#BlackAndFree: Exploring Liberation and Freedom during Juneteenth
I have attended many celebrations of Juneteenth over the years, but this year is a bit different in that the United States has decreed June 19th is an official holiday and day of remembrance. Although myself, and many others, often discuss the performative nature of racial solidarity on behalf of institutions and corporations within this current moment of time, I was still excited to see all of the events that this year would bring. Even amidst the many critiques of this proclamation and in light of the pushback against teaching Critical Race Theory (CRT) in schools, there are still many spaces where conversations around abolition continue to spark change and the University of Michigan’s National Center for Institutional Diversity (NCID) is one of them.
As a former NCID Fellow and someone who has been writing about the topic of abolition and academia for the past few months, I was pleased to receive an email advertising an event titled “Black & Free: Exploring Liberation and Freedom in the 21st Century” and as always I followed the event closely, taking my own notes and engaging in the conversation from the comfort of my computer. What follows is a short synopsis of the event, as well as some questions and thoughts that the conversation prompted for me. If you are interested in joining the conversation, feel free to follow this topic online with the hashtag #BlackAndFree, and follow the NCID on Twitter @UMichNCID.
What does Abolition mean in the 21st Century?
To begin, I received my Zoom link and the webinar started with an introduction to the following panelists: Drs. Caree Ann Banton (University of Arkansas), Philip Butler (Iliff School of Theology), Jennifer Gómez (Wayne State University), LaTricia Mitchell (University of Michigan and Black Campus Ministries), Dominique Thomas (The Community Psychologist) and the panel itself was moderated by Dr. Meredith Olivia Hope (NCID). Dr. Hope opened the discussion with the following James Baldwin quote and question: “If people are trapped in history, then history is trapped in them”. What is the role of history in understanding the struggle for Black freedom and liberation?
As the panelists worked through the question of the role of history in Black freedom struggles, Dr. Caree Ann Banton references Baldwin’s work by stating that History is a way to connect “The Fire Next Time” to “the fire this time”. Banton notes that history does the work of animating the struggles for freedom and the activism that have gotten us to the concerns of this current moment. Following up on this discussion, Dr. Phillip Butler then chose to “trouble the term freedom” by asking: What does it mean to reach freedom and understanding when achieving freedom does not indicate the end of freedom struggles?
Giving the example of the Haitian struggle for liberation, even after the country received freedom and independence from colonial powers, the country and its people have continued to suffer within new problems (as did formerly enslaved Black Americans following the Civil War). This example points out the importance of not only accepting freedom as an end goal or telos in struggles for Black liberation but understanding that with each new level of liberation that we reach, there is more to do and include.
Dr. Dominique Thomas also asks the question: “What does freedom mean for us in the United States when we live in a colonized and imperial power that makes other places not free?” Speaking to the abolitionist work of prison reform, Thomas also asks: What does it mean for Black people to experience freedom in our society while so many Black people continue to be imprisoned. Is there freedom for any of us if there is not freedom for all?
How do we engage freedom and liberation in education?
Moving into the topics of education, Dr. Jennifer M. Gomez chose to discuss Kimberle Crenshaw and intersectionality as it relates to teaching students about struggles for liberation and Dr. LaTricia Mitchell also pointed out the recent concerns around the restrictions on teaching critical race theory in schools, and how that will impact students and our society moving forward. In my own teaching and work, the question of abolition is tied closely to not only a history of the struggle for Black liberation but an understanding of who we include and who is not included in those conversations as well as the ways that we teach.
This question of inclusion came up again within the event, with Dr. Hope asking the panelists: What voices are missing? What voices are being overlooked in the Black community? And how can we amplify them?
Dr. Dominique Thomas notes that many times we overlook the voices of students, especially when it comes to who gets to participate in discussions and panels on Black freedom struggles. Despite the fact that students “put their bodies on the line” through protests and activist work, scholars must understand that within institutions of higher education, there are power dynamics which make students vulnerable to multiple intersecting systems of oppression. From my own work in student activism and organizing, I also think that scholars should include students in discussions and teaching about the history of Black freedom and liberation movements. By tracing freedom struggles not only through discussions of the nation, but through institutions of higher education we can better encourage students to get involved in activism both on and off campus.
The panelists also return to this topic when Dr. Hope asks a question about teaching and community engagement. Specifically, the question was: In the book Pedagogy of the Oppressed, Paulo Freire writes that “no pedagogy which is truly liberating can remain distant from the oppressed by treating them as unfortunates and by presenting for their emulation models from among the oppressors. The oppressed must be their own example in the struggle for their redemption.” Dr. Hope then opened the floor for additional thoughts and responses to the quote.
