By Cheryl Jacob

Black Lives Matters Syllabus

Fall 2016 

Created by Prof. Frank Leon Roberts, frankroberts@nyu.edu

As Roberts writes, "From the killings of teenager Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri; to the suspicious death of activist Sandra Bland in Waller Texas; to the choke-hold death of Eric Garner in New York, to the killing of 17 year old Trayvon Martin in Sanford, Florida and 7 year old Aiyana Stanley-Jones in Detroit, Michigan—-#blacklivesmatter has emerged in recent years as a movement committed to resisting, unveiling, and undoing histories of state sanctioned violence against black and brown bodies." The syllabus, whose full title is Black Lives Matter: Race, Resistance, and Populist Protest, has gone through two iterations.

The first one is dated Fall 2015 and the later iteration was for Fall 2016. The syllabus has required texts, required films and weekly topics that are supplemented by videos and "live, in-person dialogues with contemporary grassroots activists who are currently involved in the movement." In the politically-charged atmosphere of America today, this syllabus does not try to protect students from the happenings of the outside world, rather it invites the students out and the world in. 

The complete syllabus can be downloaded from http://www.blacklivesmattersyllabus.com/fall2016/