Activism at Michigan State University: Collective Acts of Resistance Through Protest and Community Art

• In Event: 35.040 - It's On You, MSU: Critically Addressing Sexual Violence at Michigan State University and Beyond

Abstract

This qualitative study critically analyzes acts of individual and collective protest and resistance at a time of social and political crisis on MSU’s campus: the recent Larry Nassar abuse scandal and the subsequent administrative handling of the case and its aftermath. We focus on efforts made in the College of Education (CoE), including town hall meetings, public marches, a letter from faculty demanding the resignations of board members, and a community art project.

We draw on three theories and concepts to frame this work. First, feminist theory allows us to examine systemic power dynamics that foster a culture of gender-based violence on college campuses. It also provides a lens for analyzing intersectional movements that resist these systems of oppression (Crenshaw, 1989; Davis, 2008). Next, activist research, as a critical and contextual theory (Fine & Vanderslice, 1992), “allows us to merge cultural critique with political action to produce knowledge that is empirically grounded, theoretically valuable, and ethically viable” (Speed, 2006, p. 66). Finally, theories of arts-based research undergird how participants utilize community art spaces for protest through creative expression (Barone & Eisner, 1997; Finley, 2008).

We employed content analysis of multiple documents: public communications; meeting minutes; media reports; and semi-structured interviews with participants. We also include over three hundred teal cards that read “I March For...” and “I Stand For...”, which some participants filled out during a protest march and at a subsequent living art exhibit that documented the march. These cards were then installed as part of the exhibit. We engaged in open coding within and across data sources. We generated categories individually and collectively, and used these to generate overarching themes discussed as results below.

Results indicate that participants advocated for several different outcomes, including but not limited to support and justice for survivors; calls for accountability from administration, including firings; and support for girls and women. We find these themes across the various protest actions and writings we analyzed. Further, we find evidence of a sense of unity and healing among participants as they worked together toward advocacy for survivors. Overall, we demonstrate the power of collective voice and the efficacy of providing spaces for a higher education community to come together and use their voices to promote meaningful change. Finally, and most importantly, we use this work and our roles as scholar activists to support and advocate for survivors of violence at MSU and beyond.

In a time when a great deal of scholarly attention is given to administrative responses to crises, it is essential that educators and scholars also investigate the actions and experiences of members of the affected community. Collective demonstrations and artistic expression can serve as powerful means for voice and protest on college campuses. These efforts can help pull a community together at times of crisis, when many feel powerless to create meaningful change. Educational scholars and professionals are uniquely positioned to be leaders in such movements for justice and change.

Authors

• Christine Elizabeth Thelen, Michigan State University

• Alyssa Hadley Dunn, Michigan State University

• Terah Talei Venzant Chambers, Michigan State University

• Jennifer Brown, Michigan State University

• Laura Knapp, RTI International