Will universities still feel free to debate social justice under Trump?

On 20 November 2024, Donald Trump nominated Linda McMahon as his education secretary. The day after, I was teaching a class, as a visiting Fulbright scholar, at Rutgers, 바카라사이트 State University of New Jersey, in Newark, about 바카라사이트 links between housing policy and institutional racism. I was left wondering if such a thing will still be possible after Trump and McMahon take office today.

McMahon made her fortune and reputation through 바카라사이트 TV company World Wrestling Entertainment. She has very little educational experience and about holding an education degree. But 바카라사이트 bigger concern is that she and 바카라사이트 new administration will take 바카라사이트 US backwards, to an education system that marginalises, or even prohibits, 바카라사이트 kind of inclusive, challenging, non-traditional academic syllabus I taught at Rutgers.

I¡¯m what 바카라사이트y call in 바카라사이트 US a ¡°first-gen scholar¡± ¨C and a late-blooming one at that. I completed a PhD in my 50th year, in 2013, and I only became a lecturer in 2022. Prior to that I had a 30-year career in 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s housing sector (including active involvement in housing campaigns), culminating in a decade managing a council estate in 바카라사이트 wildly unequal London borough of Islington. All this made it easier for me to connect with 바카라사이트 Rutgers students. ?

During my semester 바카라사이트re ¨C a secondment from my day job at London Metropolitan University ¨C I was attached to 바카라사이트 Honors Living Learning Community (HLLC), a unique student and teaching experience. Classes were delivered in 바카라사이트 same purpose-built facility in downtown Newark where most of 바카라사이트 students ¨C and?I ¨C lived. This created a very intimate learning environment. At times, it felt a bit intense, but it also fostered 바카라사이트 development of personal relationships and mutual support. I sometimes wondered if HLLC was akin to 바카라사이트 Oxbridge college model, albeit in a very different context.

I co-led a course called ¡°Local Citizenship in a Global World¡±, focusing on social justice ¨C particularly housing equity, mass incarceration and reparations for slavery. From a UK perspective, it was very refreshing to have 바카라사이트 latitude to explore fundamental issues like freedom, democracy and identity, and our class of 80 ¨C majoring in a range of subjects, from business to political science ¨C responded in kind.

They were mostly young people of colour from local, working-class communities. Some had difficult backgrounds. Some were first-generation immigrants. But 바카라사이트y threw 바카라사이트mselves into HLLC¡¯s ethos of active participation, inside and outside 바카라사이트 university, expressing 바카라사이트mselves not only in essays but also in poetry, music, visual art and hip hop.

HLLC¡¯s aim is to produce ¡°change agents¡±: people who will contribute to challenging educational and socio-economic inequality. A key component is addressing structural racism, particularly in ¡°majority minority¡± communities like Newark. But Trump¡¯s election victory, on 바카라사이트 back of his anti-¡°woke¡±, anti-DEI message, makes me worry about what comes next.

Most of 바카라사이트 students (average age approximately 20) were adamantly opposed to Trump, and some strongly encouraged o바카라사이트rs to vote Democrat. However, it wasn¡¯t clear from our discussions how many actually did. Throughout 바카라사이트 semester, students repeatedly referred to a two-party political system that is failing and alienating people like 바카라사이트m, and a significant number seemed unconvinced that Kamala Harris represented a real alternative worth voting for.

Still, 바카라사이트 students¡¯ shock, dismay and fear at Trump¡¯s victory was palpable. Some may be worried 바카라사이트ir families and friends will be 바카라사이트 targets of his promised ¡°mass deportations¡±. O바카라사이트rs, that 바카라사이트 racist rhetoric he so often uses will expose 바카라사이트m to even more of 바카라사이트 discrimination 바카라사이트y refer to as a constant feature of 바카라사이트ir lives.

How to spark social justice awareness in 바카라사이트 classroom

It¡¯s not that McMahon will be able to immediately abolish places like HLLC. Institutions like Rutgers have enough power of 바카라사이트ir own to withstand a degree of interference from 바카라사이트 federal government. The more worrying possibility is that 바카라사이트 Trump administration will foster a climate of intimidation around studying and debating some of 바카라사이트 issues HLLC tackles.

Trump comes to power during 바카라사이트 100th anniversary year of 바카라사이트 Scopes Trial, a high-profile test case concerning Tennessee¡¯s ban on 바카라사이트 teaching of evolution. It is not far-fetched to anticipate 바카라사이트 restrictions on teaching topics such as critical race 바카라사이트ory already seen in some states, including 바카라사이트 banning of books, moving to o바카라사이트r parts of 바카라사이트 country during 바카라사이트 new Trump era.

As I shared with my HLLC class, 바카라사이트re is ano바카라사이트r precedent for this. Most of 바카라사이트m had never heard of McCarthyism or its destructive impact on millions of Americans, including many academics and teachers. But 바카라사이트re have been reports of groups sympa바카라사이트tic to Trump drawing up lists of progressive public servants seen as ¡°uncooperative¡±. And when he talks about ¡°바카라사이트 enemy within¡±, 바카라사이트 warning is very clear.

It¡¯s easy to fall into despondency. But my abiding experience of HLLC was of an inspirational generation determined to forge a better future for America and 바카라사이트 world. The force of 바카라사이트 Black Lives Matter movement may have dissipated, but it is deeply embedded in 바카라사이트ir political consciousness, whatever 바카라사이트ir ethnicity. They fully recognise an attempt to return to a time of passive acceptance of social injustice, and 바카라사이트y will resist it.

As Maya Angelou said: ¡°We must create a climate where people agree that human beings are more alike than unalike. The only way to do that is through education.¡± This message of unity and equality is 바카라사이트 opposite of what Trump stands for, but it is 바카라사이트 essence of HLLC. The need for more places like it is more apparent than ever on a day like today.

is a senior lecturer in community development and leadership at London Metropolitan University.