Internship Abstract

It is common that political figures and other social archetypes as well as school districts and institutions of higher education issue public statements expressing sympathy for an act that physically and psychologically devalues Black lives. Public remarks routinely express either compassion or empathy for individuals and communities that have been wronged. This was certainly the case after the lives of George Floyd, an African American male, and Breonna Taylor, an African American female, were taken by law enforcement officers in May 2020. Institutions, in particular, both in the past and present, too often dismiss its history of oppressing Black and non-Black People of Color while attempting to address an injustice in question. Moreover, institutions commonly miss the opportunity to explain a new path forward for progress. This internship, spanning June 8 through July 31, 2020, examines whether trite public statements by educational institutions, athletic organizations and social and civic leaders predict failure to implement systemic change while also doing more to offend Persons of Color.

Internship Objectives

• To provide an opportunity to engage students, educators, and persons with an interest in social justice scholarship in data collection related to the Black Lives Matter protests of the killing of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor in the spring of 2020.

• To compile a database that rates public statements about the May/June 2020 Black Lives Matter protests.

• To help researchers turn quantifiable data into written analysis that can be used in race-conscious scholarship.