Democracy Matters - Episode 87: Racism on Virginia Campuses: A Visual Study

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by Carah Ong Whaley

SUMMARY: Stephen C. Poulson, Professor of Sociology at James Madison University, discusses his new book Racism on Campus: A Visual History of Prominent Virginia Colleges and Howard University (New York: Routledge Press, 2021).

Trigger Warning: This episode and associated images contain information regarding violence and hate aimed against Black Americans.

In this episode, Stephen C. Poulson, Professor of Sociology at James Madison University, discusses his new book Racism on Campus: A Visual History of Prominent Virginia Colleges and Howard University (New York: Routledge Press, 2021). Racism on Campus provides a systemic exploration of yearbooks as means for capturing institutional norms and changes associated with race relations at universities. It also reveals the role that institutions of higher education play in ordering race relations and perpetuating racism not only on campus, but into wider society.

Some of the yearbook images discussed in the interview are in the image gallery below.

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Portrayal of Black Staff (1923) Caricature Associated with Introduction of Student Clubs (1899) John Johnson, UVA (1925) Corks and Curls, UVA (1902, 1923) Portraying people as less than human (1903) Mistrelsy (1917) KKK Depictions with Clubs and Organizations (1922, 1928) Hampden Sydney College Kappa Alpha Fraternity (1975) Howard University Law School (1955) Howard University protest (1968) Protest Against Massive Resistance Racism on Campus by Stephen Poulson

Discussion Questions:

What do yearbook images reveal about the role of institutions of higher education in ordering race relations and perpetuating racism not only on campus, but into wider society?

Why is it important for higher education to confront its racist histories? In what ways can we go about having these hard conversations about racism?

How can higher education institutions repair the harm that has been done?

What can we learn from Black civil rights activism at Howard and Virginia campuses about advocating for changes, especially as we continue to engage in these struggles now?

Links in this episode:

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Democracy Matters - Episode 87: Racism on Virginia Campuses: A Visual Study

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