Education as the Practice of Freedom: The Black Feminist Classroom

On Friday, March 22nd, the Africana Studies Program hosted their 4th bell hooks symposium on the Oakland campus. This symposium, “The Black Feminist Classroom: Education as the Practice of Freedom,” marked the first time that this event was held elsewhere within Northeastern University’s global network. The program featured a keynote conversation between Angela Davis and Gina Dent, a roundtable of panelists from Oakland, and a workshop led by Northeastern Professor and author Patricia Powell. Throughout the day, guests reflected on what it means to espouse Black feminist principles in education and learning, both inside of and outside traditional academic settings. These conversations were inspired by bell hooks’ groundbreaking book, Teaching to Transgress: Education as the Practice of Freedom.