This interview with L'Heureux Lewis-McCoy, Associate Professor in the Sociology of Education program at NYU, comprises part of The 1701 Project, a venture led by The Yale Historical Review.
For Educating - On Race And Class Intersections In The Classroomhealth
The preferred coding of events and issues by the mass media, therefore, does not follow a centrally fabricated or specifically focussed procedure but one that functions within a hegemonic process of meaning creation (Karim, 2000.Islamic Peril. p. 6).
This context of meaning creation becomes naturalized and part of common sense perspectives and conventional wisdom.
When perspectives become so naturalized and universalized, anything else becomes unthinkable, unimaginable (Winter, 1998. Democracy’s Oxygen. p. 140; see also the work of Noam Chomsky and Herman, 1988. Manufacturing Consent).
Let's see what you think of my presenstation, it not too racist! if so who care. Hey! feel welcome to use in whatever prgm that it may come in handy.
My treat!!!!!!
Alec
Your fellow freedom fighter
Dicing with Class, Race and Gender: Toni Morrison’s The Bluest Eyeinventionjournals
ABSTRACT: The most disappointing aspect of human progress and our civilization is that some of us cannot accept others as our fellow human beings. Class, colour and culture always differentiate the human society. Instead of relishing the differences to our advantage, we struggle to suppress and destroy others. Caucasians despised Negroids and the Mongoloids are always in arms against Caucasians. We lost our sense of fraternity. The void between the rich and the poor, the gulf between blacks and whites and the drift between man and woman is keenly palpable. In the name of this class, race and gender some invisible hand is always playing the dice. Ever since human society emerged from its primitive state it has remained fundamentally divided between classes. Focusing on this aspect this paper attempts to critically analyze how classism marginalizes the poor, make them collect self-contempt by heaps and often degrade them to animal plane in Toni Morrison’s The Bluest Eye.
Colorblind' Admissions Proccess in Universities KristopherKeach
Racial discrimination in universities and colleges has been an on-going battle regarding the admission process. Giving minorities affirmative action has been implemented to hopefully make the problem better and dismantle a racist society. This did relieve the problem of stereotypes, discrimination, and prejudice, yet we still don't have the prescription to solve the issue of racism.
For Educating - On Race And Class Intersections In The Classroomhealth
The preferred coding of events and issues by the mass media, therefore, does not follow a centrally fabricated or specifically focussed procedure but one that functions within a hegemonic process of meaning creation (Karim, 2000.Islamic Peril. p. 6).
This context of meaning creation becomes naturalized and part of common sense perspectives and conventional wisdom.
When perspectives become so naturalized and universalized, anything else becomes unthinkable, unimaginable (Winter, 1998. Democracy’s Oxygen. p. 140; see also the work of Noam Chomsky and Herman, 1988. Manufacturing Consent).
Let's see what you think of my presenstation, it not too racist! if so who care. Hey! feel welcome to use in whatever prgm that it may come in handy.
My treat!!!!!!
Alec
Your fellow freedom fighter
Dicing with Class, Race and Gender: Toni Morrison’s The Bluest Eyeinventionjournals
ABSTRACT: The most disappointing aspect of human progress and our civilization is that some of us cannot accept others as our fellow human beings. Class, colour and culture always differentiate the human society. Instead of relishing the differences to our advantage, we struggle to suppress and destroy others. Caucasians despised Negroids and the Mongoloids are always in arms against Caucasians. We lost our sense of fraternity. The void between the rich and the poor, the gulf between blacks and whites and the drift between man and woman is keenly palpable. In the name of this class, race and gender some invisible hand is always playing the dice. Ever since human society emerged from its primitive state it has remained fundamentally divided between classes. Focusing on this aspect this paper attempts to critically analyze how classism marginalizes the poor, make them collect self-contempt by heaps and often degrade them to animal plane in Toni Morrison’s The Bluest Eye.
