After participating in the protests after Freddie Gray’s death in April, junior government and politics major Jenna Williams said she got to see the real Baltimore — something she believes many students do not really understand.
“From the people that I have talked to — they are not from Baltimore, they are from out of state or other parts of Maryland,” Williams said. “So they don’t really identify with the whole issue of what happened in Baltimore” — Gray died after suffering severe spinal injuries in police custody — “and how serious the issue actually was.”
Such student advocacy has inspired a new course, MLAW374: Freddie Gray’s Baltimore, which met for the first time Monday. The course is offered within the MLaw Programs at the University of Maryland, a group of programs focusing on justice and legal courses for undergraduate students.
Williams said she is excited to participate in a class that she has “a personal connection with.”
MLaw Programs Director Robert Koulish, who teaches the course, said it will show students how to be informed about and address social issues.
“Students taking this class are going to be able to develop their questions on social issues and develop ways … to get more involved on issues that they are passionate about,” said Koulish, a government and politics professor.
Office of Diversity and Inclusion Chief Diversity Officer Kumea Shorter-Gooden also said it is the university’s mission to educate students on the realities of today’s world.
“To address what’s happening in Baltimore — the history of what it means and what it’s about, the implications for the future — is a better use of the university’s tools to inform students on these issues,” Shorter-Gooden said.
Koulish said the course exposes students to different opinions while maintaining a safe space for them.
“I expect to hear different sides on the issues that will be discussed in class,” Koulish said. “That is what is going to make this class a great class. We can communicate with one another to try and figure out why the tragedy of Freddie Gray happened.”
Junior government and politics major Erica Fuentes said she is intrigued by the issue, adding that the course will help her see other perspectives of this incident.
“Last year, overall there were a lot of issues that were happening, and this class can help us understand why those things happened,” Fuentes said.
Shorter-Gooden said it is important for students to learn about these issues because they are so close to the university. Although it can feel “worlds away”, the university has students, faculty and staff from Baltimore who are affected by these issues, she added.
Fuentes said she hopes this class will ultimately help her better understand the issue and develop her own opinion.
“When the protests were happening in Baltimore, I heard and saw two different polarizing opinions through social media and the news,” Fuentes said. “I want to be able to make my own view based on the facts and issues that are going to be presented in this class.”
