And the Band Played On: Student Activism and the Black Lives Matter Movement at a Rural Regional Public University

• In Event: Reimagining Rural Education in the Times of Black Lives Matter

Abstract

The emotional labor of organizing, leading, and participating in campus protests affects Black students’ involvement in social justice activism at rural higher education institutions. In this study, we examined the experiences and reflections of three Black students who engaged in a BLM-inspired protest at our rural, public, historically-white regional university in the South. We used a narrative design approach and critical race counter-storytelling methods to construct an account of a peaceful protest at a college football game, organized by Black members of the school’s marching band. The counter-stories we present demonstrate both the courage and costs of engaging in activism for Black students at this rural university. As Black professors of education at this university, we conclude our presentation with ways that university personnel and stakeholders in rural communities can stand in solidarity with students to heighten their voices and desires to render societal change.

Authors

• Loni Crumb, East Carolina University

• Crystal Renee Chambers, East Carolina University