Resistance in Colleges: Women's and Gender Studies/Africana and Latinx Studies Programs

With diverse and intersectional books and educational tools being banned across the United States, people are not given the opportunities to understand society beyond the binaries that were are socialized into. For many people, it's not until college that they begin to learn how the world "really works," and that is largely due to the creation of Gender Studies, Cultural Studies, and Ethnic Studies programs. In these programs, students are encouraged to challenge what they think they know about society, and be open to learning about alternatives to binary systems, different identities, how institutions function to oppress marginalized individuals, and much more. 

A popular piece that is read in many Women's and Gender Studies courses is bell hooks' "Theory as Liberatory Practice," where she explains the impact that feminist theory has had on her life and how she heals from past trauma. She recalls her childhood, stating, "Whenever I tried in childhood to compel folks around me to do things differently, to look at the world differently, using theory as an intervention, as a way to challenge the status quo, I was punished" (59). This quote perfectly demonstrates what is happening to children across the United States. By simply existing, and wanting access to stories that highlight their lived experience, politicians are punishing them by removing some of the only creative outlets they might have. She continues to state, "it must have seemed to them that some monster had appeared in their midst in the shape and body of a child- a demonic little figure who threatened to subvert and undermine all that they were seeking to build. No wonder then that their response was to repress, contain, and punish (60). Today, society is threatened by the fact that younger generations are open-minded and willing to make necessary changes to oppressive structures, so that everyone can have a chance to succeed in their life. Although bell hooks' piece was written in 1994, the messages are still relevant today, and that is what makes Gender/Ethnic/Cultural Studies programs so valuable and transformative.

Diversity and intersectionality based college programs uplift students, and provide them with the voices that they were denied in their grade school years. Many people will come into college feeling lost in their identity or feeling hopeless about the political state that America is in. However, these programs help build communities of likeminded individuals, who push each other to expand their own knowledge, and continue to learn about the world even when they are outside the classroom. These programs allow students to become critical thinkers, and analyze why their life has functioned the way it has. They were created out of a desperate need to have marginalized voices be heard. It is a shame that young children are being denied these learning opportunities in their youth- so much trauma could be saved if the world was willing to learn and accept change. Thankfully, many colleges give students the opportunity to learn about the realities of the foundations of the United States, but these opportunities should be given to all students, despite their age.