Colorblind' Admissions Proccess in Universities KristopherKeach
Racial discrimination in universities and colleges has been an on-going battle regarding the admission process. Giving minorities affirmative action has been implemented to hopefully make the problem better and dismantle a racist society. This did relieve the problem of stereotypes, discrimination, and prejudice, yet we still don't have the prescription to solve the issue of racism.
He has served as an elementary school teacher, elementary and middle school principal, superintendent of schools, director of student teaching and field experiences, professor, author, consultant, and journal editor. Dr. Kritsonis has considerable experience in chairing PhD dissertations and master thesis and has supervised practicums for teacher candidates, curriculum supervisors, central office personnel, principals, and superintendents. He also has experience in teaching in doctoral and masters programs in elementary and secondary education as well as educational leadership and supervision. He has earned the rank as professor at three universities in two states, including successful post-tenure reviews.
Societal Homophobia, EDCI 886, Fall 2010Joelyn K Foy
This is my second social problem paper for Perspectival Philosophy: Social Reconstruction, where education is seen as the method and pathway for social reconstruction as advocated by Harold Rugg, George Counts, and Theodore Brameld, among others.
Decolonising the Canon: Contextualising Black Studies in Britain by Lisa Amanda Palmer. A presentation at the BSA Teaching Group Regional Conference on 28 February 2015
Understanding the role of Social Media in Contemporary Society by Chris Hine - a presentation from the BSA Teaching Group Regional Conference at the University of Surrey on 31 May 2014.
Facing Race 2014: Transformative Approaches for Addressing Race, Healing and ...NationalEquityProject
Presentation by the National Equity Project (www.nationalequityproject.org) and Border Crossers (www.bordercrossers.org) at Facing Race 2014. #FacingRace14
He has served as an elementary school teacher, elementary and middle school principal, superintendent of schools, director of student teaching and field experiences, professor, author, consultant, and journal editor. Dr. Kritsonis has considerable experience in chairing PhD dissertations and master thesis and has supervised practicums for teacher candidates, curriculum supervisors, central office personnel, principals, and superintendents. He also has experience in teaching in doctoral and masters programs in elementary and secondary education as well as educational leadership and supervision. He has earned the rank as professor at three universities in two states, including successful post-tenure reviews.
Societal Homophobia, EDCI 886, Fall 2010Joelyn K Foy
This is my second social problem paper for Perspectival Philosophy: Social Reconstruction, where education is seen as the method and pathway for social reconstruction as advocated by Harold Rugg, George Counts, and Theodore Brameld, among others.
Decolonising the Canon: Contextualising Black Studies in Britain by Lisa Amanda Palmer. A presentation at the BSA Teaching Group Regional Conference on 28 February 2015
Understanding the role of Social Media in Contemporary Society by Chris Hine - a presentation from the BSA Teaching Group Regional Conference at the University of Surrey on 31 May 2014.
Facing Race 2014: Transformative Approaches for Addressing Race, Healing and ...NationalEquityProject
Presentation by the National Equity Project (www.nationalequityproject.org) and Border Crossers (www.bordercrossers.org) at Facing Race 2014. #FacingRace14
The Chinese Cultural Identities Cultural Studies Essay Free Essay Example. (PDF) Culture, Society and Festivals: Cultural Studies' Perspective of .... Cultural Studies Dissertation Help Service in UK - Upto 50% OFF. Cultural Studies Book Report/Review Example | Topics and Well Written .... Cultural Interpretation of Art Essay Example | Topics and Well Written .... cultural studies. Cultural Diversity Essay | Essay on Cultural Diversity for Students and .... Culture and society essay. Essay on Culture Understanding. essay about culture. cultural studies essay examples http://megagiper.com/2017/04/25 .... African Identity | Cultural Studies | Essays | Free 30-day Trial | Scribd. Cultural Analysis Essay: Topics, How-to, Cultural Analysis Example .... Outstanding Cultural Diversity Essay ~ Thatsnotus. From Cultural Studies to Cultural Analysis: a Controlled Reflection on .... Business paper: Cultural studies essay. Dreaded Essay About Culture ~ Thatsnotus.
