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