hitler's party, for example, was called the National Socialists. Why was it named this? What was "national" about it? What "socialist"?

Explore theories about the "folk" that were circulating amongst artists and intellectuals of the Harlem Renaissance (1919-1935). Alain Locke's 1925 essay "The New Negro," a manifesto for this social and artistic movement, is a good place to begin. A seminal precursor text of the movement, also dealing with issues relating to "folk," is W. E. B...