Centering Blackness Videos

As articulated in an article released by the Insight Center for Community Economic Development, “Black people are not a monolith. When we center Blackness, we acknowledge that Black people hold multiple identities. Black people are immigrants, women, LGBTQ, Latinx, parents, business owners, have varying degrees of education, disabilities, and more. When we make Blackness about one thing, we actually play into a white supremacist point of view that narrowly defines Blackness. Centering Blackness means honoring all types of Black people, which makes it an inclusionary strategy that acknowledges how anti-blackness is the tie that binds all Black people, while also validating all the other identities that make up a whole person. Centering Blackness is ultimately about celebrating and honoring the humanity of Black people.”

Dr. Melissa Ross, Associate Director of Research Partnerships and Impacts, and Dr. Gabrielle Johnson, Translational Researcher, provide intros and outros to a set of Centering Blackness videos designed to expand our understanding of the experiences and culture of the Black students, employees, and families impacted by the work of the center.

Following is a set of curated Centering Blackness videos tailored for individuals to expand their personal journey as an ally in this critical work.