50 Best Reflective Essay Examples (+Topic Samples) ᐅ TemplateLab. A complete guide to writing a reflective essay | Oxbridge Essays - Self .... Example Of Reflection Paper - 002 Essay Example Reflective Introduction .... Example Of Reflection Paper - 18 Best Images of Student Learning .... Sample reflective essay using gibbs - Reflection using Gibbs model ....
The Catcher In The Rye Essays. Persuasive essay: Essay catcher in the ryeCristina Araujo
Catcher in The Rye Essay English Advanced - Year 11 HSC Thinkswap. Catcher in the Rye and Into the Wild Essay Year 11 HSC - English .... The Catcher in The Rye Essay Topics PDF Essays Cognition. Catcher in the Rye Essay Development Essays Citation. Catcher in th
Surname 13Name David ObengInstructor KarenCourse Socio.docxmattinsonjanel
Surname: 13
Name: David Obeng
Instructor: Karen
Course: Sociology of Race & Racism
Date:
RACE AND RACISM
Introduction
Race and ethnicity are subjects of scholarly articulation with academicians, politicians and masses tending to wish to explore more on the topic. Racism can be defined by a common belief that all members of a group or each race possess distinctiveness and abilities particular to that race or group especially so as to differentiate it as either inferior or superior to another race or ethnic group (Back, 20). This essay gives a narrative analysis of my personal experiences as I grew up in Canada, outlines race and ethnic theories that support and argument my perspectives of sociological perception about race and racism and gives a conclusive overview of the matter.
Overview of Canada
To comprehend Canada, one needs to comprehend racism because Canada has developed as a racist nation in the past decades even though measures have been instituted to curb the vice. Race unrests, racially-based union enrollment, segregated schools, mass expulsions of guiltless individuals, the state endorsed children kidnapping, a cognizant endeavor at cultural genocide and substantially more have formed Canada's history (Rees, 257).
Bigotry keeps on being manifested in different ways in Canadian culture. It is not an inaccessible "awful" memory, something that past eras experienced and practiced. Numerous Canadians recognize some history of racial abuse and the necessity to deal with it. In any case endeavors are frequently restricted by the continual difference of Canadian prejudice with American bigotry in a manner that empowers moral prevalence, drawing on such antiquities as the Underground Railroad. The lack of the chronicled memory of the act of servitude by individuals from the family conservative in Upper and Lower Canada or the deliberately uneven salaries paid to Blacks doing similar function as white laborers, which incited mobs. The result is an upsetting refusal of contemporary racial abuse.
The Canadian record on prejudice still incorporates a legacy Aboriginal individuals need to live with day by day, confiscated of their territory by power and cunning, exploited by social genocide, denied to participate in certain monetary exercises until under thirty years back (Larocque, 73). A legacy that building determination of long-standing arrangement cases extended because it includes sharing of authority.
My experience
I was brought up in Toronto. I attended schools that were prevalently non-Native and got to be usual to being the only black Canadian in the room. I additionally grew up with a family who were profoundly established in our way of life, dialect, services, and perspectives. Being so profoundly inundated in both Native and non-Native groups I knew from a youthful age that these two realms did not in any way fit together. I recall some of my companions letting me know that their folks did not need me over at their home f ...
Similar to L'Heureux Lewis-McCoy on how suburban spaces, sexism, and COVID effect the Black community (7)
The Yale Historical Review Fall 2021 IssueYHRUploads
The Yale Historical Review's Fall 2021 Issue, featuring papers by Maire Dowdall, Sharmaine Koh, Sean Dillon, and Elizabeth Helfrich, and a bonus interview with Dr. Terence Renaud.
Near and Not Lost -- The International Memorialization of the Czech Holocaust...YHRUploads
Olivia Noble's prize-winning essay, "Near and not Lost-- The International Memorialization of the Czech Holocaust Torahs" appears in the Fall 2020 edition of The Yale Historical Review.
This is the agenda for the 2021 meeting of the Society of Undergraduate Humanities Publications. The Northwestern Undergraduate Research Journal hosted this conference from January 7-10.
