This past weekend I got a chance to see Hamilton on Broadway. I haven’t stopped listening to the original recording since. But one of the things I was struck by was the way that retelling history in diverse voices (and styles) played a critical role in reaching a new audience. I’m proud to say that there are some very talented folks here at Rutgers doing the same thing during Black History Month.
I’m super fired up for this opening event — which will feature, poetry, music, readings and stories that address racial justice in education.
In that spirit, I want to share a story that a student once shared with me that dramatically altered my own understanding of what was going on with students on my own campus. It was a few years ago, and student were running #BlackLivesMatter events, as were so many activists across the campus. I was on a panel with a few of the students running these events. One of them told the story of how, at their first #BlackLivesMatter event, campus police came and stood in the back of the event. It was the first time they had ever seen police at a student event, and given the general fears of police connected to the content matter, they felt threatened.
As simple as it sounds, the idea that students felt threatened on campus made a big impression on me. It made me consider whether I was passively supporting such causes, or whether I was willing to take on risk to myself to do so. Was I willing to stand up the same way these students had?
It’s a question that I come back to when we face issues around vulnerable students time and time again. Can I meet the same standard of courage that my students meet everyday?
I’m eternally grateful for those students’ voices and the ways they challenged me to be better. Just as I’m grateful for the folks who will be sharing next week and continuing that work. Come join us.
Share it!
