Racism, Reform & Rebellion: The Ferguson Uprising & the Rise of Black Lives Matter

On August 9, 2014, Michael Brown, an 18-year-old African-American teenager, was murdered in the Canfield Green Apartment complex by Officer Darren Wilson, a member of the Saint Louis County Police. Brown's murder and the subsequent disrespect of his lifeless body would punctuate years of frustration among local, Black St. Louisians who continued to suffer abuse at the hands of law enforcement. As they collectively mourned, Black people in the region decried the persistent racism, and called for reforms. Beginning in Ferguson and expanding to all sectors of the greater Saint Louis area, the protest would eventually spread across the country, coalescing into what would eventually be referred to as "the Movement for Black Lives" or #BlackLivesMatter. Eventually, this social movement, hashtag and broader discourse would profoundly shape American discourses about racism, inequality, and social justice. At the height of its popularity #BlackLivesMatter would challenge state governance, universities, corporations, electoral politics, commerce and many other aspects of American life. This course will explore the ways that Saint Louis, as a city and region, came to occupy the center stage of American history at the outset of the 21st Century.
Course Attributes: AS HUM; AS SC; EN H

Racism, Reform & Rebellion: The Ferguson Uprising & the Rise of Black Lives Matter

AFRICAN AND AFRICAN-AMERICAN STUDIES 2157

Section 01