GSS 435 - Brown, Black, and Blue: Queer of Color Critiques of Policing and Prisons

The United States incarcerates its citizens at a higher rate than any country on earth. Although it comprises only 5% of the world’s population, it is home to 25% of the world’s prisoners-a population that is disproportionately black, Latino, transgender, and queer. This course begins by asking why and how racial, sexual, and gender minorities have historically been criminalized and targeted for state surveillance. We will explore the social framing of crime and criminality through examples like COINTELPRO, police raids on gay bars, the War on Drugs, the school-to-prison pipeline, the birth of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the prohibition of sex work, and the militarization of police forces. Finally, we will examine the burgeoning prison abolition movement led by queer and trans people of color and investigate alternatives to the carceral state such as restorative justice and community anti-violence projects. This course will be conducted entirely online with synchronous and asynchronous components and will feature regular guest visits from scholars, formerly incarcerated people, and community activists.

Satisfies a requirement for the Gender and Sexuality Studies major and minor
Satisfies the Justice, Equality, and Community requirement