Upcoming Events
History of Systemic Oppression in the U.S., Winter 2026
Date and Time
Monday, March 30, 2026 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM
RSVP
You can RSVP for this event
Location
On Zoom.
Pew FTLC
(616) 331-3498
[email protected]
Description
Are you interested in building a stronger foundation for classroom discussions regarding current legal, political and cultural struggles? Are you interested in deeper understanding historical context surrounding pieces of American inequality?
History of Systemic Oppression in the U.S., Winter 2026
We warmly invite you to engage in a rigorous and reflective learning experience exploring the history of systemic oppression in the United States. Through a series of thoughtfully designed online modules created by Grand Valley State University faculty, paired with facilitated in-person discussions, participants will critically examine the histories and lived experiences of diverse peoples, groups, and communities over the past two centuries.
Participants will complete 11 interdisciplinary modules developed by GVSU scholars, alongside opportunities for guided reflection and dialogue. The course includes three required Zoom meetings, as well as curated resources to support deeper independent study.
The program will begin with an introductory session that outlines the course framework, key themes, and learning objectives. A second meeting will center collaborative discussion and reflection on insights gained, with attention to integration across modules. The experience will culminate in a final capstone conversation synthesizing major ideas and implications for scholarship and practice. These zoom sessions will be co-facilitated by Dr. Patty Stow Bolea and Dr. Janelle Brandt Ashbaugh. Course content is hosted on Bb. The total time commitment is 15-20 hours over 9 weeks.
Zoom Discussion Meeting Dates are:
- March 5 11-12
- March 30 1-2
- April 28 1-2
Each module invites participants to thoughtfully engage with historical narratives that illuminate the structures, policies, and cultural forces that have shaped inequity in the United States over the past 200 years.
Background: In 2018, GVSU’s Pew FTLC Faculty Fellows Dana Munk and Patty Stow Bolea facilitated the development of the course History of Systemic Oppression in the U.S., created by GVSU faculty content experts to support instructors in leading deeper classroom discussions about violence, bias, and inequity. The course provides foundational historical knowledge intended to better equip faculty, staff, and students to engage critically and constructively within a pluralistic democracy. Faculty from multiple disciplines contributed 15–20-minute modules that highlight key laws, policies, cultural frameworks, and pivotal moments of social change, while acknowledging the inherent limitations of summarizing complex histories within this format.
This event has been tagged as 2026, faculty, ftlc, history, oppression, pew, states, systemic, united, and winter.
Contact
Pew FTLC
(616) 331-3498
[email protected]
Recurring
This event also occurs on 4/28/26