In the Room Where It Happens: A Critical Reading of the Humanities Classroom

The following thesis project explores the foundation of and current operation of the humanities classroom with a focus on who and what is considered scholarly and therefore who and what gets to be in the classroom. In the first chapter I explore the idea of how space- both physical and proverbial- is made through narrative and gives rise to one’s social place. From there I explore notions of human and person. I explore how human is different from person and how current notions of human and person have philosophical foundations that exclude African and Afro-descended persons. In chapter three I explore how notions of human that exclude black-plus persons have gone on to shape the humanities classroom as a white space where notions of scholar and scholarly often exclude black-plus persons. I then go on to reflect on my personal experiences in the Barrett and Women and Gender Studies classrooms. In the final chapter I explore the importance of popular media, specifically modes of mass media (theater, film, TV, social media) as spaces where black-plus narratives tell stories and give depictions of black-plus persons as beings, as humans, as persons. I also touch on how popular media currently is a space where black-plus narratives provide place for black-plus persons and space for people to learn new ways of seeing black-plus people.