41 research outputs found
Biko McMillan Interview
No full textBiko McMillan (Class of 2017) was interviewed by Ruth Demissie via the Zoom internet-based video conferencing software on June 23, 2020. Mr. McMillan was born and raised on the island of St. Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands. He discusses his childhood and early life on St. Croix. He was prompted to pursue a degree at SMU after going to the National Spelling Bee, where he was encouraged by the program director to apply to the Physician Scientist Training program, which was held at SMU the year he attended. He ultimately attended to pursue degrees in Biological Sciences and Spanish. He discusses his time at SMU and organizations he participated in like Sigma Lambda Beta and Alternative Breaks, as well as his experiences living on campus in various halls and then Multicultural Greek House. In addition to his work in the sciences, Mr. McMillan is also a published author, having published several volumes of poetry. At the time of the interview he worked in a lab in a cancer hospital, and he intends on going to graduate school and pursuing a degree in infectious diseases
Steve Biko and Kenneth Kaunda: sampling youth in history.
No full textThe paper examines history from the perspective of the youth as a marginalized
social group in most societies. They are young, lacking influential skills and
preparing for imagined futures. The paper argues that youth do not often
use the democratic power embedded in numbers. The paper advances to
show that history as selected speculation, fails to empower the youth in not
explaining that major historical eras emerged from political challenges that
the youth initiated and led. The author take the case of Steve Biko from
South Africa and Kenneth Kaunda from Zambia to demonstrate the historical
foundations of changes that came later in their respective states. During
their youth Biko and Kaunda entered politics and precipitated changes of an
enduring nature. When borrowing from Kaunda, Biko argued that respect
for human dignity and freedoms laid foundations for struggles that improved
social values and justice by rejecting colonial systems. It is further argued that
comparative studies of people during their youth could improve quality of
historical studies or learning, and appeal to young people to develop interest
in history, and historical research
Exploring the Pathway of Far-Right Radicalization in the Age of Neoliberalism
No full textThis paper examines the complex relationship between young white men and the rise of far-right extremism in contemporary American politics, particularly in the context of the MAGA movement and its implications for political violence. The January 6th riot serves as a stark example of how mainstream political affiliations can rapidly devolve into radicalization, as evidenced by the profiles of participants who often lacked formal ties to extremist groups yet shared a commitment to conspiracy-laden narratives and grievances. By framing these shifts within the broader socio-economic landscape marked by neoliberal decay, I explore how feelings of inequality, alienation, and powerlessness serve as fertile ground for far-right ideologies. This context suggests that far-right spaces provide not only a sense of community and agency but also a compelling narrative that resonates deeply with those experiencing socio-economic precarity.
In light of this framework, I advocate for a nuanced understanding of political engagement with individuals drawn to far-right ideologies. Rather than dismissing their concerns as merely prejudicial or misinformed, I emphasize the need for empathetic approaches that acknowledge and validate their lived experiences of inequality. By employing a social movement framework, the paper details how the far-right effectively constructs collective identities around shared grievances, thus reinforcing its appeal. Ultimately, I point to the potential to counteract these trends by fostering open dialogues that address the underlying issues of inequality, thereby creating pathways toward understanding and, potentially, reversing the political shift among disaffected young men.https://digital.sandiego.edu/ipj-research/1104/thumbnail.jp
Food Workers and Consumers Organizing Together for Food Justice
No full textDespite being among the country's lowest paid workers, employees in the food system have remained largely invisible to the average consumer. But now, food system workers are garnering the support of consumers through campaigns for good jobs, wages, and food. This chapter highlights three organizing campaigns that are emblematic of this struggle: 1) the Brandworkers campaign at Amy’s Bread, an artisanal bakery in New York City; 2) the Teamsters campaign at Taylor Farms in Tracy, California, the largest salad processor in the U.S.; and 3) the OUR Walmart campaign at Walmart stores around the country. These cases illustrate how consumers can actively support workers who are organizing against everyday exploitation and oppression.</p
Spaces of contestation: the everyday experiences of ten African migrants in Cape Town
No full textIncludes bibliographical references.Xenophobia in South Africa is so overt that it has take a covert form. The 'xenocide' events that took place in 2008 were called xenophobic acts. It is the recurrent denialism of xenophobia on an everyday basis that this project has explored through the narrative accounts of ten African migrants in Cape Town. The lived everyday experiences of ten African migrants have brought forward the central argument of this thesis. From the data, it is evident that as a reponse to everyday pressures of prejudices and xenophobia in social and physical spaces, African migrants have developed mutable, unsettled and vagrant identities in order to cope with everyday low level violence. This argument emerged as four key stressors have been identified as the components of a more substantial explanation of xenophobia in South Africa. The four key components are: the enforcement of identity (national and group), the demarcation of spaces of belonging, the experiences of economic insecurity, and lastly a 'culture of violence' in South Africa. This thesis argues that these four stressors are the result of an on-going active process of xenophobic attitudes
The history and politics of liberation archives at Fort Hare
No full textIncludes bibliographical references.This thesis, the first of its kind on liberation historiography, seeks to put the liberation movements archives housed at the University of Fort Hare in context. The thesis focuses mainly on the 1990s, when the repatriation of struggle material by Fort Hare working hand in glove with the liberation movements, mainly the African National Congress ANC), the Pan Africanist Congress(PAC) and the Black Consciousness Movement (BCM), was at its height
Apartheid and the tragedy of South Africa - Donald Woods
No full textPoster for a lecture/discussion with anti-apartheid activist Donald Woods, author of Biko Asking for Trouble and Black and White.https://digitalcommons.fairfield.edu/archives-posters/1052/thumbnail.jp
