Black Bodies in White Spaces: Exploring Performance as an Agent of Resistance on White Campuses

• In Event: Hilton Roundtable Session 2
  In Roundtable Session: Black Bodies in Black, Brown, and White Academic Spaces

Abstract

Black students have consistently been successful at institutions that historically blocked their attendance. Despite attempts to prevent them from enrolling and oftentimes hinder their success upon arrival, Black students and those who advocate for them have created ways to celebrate their culture and affirm their very existence. Through an analysis of a performance arts center at a large Midwestern university, we argue that Black students have adapted the historically defined role of entertainer, shaped by the institution of slavery, and repurposed it as a tool to support their ability to thrive at the institution. Specifically, this work seeks to analyze how Black students utilize performing arts curricula as a platform for community building and resistance.

Authors

• Gloria Howell, Indiana University - Bloomington

• Angel Cassandra Nathan, Indiana University - Bloomington

• Quinton Stroud, Indiana University - Bloomington