Power to the People

Abstract

In the fall of 2022, two professors from two different academic disciplines launched an interdisciplinary undergraduate course named Power to the People: Social Movements in United States History (Power to the People henceforth) at a small private religiously affiliated liberal arts college in the southern United States. The goal of the course was to provide students with a comprehensive background of historical social movements and the strategies and tactics used by the people to make change. In an era and climate where critical race theory, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer/Questioning, Intersex, Asexual, Two Spirit (LGBTQIA2S+) identities, citizenship status, and other social identities and issues have become political flashpoints, the faculty developers knew this course could incite controversy, yet they also believed it could welcome critical dialogue needed by students preparing to enter careers a society plagued by binaries and divisiveness. Furthermore, the students in these two disciplines expressed interest in this subject matter as it related to their professional pursuits. This article explores a rationale for this course, the experience of teaching an interdisciplinary, team-taught course, the design of the course, pedagogical strategies employed, and it concludes with reflections on challenges and successes from the first year of teaching this course. This article seeks to provide educators with information and ideas for how to broach difficult topics in the college classroom with a collaborative, interdisciplinary course.