Black Lives Matter, Queer Lives Are Precious: Supporting Resilience in the Classroom and on Campus in the Midst of Attack

• In Event: 41.084 - Roundtable Session 16
  In Roundtable Session: 41.084-17 - Multicultural/Multiethnic Education: Exploring Institutional Support for Student Empowerment and Resilience

Abstract

The #BlackLivesMatter and #SayHerName movements on Twitter may be used examples of what some derisively call “hashtag activism” (Dewey, 2014) but they also represent the claiming of virtual spaces for Black and Queer people. We argue that these virtual spaces are spaces of resilience, created by Black and Queer people to push back against the constant murders of Black and Queer bodies. Reading the headlines and watching horrific videos on on Facebook is enacting trauma upon the viewers. The consequences of the impact of that constant trauma on Black and Queer youth must be examined. We argue that college campuses, inclusive of classroom and campus supports, must be unique sites to support resilience in Black and Queer youth.

Authors

• Meredith Shockley-Smith, Northern Kentucky University

• Francoise Kazimierczuk, Northern Kentucky University

• Brandelyn L. Tosolt, Northern Kentucky University