Title
Teaching #BlackLivesMatter in the Introductory Gender Studies Classroom: A Primer
Abstract
This essay introduces a range of short media and films that have proven effective in my gender studies classroom. I chose these pieces with the introductory class in mind, populated with students who may have an interest in gender studies but who harbor a range of knowledge related to the material being presented to them. Since students may not readily understand concepts like intersectionality (the ways in which differing identities link together to form more marginalized or more privileged positions within society), I use media to illustrate such ideas in interesting, nuanced ways, and in this essay I suggest different media and readings specifically to show how the #BlackLivesMatter movement is intricately linked to feminism today. Educators can utilize these works together or separately depending on their classroom needs: the readings can be paired with the films or be used only by the educator in order to think of some broader contexts in which to best situate the films and media. It is my hope that these films, which vary from a straightforward documentary to a music video, will provide a variety of entry points to generate engaged dialogue and understanding across a variety of classrooms.
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
Fall 2016
Publisher Statement
Copyright © 2016 Department of Multicultural Women's and Gender Studies at Texas Woman's University. This article first appeared in Films for the Feminist Classroom 7:1 (2016).
Please note that downloads of the article are for private/personal use only.
Recommended Citation
Ooten, Melissa. "Teaching #BlackLivesMatter in the Introductory Gender Studies Classroom: A Primer." Films for the Feminist Classroom 7, no. 1 (Fall 2016).