What's The Plan?

I believe in working with students toward a successful outcome. As a first generation college student, I understand how balancing work, family and school can deplete our energy. Yet, as a freshman level course, we are expected to develop our scholastic abilities and learn how to enhance our academic performance.

*Further details on all activites (deadlines, directions, links, online content) are provided in our Canvas course. All reading materials will be embeded in our Canvas site, so there will be no textbook to purchase. To find help in logging into Canvas, go to the GCC Canvas Login Guide for Students.

Unit Descriptions

  • Unit 0 A/B (Week 1): The goal of this unit is to get to know the class and to understand the fundamentals of Ethnic Studies.

  • Unit 1 WHY (Week 2-3): WHY focuses on the argument that no form of subordination ever stands alone, but instead, systems of subordination are intertwined and support each other. The unit will address the intersections of race, gender, sexuality, nation, and class. At the heart of our unit is an examination of the consequence of the single story and how such a story creates a distorted view of ethnic subordinated women in the U.S.

  • Unit 2 RESILIENCE (Week 3-6) : RESILIENCE features ethnic minority women explaining their experiential factors in their struggle living in a liminal state, where balancing their identity between the cultural chasm and white supremacy is part of their everyday life.

(*Units 1 & 2 are designed to promote proficiency. Units 3 & 4 are designed to demonstrate mastery)

  • Unit 3 REPRESENTATION (Week 6): REPRESENTATION deconstructs stereotypes and how limited views of personal characteristics shape how people perceive, interact with, and make decisions about others. For decades, the way groups of people have been portrayed by the media, popular culture, and public officials has led to biases—often unconscious—that can result in discrimination against women and people of color. This unit will enable you to become the researcher and engage in an exploration of the consequences and value of representation.

  • Unit 4 NOW WHAT (Week 7): NOW WHAT will explain systemic oppression or the culture of domination is the masters house. Yet there are several master's tools that will be uncovered. These master's tools built and maintain the master's house. The unit will feature master's tools can not be used to dismantle the master's house, even though they are very present within the house. However, the unit will present possible wrecking balls that can dismantle the masters house so that we can discover the NOW WHAT in moving forward as a nation.

  • Week 8 Do Overs & Final exam: The goal of week eight is to enable everyone to go back and redo one assessment of your choice. Want to improve her score? Want to make up a missing assessment, well week six is the time to go back and redo an assessment. However, the week will conclude with a a cumulative final exam.

"The reality is: sometimes you lose. And you’re never too good to lose. You’re never too big to lose. You’re never too smart to lose. It happens."

-Beyoncé Knowles, American Icon