Justin Coles, who is an associate professor of social justice education, collaborated with three graduate students from the Center of Racial Justice and Youth Engaged Research (CRJ) to write an article titled, “Black Artistic Imaginaries and the Endemicity of Anti-Blackness in the U.S. University.” This article was published in the journal “Alliance for African Partnership Perspectives.”
Their article delves into the healing potential of art, particularly for Black communities. It includes a case study on an art-making event organized by CRJ in response to an anonymous, anti-Black letter sent to Black students and organizations during the fall 2021 semester.
Professor Coles stated, “The entire point of our article was to really think about how we can use Black art as a corrective or counterweight to the prevalent anti-Blackness in society, especially within higher education institutions.”
Coles, Gorana Gonzalez, a doctoral student in developmental science, and Imani Wallace, a doctoral student in social justice education, discuss the publication process in a video.
“Black Artistic Imaginaries” showcases original artworks created by UMass Amherst students at CRJ’s 2021 event. The co-authors encouraged participants to describe their works and provide context, using oral communication as the primary methodology.
Coles explained, “Many of us in our work have a natural storytelling component built-in. This oral communication aspect is significant in qualitative work and is also essential in the Black oral tradition of sharing stories within the community.”