Opening the discussion with the example of indigenous boarding schools, and other systems that were created to educate people of color through oppressive practices, Dr. Dominique Thomas states that “You can’t educate someone if you don’t respect them” and “there is nothing liberatory about making someone fit a mold of someone who oppresses them”, Caree Ann Banton also notes the colonizing power of education by referencing her own work on Liberia and the way that colonists would go to countries in order to educate (or civilize) the native populations. Quoting Jean Paul Sartre says that “Freedom is what you do with what has been done to you”, Dr. Banton states that we need to think about what certain movements mean and how they define freedom and liberation.
Especially through looking at Pan-African Studies, Black Studies, or African and African American Studies departments, Banton points out that as institutions create departments and programs, it is easy to be co-opted by the goals of the university, which is why African and African American studies department must always stay grounded in the community in order to truly do liberatory work. Dr. Phillip Butler expands Banton’s concerns about discussing the meaning and definition of liberatory movements and programs, by asking: What does it mean to create a new subject? Whether it be Pan-Africanism or some other movement, Butler notes that we should constantly critique “setting up a new standard” for liberation and Black freedom. We must question the purpose of these standards and the definitions that we use.
Specifically analyzing Black masculinity and how we have traditionally defined it in a way that is more restrictive than liberatory, Dr. Butler discusses how we should embrace “self-definition” and a practice of deconstructing and interrogating these standards. Dr. Latricia Mitchell then continues the conversation on education by noting how a lot of activist work is propelled forward by one’s calling and internal motivation. She encourages scholars to bring hope into our pedagogy by staying aware of how our own pain and trauma is projected out unto those we teach and lead. This aspect of the discussion led me to thinking about bell hooks’ book “Teaching to Transgress” and her response to Paulo Freire’s work, as well as my own writing about these theorists and the relationship between abolition and academia.
In addition to amplifying the voices of students, the scholars also gave responses about the other voices and communities that they are amplifying within their own work towards Black freedom and liberation. Specifically, Dr. Phillip Butler notes the importance of citational practices and amplifying the voices of Black queer women, Black gay men, and Black trans people. Dr. Jennifer M. Gomez gave the example of Taranna Burke and the #MeToo Movement, as well as many others, as an example of the importance of making space for those who are doing activist work within and outside of the academy. And Dr. Caree Ann Banton pointed out the importance for academics and those who are in the ivory tower to amplify the work of those who might not be viewed as “respectable” within the academy.
What topics must we discuss to move towards Black freedom and liberation?
In encouraging scholars to not replicate respectability politics in the movements that we support and amplify, Dr. Boynton notes the importance of amplifying the cultural work of Black female rappers like Meg the Stallion and the activist work of sex workers, low income Black women, or other people that may be commonly viewed as “the least of these”. This portion of the discussion fits well into the movement to #CiteBlackWomen as well as the importance of not only studying but truly including the voices of what scholars such as C.Riley Snorton call “intersectionally marginalized communities”. As Audre Lorde states “'There is no thing as a single-issue struggle because we do not live single-issue lives.' and it is important to examine all of the ways that activist and scholarly work for Black freedom and liberation must become more inclusive.
The rest of the conversations continue to discuss the role of religion, spirituality, mental health, and allyship within and outside of Black communities with the following questions from Meredith Olivia Hope. These questions were instructive to me, and I think that many scholars and community members can utilize them to spark their own discussions and self reflection:
Religion and Spirituality - From the first time that Africans stepped foot on this land, religion and spirituality have played significant and long-standing roles in their communities, shaping culture, politics, and civic engagement, as well as providing spiritual sustenance and social support for adherents and non-adherents alike. In your view, What is the role of religion and spirituality in Black liberation?
Mental Health and Trauma - What role does mental health play in the fight for freedom and liberation? What cultural strengths can Black Americans draw from as they pursue psychological and behavioral health and wellbeing?
Allyship - In the journey, in the battle, in the thriving, and in the struggle -- some might consider that our discussion of Black freedom and liberation necessitates commentary on the role of allyship. But others, like Civil Rights movement organizer and freedom rider, Kwame Ture, formerly known as Stokely Carmichael, disagree. In "What We Want," Stokley Carmichael said, "Black people must do things for themselves [...] This does not mean we don't welcome help, or friends. But we want the right to decide whether anyone is, in fact, our friend [...] We will not be told whom we should choose as allies" (447). With this in mind, how does allyship play a role in black liberation? The follow-up question was: What criteria might be used to determine who is an ally?
Overall, I was thankful for this event, the panelists, and the work of the National Center for Institutional Diversity (NCID). I hope that even as the month of June comes to an end, we can continue to have conversations about the future of Black freedom and liberation in the 21st century both within and outside of institutions of higher education.
