Racism Regarding IT in Education
“Any large social movement is shaped by the technology available to it and tailors its goals, tactics, and rhetoric to the media of its time.”
Now in 2016, students have immediate access to what is happening in their society. Whether it be through social media or newsfeeds, students are tapped into the world in which they live and what is happening globally. With this perpetual connection to what is happening all over the world, students have begun to realise that structural racism - something that was believed to be in the past - is still very evident in modern society.
An example of this is the Black Lives Matter Movement, which originated as a hashtag on social media. Student activists are said to be the main driving force, which propelled the movement to where it is today. The Black Lives Matter Movement in itself was shaped by the technology available in its era, as well as those it allowed access to.
Ultimately, technological resources and IT in education is beneficial in more than just in an academic sense. Because of students’ envelopment in social media and their encouraged liberalism, structural racism is being brought to the forefront. Not only is it being acknowledged, but it has also become much less taboo as a topic of discussion. Students now have a chance to openly stand in solidarity with those of the same race, which evokes a sense of pride and a willingness to fight for their portion of equality. The information they have access to has and is currently changing society.
Resources:
http://www.wired.com/2015/10/how-black-lives-matter-uses-social-media-to-fight-the-power/
http://blacklivesmatter.com
Contribution submitted by Kayla Mitchley, 1396307.
References:
Anderson, M. D. 2015. The Other Student Activists. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2015/11/student-activism-history-injustice/417129/. [Accessed 8 May 2016].
Barnhardt, C. L. & Reyes, K. A. 2016. Embracing Student Activism. [ONLINE] Available at: https://higheredtoday.org/2016/03/02/embracing-student-activism/. [Accessed 8 May 2016].
Black Lives Matter. 2015. DOJ: Protect Black Activists from White Vigilante Violence, Investigate Shooting As Hate Crime. [ONLINE] Available at: http://blacklivesmatter.com/doj-protect-black-activists-from-white-vigilante-violence-investigate-shooting-as-hate-crime/. [Accessed 8 May 2016].
Rafter, L. 2015. Can technology help address structural discrimination in the US?. [ONLINE] Available at: https://lindaraftree.com/2015/01/31/can-technology-help-address-structural-discrimination-in-the-us/. [Accessed 8 May 2016].
Rethinking Schools. 2015. Black Students’ Lives Matter Building the school-to-justice pipeline. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.rethinkingschools.org/archive/29_03/edit293.shtml. [Accessed 8 May 2016].
Stephen, B. 2015. Social Media Helps Black lives Matter Fight the Power. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.wired.com/2015/10/how-black-lives-matter-uses-social-media-to-fight-the-power/. [Accessed 8 May 2016].
Tanaka, M. 2014. How could social media transform racism?. [ONLINE] Available at: https://japansociology.com/2014/01/30/how-could-social-media-transform-racism/. [Accessed 8 May 2016].