More Than a Hashtag New Black Lives Matter Course Explores Racial Injustice In response to the instances of racial injustice across the country, Kim Hansen, Ph.D., associate professor of criminal justice, developed a course titled Black Lives Matter. Although the course was a last minute add-on for spring 2016, it still attracted 13 students. The course came to be when Black Lives Matter activists disrupted a rally for then-presidential candidate Bernie Sanders. Hansen watched it unfold on television. “At the time, I found myself questioning why they were protesting when Sanders is an ally to their cause,” Hansen said.
Soon after, he learned that the Black Lives Matter activists utilize many of the same disruptive techniques made popular by Code Pink—an anti-war group comprised primarily of white women. While Code Pink activists were treated relatively sympathetically by the media, Black Lives Matter activists were presented as dangerous radicals. “I found myself confronting my own prejudice and facing the doublestandard,” Hansen explained. Sociology Department Chair Virginia McGovern, Ph.D., emphasized the importance of the class, explaining, “Racism exists and if this class could have a hand in helping our students understand the complex issues behind inequality in our society then it would be well worth it to offer it.” Hansen described the students enrolled as “unusually motivated” and says that he found their passion and intelligence remarkable as they sifted through difficult topics. During the course, students read and discussed a variety of texts that explored racial relations and black identity from historical, theoretical, and personal perspectives. To incorporate modern events, students also kept media logs of recent incidents, and gave final presentations about a victim of racial violence. While some students chose to focus on high-profile deaths like Trayvon Martin or Freddie Gray, other students spoke movingly about their own family experiences. Much of the class operated as an open forum, and the diversity of the class—which included white, African-American, and black immigrants from Africa and the Caribbean—steered the conversations. “It was interesting to see how much diversity there is even among black people,” Jazzmine Alston, C’18, explained. Another student, Shea Rowell, C’19, expressed surprise at the degree of racial inequality that still exists. “I learned about more inequality than I thought possible in the 21st century world,” Rowell said. “Being mindful empowers people to change it. This class taught me not to ignore the problem of racial inequality anymore.” Hansen reiterated the importance of understanding the historical backdrop to recent incidents. “Race is inseparable from United States’ story,” he explained. “To talk about U.S. history without talking about race is to distort history. It’s, frankly, to tell a lie.”
Thirteen undergraduates participated in the Black Lives Matter class in spring 2016.
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MOUNT MAGAZINE FALL 2016
