At a time when many individuals and institutions are reexamining their
histories to better understand their tangled roots of racism and
oppression, Reckoning: Kalamazoo College Uncovers Its Racial and
Colonial Past tells the story of how American ideas about colonialism
and race shaped Kalamazoo College, a progressive liberal arts
institution in the Midwest. Beginning with its founding in 1833 during
the era of Indian Removal, the book follows the development of the
college through the Civil War, the long period of racial entrenchment
that followed Reconstruction, minstrel shows performed on campus in the
1950s during the rise of the Civil Rights movement, Black student
activism in the wake of Martin Luther King's assassination, the quest
for multiculturalism in the 1990s, and the recent activism of a changing
student body. This close look at the colonial and racial history of one
institution reveals academia's investment in White supremacy and the
permutations and contradictions of race and racism in higher education.
Though the details are unique to Kalamazoo, other predominantly White
colleges and universities would have similar historical trajectories,
for in the end our institutional histories reflect the history of the
United States. By examining the ways in which a progressive, midwestern
college has absorbed, resisted, and perpetuated American systems of
colonialism and racism, the book challenges higher education to use this
moment to make the deep, structural changes necessary to eliminate
disparities in experiences and outcomes among students of color and
their White peers. Reckoning is a volume that can be used in a variety
of courses that deal with topics such as History of Education, Social
Justice in Higher Education, and more.
Perfect for courses such as: Pursuing Diversity, Inclusion, Justice,
and Equity │ Education and Cultural Studies │ Exploring Whiteness │
Inquiry in Postsecondary Education │ Proseminar in Adult and Higher
Education │ Education and Social Struggle in the U.S., WWII - Present │
Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion in Student Affairs │Diversity and
Inclusion in Higher Education │ History of American Education │
Diversity in Higher Education
