Students learn history through Black Lives Matter course

The setting for Black Lives Matter course was like any other classroom at Grand Valley. Yet, students in the course said it was unlike any class they have experienced.

Offered as a one-credit course through African/African American Studies, the course was taught by Louis Moore, associate professor of history. It ran September 12-October 14.

Chas Willis, one of 13 students who enrolled in the course, said the class provided a unique experience by blending modern news topics with historical events.

“A lot of the stuff that you hear about today when talking about race is not new,” Willis said. “We looked at events that happened in the 1920s and they sounded strangely familiar to what you hear going on today.”

The class created a “StoryMap” project that outlined the history of racism in America. While the project is still under development, students hope to present it during Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Commemoration Week, January 16-21, and they hope it can be used at upcoming Teach-ins.

Joe Cadreau, a junior majoring in public, nonprofit and health administration, said he enrolled in the course because he wanted to be more educated. Like Willis, Cadreau said he sees history repeating itself when it comes to racism, and he wanted to get better at communicating those ideas.

“A lot people are ignorant about this history or just do not care,” Cadreau said. “I want to be able to do my part in this community by knowing what happened and how it still impacts us today.”

Willis said coming to class was fun because it did not feel like going to a traditional lecture. Since the course was discussion-based, he had the ability to speak his mind and have fruitful conversations with classmates.

“I really think classes like this one could be implemented throughout the curriculum,” Willis said. “We did not just learn from Professor Moore, we learned from actually talking to one another and having a conversation about race.”

— written by Lucas Escalada, student writer