Walking the Line of Blackness: School of Public Policy Student Video

Sixteen Ford School masters students speak about their experiences around race and racism on camera in this new student-produced file, "Walking the Line of Blackness." Find the video HERE.

These 16 black students share their thoughts, experiences, and struggles of being black in America.  This project was inspired by recent media coverage of unarmed Black and Brown bodies who were slain after interactions with the police.  These incidents have sparked a national discussion about race and what it means to be recognized as a full citizen here in the United States.

Video Participants (in order of appearance):

Peter Haviland-Eduah  MPP'16

Chanera Yvonne Pierce MPP'15

Larry Sanders MPP'16

Demar Lewis MPP'16

Mohammad Abbadi MPP'16

Brittany Foxhall MPP'16

Leila Yosef MPP'15

Brenda Duverce MPP'16

Maron Alemu MPP'15

Kiana Shelton MPP'15

Tabitha Bentley MPP'15

Kimberly Rustern  MPP'15

Myra Lee  MPP'15

Selamawit Misgano  MPP'16/ MPH'15

Isaiah Bailey  MPP'16/ MSED'15

Devon Polasi edited 2 hours of raw interview footage into a concised, yet comprehensive piece that reflected the subect's individual and collective experiences.  He also created the title sequence and composed the original music.

We encourage you to share this video with your friends, family and fellow students and help fuel an effort to openly discuss these experiences and challenges with a wide range of people. 

 

Article published in May 2015