Many people in the U.S. and around the world have seen the election of President Barack Obama as a sign that racism in America is a thing of the past. America, it is said, is now a “post-racial” society, and has moved beyond a racially divided time. Yet that past was not very long ago. Obama’s election came within the lifetimes of people whose parents were born into slavery in America. An African American was elected President less than fifty years after the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
Even after these two landmark pieces of legislation became law, in the 1960s many communities of color struggled to find justice and equality in the United States. This HECUA program explores that era’s struggles as well as current movements for equality, and dares to ask questions about racial justice in America today. During the one-month program, students meet with civil rights activists who were active in the 1960s and those who are active now, and with lawyers, politicians, educators, and youth to learn about how America’s present is inextricably linked to its past. Field experiences open up connections among issues related to education, incarceration, distribution of wealth, health care, housing, employment, and the environment. Students also delve into racial identity development theory, the philosophy of nonviolence, and how social movements function. By the end of the month, students have a profound understanding of the Civil Rights Movement—its motivations, strategies, successes and failures—and they have also developed ways to make meaningful contributions to their own communities today.
Central Questions
- Does race and racism continue to play a role in American society?
- In what ways has America moved forward since the Civil Rights Movement?
- How can students take an active role in furthering the cause for racial justice in America?
Logistics
The program is based in Jackson, Mississippi, where students stay at Jackson State University, one of America’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU). Mississippi typified the “Deep South” during the era of Jim Crow, and in many ways continues to be racially and politically divided. In and near Jackson and during trips to Alabama, Tennessee, and the Gulf Coast (including New Orleans), students also explore current issues related to health, education, culture, and community organizing.
The program fee covers course credits, round-trip airfare from Minneapolis to Jackson, ground travel to other field sites, all lodging, most meals, course reading packets, and admission to museums and sites. HECUA will work with students who require plane tickets from major cities other than Minneapolis-St. Paul. The fee also includes multi-day trips to Alabama, Tennessee, and the Gulf Coast. At these sites, the group will lodge in hotels or on other campuses. While at Jackson State students will be housed in dorm suites with Wi-Fi, kitchenettes, and private rooms.
