28 Search results for "academic freedom"

Voting isn’t just “harm reduction” for marginalized people who have to face the consequences
By Brittany Lee Frederick At a rally in Anaheim, California in September of this year Barack Obama was quoted saying, “If you vote, things will get better, it will be a start.” This echoes the mainstream Democrats insistence upon voting for a Blue Wave to create social change next week. While this article isn’t one […]
Revisiting ‘Rated R’ and Rihanna’s narrative of a Black woman’s experience with trauma
by Ayika Tshimanga Before Robyn Rihanna Fenty released her commercially successful project that is popularly regarded as her best work to date, ANTI (2016), she produced an underrated gem that would lay the groundwork for ANTI to exist, Rated R. At the time of Rated R’s release, Rihanna was widely regarded–and arguably may still be […]
My mother, my Black feminist role model, is more than her motherhood
by Kathleen Anaza I feel a sense of healing and reconciliation when I consider Halimat’s life outside of being my mother. My own navigations of womanhood help me contextualize her as a nuanced and fascinating individual I can relate to. Positioning her as a peer, makes it difficult to be the hypercritical daughter I’ve at […]
UCPD’s shooting of student in mental health crisis highlights the academy’s role in police brutality
By Cosette Hampton Last Tuesday night, an officer of the University of Chicago Police Department (UCPD) shot 4th year student Charles Thomas, who was having a mental health crisis. For those familiar with the University’s conflicting statements on safe spaces, trigger warnings and free speech, it should come as no surprise that even students are […]
How “Christianity is the white man’s religion” feeds the damaging disconnect between the Diaspora and Africa
By Dilara K. Üsküp “Christianity is the white man’s religion. The Holy Bible in the white man’s hands and his interpretations of it have been the greatest single ideological weapon for enslaving millions of non-white human beings.” — Malcolm X (Autobiography of Malcolm X by Malcolm X & Alex Haley) While the idea that Christianity […]
‘Tell Them We Are Rising’ documentary centering nation’s HBCUs to air in February 2018
Freedom work involving Black people in America, particularly when married to education as a liberation tool, necessitates studying historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs). With this understanding, filmmaker Stanley Nelson created a first-of-its-kind documentary, Tell Them We Are Rising. The documentary is touted on the official website as an exploration of “the pivotal role” historically […]
Notre Dame graduates walk out during Mike Pence commencement
It may be time for Vice President Mike Pence to stop showing up where he isn’t wanted. If being called out by the cast of Hamilton was bad enough, he recently joined the ranks of politicians being booed and ignored while delivering commencements for college graduates. While Pence was delivering the commencement at the University of […]
Yes, Black liberals commodify Black Lives Matter too and it’s a major problem
By Blake Simons The present day Movement for Black Lives, which I argue was revived by the people of Oakland after the murder of Oscar Grant, and came into fruition because of the rebellion that working class Black folks started in Ferguson after the murder of Mike Brown, has been co-opted by Black capitalistic neo-liberals.
Why Black Men Still Need to Watch ‘The Birth of A Nation’
By: Ahmad Greene-Hayes Last week, I saw the NYC pre-screening of “The Birth of A Nation.” I left feeling invigorated by the same Holy Spirit that called Nat Turner to lead a slave revolt in 1831. My excitement soon diminished, however, when I learned that Nate Parker, the film’s lead, is a rapist. I’m a […]
U Houston Asks Faculty To Change Methods Due To New Campus Carry Law
Texas administrators have instructed faculty members to steer clear from teaching controversial course material for “safety concerns” due to a new law which allows people to carry concealed handguns on college campuses.
Feature: How Trayvon Martin’s Death Launched a New Generation of Black Activism
The following post is from The Nation. It was written by Mychal Denzel Smith. By: Mychal Denzel Smith On July 13, 2013, George Zimmerman was found not guilty in the murder of Trayvon Martin, an unarmed African-American 17-year-old walking home from a 7-Eleven. What The Washington Post and other media outlets had dubbed “the trial of the […]
Cal State-LA students, faculty argue for Ethnic Studies requirement
Students and faculty at Cal State-LA argued for an Ethnic Studies course graduation requirement before its Academic Senate Tuesday. This effort comes a month after the Senate voted against making taking one course in the discipline a requirement.