What to look for: How is Ethnic Studies described and defined? When did Ethnic Studies as an academic discipline become accepted in colleges and universities? Does Ethnic Studies help or hurt students in terms of testing in other classes?
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Watch the clip below. It is from the Bay Area (SFSU) student strikes in the late 1960’s. Students demanded that Ethnic Studies be offered as an academic discipline with it’s own faculty, major, and minor. This would be similar to other humanities academic subjects such as History, Sociology, etc.
What to look for: The chants students and others are saying. The show and use of force. It that much necessary for a student strike? What is the purpose of having a militarized presence at a protest regarding education? What does then governor Ronald Reagan have to say about these protests?
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View the clip below. In 2010, the state of law-makers passed a law banning a high school Mexican-American Studies in Tucson, Arizona. As will be argued in this course, historically, the act of educating oneself is an act of protest in itself.
What to look for: How did the students say their classes benefitted them? What did lawmakers say was the problem with these classes. How did students protest and react to their classes being banned?
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Watch this CNN debate between Tom Horn and Georgetown Professor Michael Eric Dyson. Does Horn make the better argument that Ethnic Studies should be banned, or does Professor Dyson make a better argument that it is beneficial for all students?
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https://buchalter.webex.com/recordingservice/sites… Please listen and view the following lecture. It is about an hour long. I was recently asked to give a public lecture (via Zoom due to COVID) to a law firm based on the West Coast. The topic was a historical analysis in making sense to the unrest we were seeing around the country after the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and other by the state and white supremacists. I try to discuss how we got to where we are socially, and how the unrest we have seen is more than just one, two, or even three people, and how the following protests and unrest were criminalized by the state, media, and other American citizens.
What to look for: The deaths of the three individuals mentioned above. How their deaths are similar to the death of Emmitt Till, which sparked the Civil Rights movement. What kinds of protests there are, public assembly, boycotts, etc. the intersection of one or more of those protests. And lastly, how all of them have been criminalized historically.
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In 3 paragraphs, discuss how this weeks lesson and lecture expanded your understanding on ethnic studies (as an academic discipline), protests and criminalization, and resistance to these ideas. If it did not expand to your understanding or you did not find it useful, please write why. Remember, this is a classroom space where your thoughts on the lessons will not negatively impact your grade. Meaning, if you thought everything delivered to you was useless, toxic, etc., let me know why.
You can use your own personal experience on questioning authority, seeing injustice, or wanting societal change. Think of this exercise as a free write, where you are jotting your thoughts down after absorbing the material. Also, respond to two classmates posts. Please be respectful and type using proper grammar and spelling. Please mention the different videos, readings, and lecture you listened to earlier to earn full credit.