When Rape was Legal: The Politics of African American Women’s Bodies During t...YHRUploads
Bridget Condie's essay When Rape was Legal: The Politics of African American Women’s Bodies During the Reconstruction Era comprises part of the YHR Senior Essay Edition.
"You Can't Unknow:" A Conversation with Ashley Farmer on Inequality and Intel...YHRUploads
"You Can't Unknow:" A Conversation with Ashley Farmer on Inequality and Intellectual Production comprises part of The 1701 Project, a venture led by The Yale Historical Review,
"We're Going to Bring the Library to You:" Barbara Rockenbach on Community Bu...YHRUploads
This interview with Barbara Rockenbach, Stephen F. Gates '68 University Librarian, comprises a conversation series with librarians on research during COVID-19 led by The Yale Historical Review.
Madness And The Monarchy: How Two States Dealt with Two Mad Kings YHRUploads
Lica Porcile's essay, Madness And The Monarchy How Two States Dealt with Two Mad Kings, comprises part of YHR Writes, a selection of excellent essays written by members of our Editorial Board.
Rally Point is a non-profit publication produced by undergraduate students at Yale University and cadets at the United States Military Academy. It accepts previously unpublished submissions from undergraduates at Yale University and the United States Military Academy.
Rally Point is a non-profit publication produced by undergraduate students at Yale University and cadets at the United States Military Academy. It accepts previously unpublished submissions from undergraduates at Yale University and the United States Military Academy.
"This 'Order' Must Be Annihilated: How Benjamin Austin's Call to Abolish Lawy...YHRUploads
Kelsea Jeon's "This 'Order' Must Be Annihilated: How Benjamin Austin's Call to Abolish Lawyers Shaped Early Understandings of Access to Justice, 1786-1819 comprises part of the Senior Essay Edition of The Yale Historical Review.
Fugitive Spaces: Matthew Guterl on radical practices of history and citizenshipYHRUploads
This interview with Matthew Guterl, Professor of Africana Studies and American Studies, Chair of American Studies at Brown University, comprises part of The 1701 Project.
Interrogating White Nostalgia: Reflections on Minor Feelings by Cathy Park HongYHRUploads
Jisoo Choi's Interrogating White Nostalgia: Reflections on Minor Feelings by Cathy Park Hong comprises part of The 1701 Project, a venture led by The Yale Historical Review.
Alexander Weheliye on desiring for a different worldYHRUploads
This interview with Alexander Weheliye, Professor of African American Studies at Northwestern, comprises part of The 1701 Project, a venture led by The Yale Historical Review.
How to Split Bills in the Odoo 17 POS ModuleCeline George
Bills have a main role in point of sale procedure. It will help to track sales, handling payments and giving receipts to customers. Bill splitting also has an important role in POS. For example, If some friends come together for dinner and if they want to divide the bill then it is possible by POS bill splitting. This slide will show how to split bills in odoo 17 POS.
Palestine last event orientationfvgnh .pptxRaedMohamed3
An EFL lesson about the current events in Palestine. It is intended to be for intermediate students who wish to increase their listening skills through a short lesson in power point.
The Art Pastor's Guide to Sabbath | Steve ThomasonSteve Thomason
What is the purpose of the Sabbath Law in the Torah. It is interesting to compare how the context of the law shifts from Exodus to Deuteronomy. Who gets to rest, and why?
Synthetic Fiber Construction in lab .pptxPavel ( NSTU)
Synthetic fiber production is a fascinating and complex field that blends chemistry, engineering, and environmental science. By understanding these aspects, students can gain a comprehensive view of synthetic fiber production, its impact on society and the environment, and the potential for future innovations. Synthetic fibers play a crucial role in modern society, impacting various aspects of daily life, industry, and the environment. ynthetic fibers are integral to modern life, offering a range of benefits from cost-effectiveness and versatility to innovative applications and performance characteristics. While they pose environmental challenges, ongoing research and development aim to create more sustainable and eco-friendly alternatives. Understanding the importance of synthetic fibers helps in appreciating their role in the economy, industry, and daily life, while also emphasizing the need for sustainable practices and innovation.
