6 Questions for Educators and Institutional Leaders to Consider Regarding Racial Profiling, Social Justice, and The Role of Higher Education

February 18, 2016

Here is a short list of questions that were posed to myself and others on a panel about racial profiling, social justice, and the role of higher education.

Read them, reflect, and produce your own answers.

“1. What are your personal reactions to the deaths of Michael Brown, Eric Gardner, Tamir Rice, and others? Specifically, how has it impacted your role as a student, faculty, and/or staff member?

2. Should colleges and universities discuss issues like what took place in Ferguson with Mike Brown or New York with Eric Garner? Why or why not, and how?

A. Was Ferguson ever discussed in any of your classrooms?

B. Have you noticed more programming related to race relations and social justice on campus as a result of all of the social media attention on cases like Ferguson, Eric Garner, Sandra Bland, and others?

C. Why do you think it was or was not addressed?

3. Did you discuss the events that took place in Ferguson, or other events related to racial profiling and police brutality with your peers?

4. What would encourage or prevent you from discussing future issues of racial injustice in class and on campus?

5. How can the academy continue to foster student development in areas surrounding racial injustice?

6. How does systemic racism play a role in how conversations about race can take place in higher education?”

For more on my thoughts on some of these questions, visit Notes from an Aspiring Humanitarian and read, “Yes, Anger Influences My Work for Racial Justice, and No, We Won’t Calm Down“.

Ubuntu,

From Aspiring Humanitarian, Relando Thompkins-Jones, MSW, LLMSW

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Relando Thompkins-Jones

I'm a macro social worker, social justice educator, and consultant who uses media and education to advance equity and social justice within people, organizations, and communities. I am also the Founder, Host, Editor and Producer of Social Justice Origin Stories, a storytelling project that highlights the personal stories and defining moments that have inspired individuals and organizations to labor for equity and social justice. I started Social Justice Origin Stories because I believe in the power of storytelling and making our experiences accessible to others, because I believe in the liberatory effects of social justice education, to support justice-seekers in finding community and feeling less alone given the relentlessness of oppressive systems, and hopefully to be a resource of support and reflection for those who are thinking through how they could best contribute to the work. We need all who can, to do what they can.