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Warning: this story contains quotes with slurs
The 2020-2021 school year was like no other. Masks and social distancing mandates brought sharp adjustments to the routines of many MU students, but what caused even more disruption to these student lives was the social climate on campus.
A summer filled with chants of “I can’t breathe” and Black Lives Matter protests left many students reeling with feelings of anger, hurt and sadness. When school resumed in August, some students took physical action and joined groups like the Mizzou Black Student Athlete Association and Mizzou 600 in protesting the systemic racism on the University of Missouri campus and across the country. Other students took a different approach and used art, music and literature to voice their concerns.
One of these students is sophomore art and film major Darreon Carbin. As a first year art student, Carbin participated in the Visual Art and Design Showcase. His piece was titled Challenging Misconceptions of the Dark Complexion and featured three photos.
“The Black Lives Matter movement has been very prominent recently, and there has been a lot of killings and shootings with police brutality. I feel like with that, there are a lot of misconceptions of Black people, and I wanted to challenge those misconceptions with art and show a different image than what you might see in popular media,” Carbin said.
In each image, Carbin addressed a stereotype surrounding Black culture. The first image features a Black woman in a crown crying. This was intended to challenge the idea that Black women lack sympathy and are undesirable. The second image depicted a Black man and woman in order to exemplify the peace and power that often accompanies Black unity. The third photo shows a man holding a butterfly to combat the mindset that Black men are aggressive or violent.
VADS was held virtually by the MU library’s website, and had a live exhibit from March 17 through-April 25. A variety of topics were featured in the pieces, but Carbin wanted to use his art to address the relevant issue of racism.
“I think art is an important medium for social change. Different things work for different people. There are different ways for social change. Art for me works,” Carbin said. . “Trying to use images or something beautiful like art is very palatable. It’s a common thing that a lot of people like, so if protesting and physical action isn’t your thing, art might be.,” Carbin said.
A more recent issue that has erupted across MU’s campus is the restructuring of the MU Department of Social Justice. Mizzou 600 organized a protest on April 29 to speak out against the plan. Among the protesters was freshman Raelyn Stecker.,
As a member of the LGBTQ+ community, female and a victim of sexual violence on MU’s campus, Stecker was upset by the proposed changes. After experiencing discrimination on campus because of her identities, she was ready for a change in the way things are run. However, the proposed plan was a step in the wrong direction.
“I have been called a dyke. I have been called a fag. I have been called so many other things on Mizzou’s campus. We might not be experiencing the immense discrimination people experienced in the 60s, but there is still so much hatred and so much to work on,” Stecker said.
At the protest, Stecker joined her peers in sharing her experiences with discrimination on campus, and emphasized the importance of the diversity centers.
“It was terrifying at first. Speaking in front of people is not my favorite thing. It’s scary and intimidating. But once I was actually doing it, I realized it was also empowering,” Stecker said. . “I have talked to my friends and complained about the parts of Mizzou I don’t like, but there has never been any weight to it. But now, since I spoke, I have been contacted for interviews and it makes me feel like there was weight and people want to hear what I have to say.,” Stecker said.
While the protest reached a wide audience and resonated with many, Stecker was unimpressed with the university’s response. She recognized that protests may not be the best way to reach all individuals and emphasized the importance of other platforms.
“Historically, art and literature have brought a lot of light to the suffering that people are going through and I think we need to look to that. These books are written from a spot of pain and by someone who is being affected by these issues,” Stecker said. . “If we truly give attention to these platforms and have discourse and discussion about it, non-minority groups will be better able to understand. It’s important to boost the voices of people that are actually being affected. Nothing is going to be done unless we listen to those who are being harmed.,” Stecker said.
Assistant research professor Kristin McCowan also realizes the value of different art mediums in social justice movements. As a part of her Social and Economic Justice course, McCowan assigned her students to create a playlist for sociopolitical development.
Her students teamed up to create a collaborative playlist, including songs from Kendrick Lamar, Beyoncée, J. Cole and more. Although the assignment differed from the normal projects in the writing intensive, McCowan found this one to hold just as much value.
“I think it is extremely valuable for students to understand that existing in an oppressive context requires resistance. The experience of oppression is painful and one of the most important ways you navigate through that painful experience is through various forms of resistance. Music does a lot to help folks think about the ways that they can resist oppression,” McCowan said.
By having her students create this group playlist, McCowan hoped to help them better understand what it is like to face various forms of oppression and empower them when facing these situations. This could have been done through a film or book, but McCowan credited music as something thatas that all individuals can relate to, making it easier for students to develop their socio-political views.
“Music is an expression right from the artists’ experiences. I think that as folks create art like music, it’s often a critique of what’s happening, and so in that way it furthers movements, it sustains movements. Because it brought in the folks that listen to it and broadens the reach of understanding of whatever it is we’re critiquing or expressing about,” McCowan said.
Amidst the discourse on MU’s campus this year, students and staff turned to art to express themselves. Although in most cases their concerns were non-verbal, their voices were heard loud and clear.