Model Attribute Check Company Auto PropertyCeline George
In Odoo, the multi-company feature allows you to manage multiple companies within a single Odoo database instance. Each company can have its own configurations while still sharing common resources such as products, customers, and suppliers.
The Roman Empire A Historical Colossus.pdfkaushalkr1407
The Roman Empire, a vast and enduring power, stands as one of history's most remarkable civilizations, leaving an indelible imprint on the world. It emerged from the Roman Republic, transitioning into an imperial powerhouse under the leadership of Augustus Caesar in 27 BCE. This transformation marked the beginning of an era defined by unprecedented territorial expansion, architectural marvels, and profound cultural influence.
The empire's roots lie in the city of Rome, founded, according to legend, by Romulus in 753 BCE. Over centuries, Rome evolved from a small settlement to a formidable republic, characterized by a complex political system with elected officials and checks on power. However, internal strife, class conflicts, and military ambitions paved the way for the end of the Republic. Julius Caesar’s dictatorship and subsequent assassination in 44 BCE created a power vacuum, leading to a civil war. Octavian, later Augustus, emerged victorious, heralding the Roman Empire’s birth.
Under Augustus, the empire experienced the Pax Romana, a 200-year period of relative peace and stability. Augustus reformed the military, established efficient administrative systems, and initiated grand construction projects. The empire's borders expanded, encompassing territories from Britain to Egypt and from Spain to the Euphrates. Roman legions, renowned for their discipline and engineering prowess, secured and maintained these vast territories, building roads, fortifications, and cities that facilitated control and integration.
The Roman Empire’s society was hierarchical, with a rigid class system. At the top were the patricians, wealthy elites who held significant political power. Below them were the plebeians, free citizens with limited political influence, and the vast numbers of slaves who formed the backbone of the economy. The family unit was central, governed by the paterfamilias, the male head who held absolute authority.
Culturally, the Romans were eclectic, absorbing and adapting elements from the civilizations they encountered, particularly the Greeks. Roman art, literature, and philosophy reflected this synthesis, creating a rich cultural tapestry. Latin, the Roman language, became the lingua franca of the Western world, influencing numerous modern languages.
Roman architecture and engineering achievements were monumental. They perfected the arch, vault, and dome, constructing enduring structures like the Colosseum, Pantheon, and aqueducts. These engineering marvels not only showcased Roman ingenuity but also served practical purposes, from public entertainment to water supply.
Home assignment II on Spectroscopy 2024 Answers.pdf
L'Heureux Lewis-McCoy on how suburban spaces, sexism, and COVID effect the Black community
1. INTERVIEW
L'HEUREUX
LEWIS-MCCOYHow suburban spaces,sexism,and COVID effect the Black community
Interview by Henry Jacob Transcribed by Nick JacobsonJULY 30, 2020
I am a sociologist at New York University. I am an African
American man who is proud to be a father, a community
member, and a teacher.
I want to dwell on the words community member and
teacher. Your scholarship centers around the sociolo-
gy of education. At the same time, you enrich your re-
search through activism. How do you blend your work
inside and outside of the classroom? I came to sociology
mistakenly thinking people who study inequality want to
do something about it. At graduate school, I met brilliant
people who had great, analytically rigorous methods. I as-
ked them, "What do we do with all this information we
find about inequality?" They replied, “well, that is what we
do, we study.” As somebody who is Black in America, I
can'taffordtojuststudyinequality:Ineedtodosomething
about it.
For years, I've been concerned with what it means to
be a minoritized person, to have less power, to be dis-
connected from privilege. That focus comes from my own
upbringing. I was one of three Black boys in my kinder-
garten classroom. The school asked all of the Black boys
to remain behind a grade. They justified this decision by
claiming that we were emotionally immature. Then my
mother, who's now passed, and my father stepped in and
advocated for me.
