Type of Work

Research Paper

Publication Date

Winter 1-31-2021

Description

The summer of 2020 proved to be a season like no other. Complete with extended stay-at-home orders, and steadily increasing coronavirus positivity rates, no one was prepared for the peak of the Black Lives Matter movement to claim the world’s attention during the global pandemic. In the weeks following the murder of George Floyd by police officer Derek Chauvin, half a million Americans participated in nationwide protests to demand an end to the use of excessive force against Black Americans by police. The continuous airing of coronavirus updates were suddenly replaced by media coverage of growing social unrest: footage of Black and police brutality against peaceful protestors, reporters being detained, and counter protests occupied every screen in America. The media coverage of social unrest combined with families quarantining at home created a unique moment for parenting. Parents and their homebound children were presented with an opportunity for racial socialization. Racial socialization refers to the way in which parents teach their child to understand and navigate their own race in reference to the rest of society, a process that differs significantly depending on the racial identity of the family. With the media existing as a crucial window into the rest of the world during the pandemic, parents had to make a decision--do they share the view with their children, or close the blinds?

Hamilton Areas of Study

Sociology

Hamilton Sponsoring Organization

Levitt Public Affairs Center

Hamilton Scholarship Series

Levitt Winter Research Group Grant

Hamilton Faculty Advisor

Mahala Stewart

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