Nobody Until Somebody Kills You: The Ingredients of Black Death for Social Justice and DIE

• In Event: Extrapolating Success for Historically Marginalized Groups in Space Beyond K–12

Abstract

This paper examines critically the normative reliance on Black death for the implementation of social justice and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) or “DIE” efforts. Using Mills’ racial contract and Bell’s interest-convergence theory, this article examines the interdependence of Black death and social justice initiatives in social studies, DEI departments, and popular culture. The paper identifies three overarching themes by analyzing multiple sources ranging from academic research to popular media: curricular atonement through Black death, DEI departments’ dependence on Black death, and popular culture’s representation of Black death. The study concludes with a call for reimagining Black liberation efforts, highlighting the need to celebrate Black life and questioning a system that demands Black death as a prerequisite for progress.

Authors

• Daniel J. Thomas, Texas A&M University

• Marcus Wayne Johnson, Texas A&M University

• Langston Clark, University of Texas at San Antonio