From that early moment, I knew that activism played a
role, that when injustice arose, you had to confront it. As
a scholar-activist, I research communities not only to un-
derstand problems, but also to offer solutions. I hope to
continue in a long tradition of social scientists—folks like
Ida B. Wells, W.E.B. Du Bois, Anna Julia Cooper—who ef-
fectuate change.
I want to tie these comments in with your first book,
Inequality in the Promised Land. In the introduction,
you write, “this book is not simply about what it means
to be black or white in suburban schools, rather, it is
about being how being white provides unearned and
pervasiveadvantagesthatinimplicitandexplicitgrades
oday we are fortunate to be joined by R. L'Heureux Lewis-McCoy,
Associate Professor of Sociology of Education at New York University.
Thank you so much for being here, Professor Lewis-McCoy. To start,
please describe yourself in two sentences, one personal, one professional?
T
1YALE HISTORICAL REVIEW
1701 Project
2. constrain the ability of black families to harvest the
fruitsofthesuburbanfrontier."Thesesentencescontain
the brilliant thrust of your work. This reflection also re-
sonates with your own experience when teachers tried
to hold you and your classmates back a year. But now
you confront the educational system that once tried to
restrain your development as a sociologist and as a pa-
rent. One of the most difficult things about studying su-
burban space as someone who is Black, as someone who
understands inequality, is that I meet families who have
made a leap across the town line. They tell me, "I'm mo-
ving here to give my children a better chance." It is hard to
listen to them and then have to say, "You're going to have
to fight for everything your child gets." Until we construct
something different, we’re going to be in a constant battle.
The suburban dream is part of a racial project. Suburbia
was built on the outskirts of cities. It took over farmland
through federal and private investment and practiced re-
dlining. This is a history of White authority and control.
That being said, I do not assume that if you're in a city,
you're Black, you're Brown, you're poor. In equal measure,
I don’t presume that if you're in a suburb, you're affluent
and White. Now more children of color are raised in the
suburbs than in central cities. The suburbs are the majo-
rity destination for immigrants who come to this country.
I want to trouble notions of how power exists and rethink
what suburban space is.
As part of your project to rethink suburban space and
the power dynamics you wrestle with Charles Tilly in
Inequality in the Promised Land. To use your phrase,
how do you “trouble” dominant academic notions in
your work? I had an opportunity to sit on a panel with
Gary Orfield, a renowned scholar, about 15 years ago. The
discussion centered around school desegregation and in-
tegration. I respect Gary greatly, but we disagreed on the
purpose of integration, what constitutes it, and for whom
it exists. I remember having a challenging exchange where
I told him, "I don't think there's anything magical about
Black and white people sitting together. Even though you
suggest that that's not your belief, it seems to be the en-
gine of change when you locate the value of good being
attached to White people."
We had a tough moment there, but I learned a couple of
lessonsfromit.Irealizedthatyoucanrespectfullydisagree
with a colleague and still come to a similar conclusion. I
definitely support many of the policy recommendations
that Orfield and his colleagues at the Civil Rights Project
have put out over the years. We can arrive at a similar place
via different channels, and I honor those different paths of
arrival. If not, those differences will lead to the breakdown
of any form of coalition.
Also, I regret that Inequality in the Promised Land is lar-
gely a story about race and class. It is also a story about
gender, but the gender lens in the book is woefully un-
derdeveloped. Conversations with and reading the works
of colleagues like Salamishah Tillet, Treva Lindsey, Carla
Shedd,BettinaLoveandotherfolkswhohavedonecritical
work around gender have reshaped my framing and shar-
pened my thinking. It opens up space for different sets of
questions such as what it means to be queer in suburban
space and how it relates to home ownership. I'm excited to
continue to learn and grow. I don't think the highest value
inintellectuallaborisalwayshavingalotofjournalarticles
or writing a book every year. It’s just as important to learn
to think and act differently.
