Books, Film, and Social Media
This article comes to FunkNBeans from union member and political activist Allan Jamail of Galena Park, Texas. We thank Mr. Jamail for this excellent piece of Houston history. From Mr. Jamail: I BRING TO YOU TODAY AT THE CLOSE OF BLACK HISTORY MONTH BACK WHEN I WAS JUST 27 YEARS OLD THE TRAGEDY OF 42 YEARS AGO WHEN THE FIRST [...]
Inevitably, each semester students ask instructors: Do I really have to read the book?! The answer is YES. You really do need to read the book. You bought it; you will have assignments and exams related to it; and you are in college to learn and earn credits. That’s not going to happen successfully by [...]
Via H-Net.org Hip-Hop and Critical Pedagogy ON-LINE Radical Teacher, No. 97 CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS All submissions due no later than February 15, 2013 With this special issue we propose to construct a frame for understanding the place of Hip Hop in classrooms—from K-12 public schools and other youth-based community spaces to college and university courses. [...]
UT Professor Mark Regnerus has been under fire from scholars around the country and especially his colleagues in the UT Department of Sociology. Regnerus recently published a study that argues children are worse off if raised by parents who have had same sex relationships than if they were raised by a continuously married heterosexual couple. [...]
Most of us seem to understand the power of words on a theoretical basis, but when it comes to what actually flies out of our mouths or keyboards, there is often a disconnect. Words are powerful, and we can use them to benefit ourselves and those who listen. Language that excludes, belittles, or makes unqualified [...]
In another timely #SaturdaySchool hosted by @ProfRagsdale, we discuss the history of U.S. Immigration laws and policy. Beginning with the naturalization acts in the early years of the Union, continuing with the advent of exclusion acts in the 1880s and federalization of immigration enforcement in the 1920s, this weeks discussion provides a number of useful [...]
From government documents and school enrollment forms to email accounts and library cards, we are asked to align ourselves with one of two possible genders. What I’m sure that they mean to ask is what is my sex. It’s no wonder why so many people are confused about what sex and gender are. This week’s [...]
New Census data is out showing Latina/os and Native Americans, as well as Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islanders, are lagging far behind the rest of the nations in higher education degree attainment. Ogunwole, et al, report in “The Population With a Bachelor’s Degree or Higher by Race and Hispanic Origin: 2006-2010” detail the educational attainment [...]
My hair is gorgeous. It falls just right upon my shoulders immediately after a blow-dry. My hair compliments me–it glistens in the sunlight as well as in indoor florescent lighting. When the wind blows, it flows into an “S” shape, a wave that’s undeniably, unmistakably pretty. It’s that hair that swishes when the top’s down [...]
The following reading list is culled from the H-Grad email list, and it focuses on books that discuss and examine power at various historical moments. Key texts to notice are the works by Michel Foucault, Edward Said, Nicolo Machiavelli, and Paulo Freire. Others are reflective of more localized studies of power. All descriptions are by [...]
Among many great examples, this week’s #SaturdaySchool is inspired by the life of Martin Luther King, Jr. His life, death, and resurrection have become symbols of the Civil Rights Movements precisely because he gave himself up to the movement. In this sacrifice, Dr. King increased his power to change society exponentially. Today’s #SaturdaySchool builds upon [...]
Texas wasn’t always Texas. Prior to 1836 it was part of the Mexican state of Cohuila y Tejas, and before that it was the land of the Comanche, Kiowa, Tonkawa, Karankawa, Apache, and numerous other native peoples. But, up until this week, you would never know this if you were to walk onto the grounds [...]
Creating social change takes action. In today’s #SaturdaySchool @ProfRagsdale discusses methods of non-violent resistance as a way to create social change. Some resources from today’s discussion: Ceaseless Agitation Students Non-Violent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) Southern Poverty Law Center Do you know of resources to help others learn about non-violent methods of resistance? What are some of [...]
Some topics in history just never seem to go away, and the legacy of Abraham Lincoln is a subject that always holds interest, not just for professional historians but for the public at large. Issues of race, citizenship, constitutional interpretation, and war are as relevant today as they were in Lincoln’s time. Houstonians have an [...]
Happy Holidays to the Funk & Beans community! We love the holidays because we get to be close to our loved ones and create a few new memories before another year closes out. But – we don’t always love the music that seems to float ubiquitously in and around public spaces. Since this is our [...]
I believe music is an amazing tool for uplift, outcry, education, protest, and edification. It’s an integral part of our lives. It shows in my teaching style, and I love using music to help teach about history. I also use music to support the teaching and learning process itself — It helps us remember things. [...]
In a USA Today article writer Sharon Jayson asks whether or not feminism is as influential today as it was 45 years ago to young women. The article comes before the presentation of an oral history project at Rollins College in Winter Park, Florida, documenting the stories of the first organizers of the National Organization of Women. [...]
Are you preparing to go to college, graduate, or law school? Are you a student or alumni of a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI)? If so, the Hispanic Association of Colleges & Universities (HACU) along with The Princeton Review have joined forces to help you compete at the highest level. The two organizations are offering current [...]