In the third episode of SALDEF’s webinar series, with the historical foundation we have built in the last two weeks, we will finally be able to address the meaning and historical origins of the current wave of protests in our streets. Live viewers will have the opportunity to ask all their questions about the contemporary protests to a scholar specializing in the modern history of Black protest.
Dr. Ashley Howard explains how the protests that have dominated this summer are, in fact, the inevitable result of the shortcomings of the Civil Rights Movement (CRM). In addition to discussing the major accomplishments of the CRM, and its successful organizing tactics, Dr. Howard will offer a sweeping overview of the history and contemporary legacy of structural racism. We will learn how modern racism works perfectly well without individual people being racist, and what we can do to identify and fight against this institutional racism. Moreover, we will learn about the concept of structural violence and how it has impacted African American communities.
Dr. Howard broke down the meaning and effects of structural racism but offer several examples, linking them to the demands of the current protests. While discussing the “Stubbornness of Race” in our society, she will also offer historical examples of how explicitly racist laws harmed and limited the life chances of people of color, while maintaining white supremacy. Finally, she will distinguish between the organizing tactics and goals of the CRM and Black Lives Matter. Perhaps most importantly, Dr. Howard will conclude by offering viewers paths to getting involved and supporting those who are protesting. She will also offer several resources for further research and study about African American history, politics, and protest.
Watch NowFighting for Civil Rights / From Liberation Movements to the Movement for Black Lives with Dr. Ashley Howard
Ashley Howard received her Ph.D. in history from the University of Illinois. Her research interests include African Americans in the Midwest; the intersection between race, class, and gender; and the global history of racial violence. Her manuscript Prairie Fires: Class, Gender, and Regional Intersections in the 1960s Urban Rebellions analyzes the 1960s urban rebellions in the Midwest, grounded in the way race, class, gender, and region played critical and overlapping roles in defining resistance to racialized oppression.
To watch Episode I Colonial Uprisings and The Creation of “Race” / From the colonial period to the eve of Civil War with Dr. Nneka D. Dennie CLICK HERE
To watch Episode II Black Resistance and Continued Protest / From Civil War to Mandated Desegregation with Channon Miller PhD CLICK HERE
For more information on the series CLICK HERE