Yes, in a 2016 blog post you demonstrated the value of
thinking differently by giving a lesson on masculinity
to fellow alumni from your alma mater. Some of the in-
tellectual and social work that I've done revolves around
gender justice. I went to Morehouse College, a historically
Black, all-male college. While I was there, I was socialized
towards a particular image of Black masculinity. This tra-
dition includes folks like Spike Lee, Martin Luther King,
Dr. Lewis-McCoy's research has appeared
in multiple edited volumes and academic
journals such as Urban Education, American
Educational Research Journal, and Ethnic &
Racial Studies.
Photo by Charles H.F. Davis III
“I want to trouble
notions of how power
exists and rethink what
suburban space is.”
ON THE NEXT PAGE
2 L’HEUREUX LEWIS-MCCOY
3.
4. Samuel L. Jackson, and a number of other phenomenal
Black men—but there are also limits to it. Oftentimes
when we construct a Black middle-class male identity, we
narrow the definition in a dangerous way.
I came of age in the 80s and the 90s. I grew up with the
narrative that as Black men we were an endangered spe-
cies. Sometimes that emphasis on needing to protect Black
men and boys keeps us from seeing the ways that Black
men and boys can perpetuate harm to other communi-
ties as well as to their own. While I was at Morehouse, I
didn't wrestle fully with how sexuality figured into my
constellation of commitments to the Black community. In
my junior and senior years, I started to think about who
wasn’t there and visible on campus, who wasn't part of the
curriculum, and what that meant for inclusion.
In response, I returned to the college to give talks on the
future of Black male scholarship. I gave one lecture on
Black male privilege that went viral at the time. Later, I was
invitedtoserveonacommitteeonMorehouseandmascu-
linity. To be committed to justice cannot mean that you're
committed to just us. You've got to see the intersections
of power, the places where you’re advantaged and disad-
vantaged, so that you can work on dismantling, as Patricia
Hill Collins has called them, the "interlocking systems of
oppression." Narrowness can work when trying to find a
policy solution, but it doesn't serve as a social solution to
the complex ills that we live under.
You used the phrase “endangered species” to describe
the political climate of your formative years. With CO-
VID-19anewformofvulnerabilityhasemerged.Please
discuss how social conditions enable this pandemic to
disproportionately affect communities of color. We’re in
a special moment. For better or worse, everyone has been
rendered vulnerable by coronavirus. Everyone doesn't
share the same level of vulnerability right now, but no one
is immune. As I looked at the communities that are of-
ten most vulnerable—lower income communities, Black
communities, communities that have experienced deep
histories of racism—I realized that even as we do our best,
we are living in the midst of a federal and sometimes state
and city governments who don't care about our lives.
I'llusemyownexperienceasanexample.Whenwetransi-
tioned inside as COVID-19 pandemic expanded and New
York City schools closed, I had the privilege of being able
to spend more time with my children. At the same time, I
was vulnerable. My grandfather, who was staying in a re-
tirement home, became sick with COVID. He went to the
hospital and he passed away. Days after that, my father fell
ill with coronavirus. For the next two months he fought
for his life. I had more resources than the majority of Black
Americans, and I felt powerless. My grandfather migrated
up from Selma, Alabama following the Civil Rights Move-
ment. He was a fighter. My father was the first Black po-
lice officer in West Haven. He is a fighter. People who have
been fighters in the struggle were rendered either dead, on
their deathbed, or near death. The politics of disposability
and premature death, as Ruth Wilson Gilmore speaks of,
were so clear to me as a Black man, even though I am in
the middle class. I called up doctors with little success. The
federal response was ineffective. New York responded far
better to coronavirus than other states, but it was also far
from perfect. Sitting in my apartment, thinking about my
grandfather and my father, and hearing only ambulances
outside created its own trauma.
As I said, vulnerability manifests itself unequally. People
clap for doctors and nurses, but they do not applaud as
delivery people come in to bring food. We do not value the
essential workers on the front line who are not privileged
by education.
