The University Democrats hosted African American Studies Prof. Claudrena Harold at an event Wednesday, where she discussed the history and future of the University in the context of equality.
Harold teaches courses in both African American Studies and History, focusing mainly on black cultural politics, African American history and labor history.
The event took place in Clark Hall during the weekly University Democrats meeting.
Harold spoke on a wide variety of topics at the meeting including affordable education and racial equality on Grounds.
Focusing the first portion of her talk on affordable education, Harold discussed the impact of tuition on the country’s future.
“It’s not just about U.Va.,” Harold said. “It’s about who is going to have the right to a world class education.”
Harold also discussed inequality within the context of the University. Much of her research focuses on the relationship between African-American students and the Corner, and she spoke about the bloody arrest of fourth-year College student Martese Johnson last March.
“The incident that happened last year on the Corner, that was not the first time that race had been a subject on the Corner,” Harold said. “There was a restaurant... they actually implemented a dress code. No baggy shorts, no baggy jeans, no white t-shirts. A lot of folks thought that the dress code had a clear racial agenda.”
Much of the racial tension, Harold said, links back to when multiple white male leaders at the University were discovered to belong to a white-only country club.
The past and present of racial issues are linked, Harold said, and both need to be discussed today.
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