Please join us on Friday, February 1st, at 3 p.m. in the Oregon Civic Justice Center for our second Faculty Colloquium of this semester.
Presenter: Emily Drew, Associate Professor of Sociology
Title: Making Black Lives Matter on a Historically White Campus
Abstract: In this paper, Prof. Drew analyzes antiracist pedagogical practices through her experiences with teaching “BlackLivesMatter.” She argues that studying and engaging in a movement taking place in real-time, facilitates—perhaps necessitates—legitimizing activists’ knowledge, generating conflict in the classroom, and breaking through the veil of postraciality in the classroom and beyond. Drawing upon student-generated intervention projects in which the goal was to make Black life matter on campus, she concludes that projects about Black death are well-received as long as they do not inconvenience anyone. However, interventions directly challenging whiteness on campus produce more significant resistance and backlash.
Note: There will also be a special TGIF reception following the lecture that will be open to faculty from all three schools. This is the second TGIF event this semester with Colloquium speakers from across the University. These opportunities for cross-University gathering and conversation are sponsored by the Office of the Provost and Senior Vice President.
Bill Kelm and Daniel Rouslin