There is a pandemic of coronavirus, and then there's a
twin pandemic, always, of police violence. I am thankful
that, in the wake of the killing of George Floyd, a natio-
nal conversation reemerged. Many of the folks that I love
and who do some of the greatest work finally got a chance
to have their voices amplified. While I feel vulnerable in
this moment, I find sources for hope. Hearing the names
Mariame Kaba, Ruth Wilson Gilmore, and Charlene Car-
ruthers, and Angelo Pinto mentioned regularly excites me.
Angela Davis is a name that has emerged, not simply as an
icon who had an afro in the Black Power Movement, but
4 L’HEUREUX LEWIS-MCCOY
“There is a pandemic
of coronavirus,and
then there's a twin
pandemic,always,of
police violence.”
5. in popular conversations about abolition and defunding
the police. We've been having these conversations in living
rooms, community centers, and small webinars for years
but now they are part of the national vocabulary.
I'm very sorry to hear about your loss. I want to pivot to
another way coronavirus has exacerbated existing ine-
qualities: pods. As a father, what do worry most about
as the school year approaches for your children? I'm not
against the notion of sharing resources. Black and Brown
and poor folks have shared resources for time immemo-
rial from a spirit of mutual aid and collective need. But in
this moment, people who have money will hoard instead
of distribute. Those who have the means will pull together
three to five other people from their networks—which are
often segregated along race, class, and language lines—
and hire a private tutor, a teacher, or students from elite
universities. These pods will become akin to speedboats.
This will allow certain families and children to take off ra-
pidly: these are not life rafts. If we're not careful in talking
to these families and addressing the structural inequality
that exists between educational systems, we will find our-
selves with a gap that is too large to close.
In the spring, families most vulnerable to COVID around
the poverty line already struggled with online learning.
People don't have universal access to the internet, com-
puters, or other instruments. Maybe you're accessing the
learning portal, but you're doing it through a cell phone
with shoddy wireless connection. You can't properly learn
that way. I'm scared that opportunity hoarding is so nor-
malized, so central to how people think, that they're going
to excuse it with the idea that they have to do well by their
children. Doing well by your child doesn't have to be at
odds with doing well for our children. I hope that people
will have conversations about how to create equity in our
everyday choices. We must reach school districts; school
buildings; local, state, and federal governments, PTAs, and
demand that we do more to better our most vulnerable.
You mentioned the pressing structural issues we need
to address, but you also offered reasons for tempered
optimism. What do you look forward to in the coming
year? I'm excited for sustained movement work. I'm ex-
cited about the conversations people are now being forced
to have around police accountability and terrorism that
have been called for since Reconstruction. If we can conti-
nue to get people to think and act, we'll get some traction.
During the protests around George Floyd our White si-
blings began to be brutalized. The police knew the wor-
ld was watching, and they still did the things that police
do every day. I am also hopeful that people will recognize
that while electoral politics are by no means a cure, they
are a tool that can be strategically engaged. I think some-
times people think voting is enough, and I hope in this
moment folks are realizing and recognizing that it is far
from enough, and even sometimes the people you vote for
don't fulfill your interest and needs. The ballot has never
been enough. It’s necessary, but not sufficient. Grassroots
activism is essential because it can change thinking, create
interventions, and collectively we can build something
worth living in and fighting for. We need to have activism
at multiple levels.
Activism at multiple levels emerges from education.
You noted earlier that you are happy that people are dis-
cussing authors such as Angela Davis as an intellectual
rather than as an image. I know as well that you inter-
viewed Colson Whitehead a few years back. What are
you reading now? Right now, I'm reading #HashtagActi-
vism by Sarah Jackson, Brooke Foucault Welles and Moya
Bailey; Beyond Survival, an edited volume about forms of
harmandhurt;andParentingforLiberationbyTrinaGree-
ne Brown. I'm also getting through Noura Erakat’s publi-
cations on Black and Palestinian solidarity as well as Marc
Lamont Hill’s We Still Here that looks at coronavirus’s im-
pact on the vulnerable. But there will always be more to
read and more work to be done.
5YALE HISTORICAL REVIEW