ONLINE INTERVIEW WITH BRANDI WILLIAMS 04.12.2020

Our grade 11 IBDP Global Politics have been studying Race in the USA as part of a unit on ‘Power’. After watching the documentary ‘The 13th’ which looks at the issue of mass incarceration and the lack of power experienced by People of Color in America, the students were invited to ask questions to a guest speaker Ms. Brandi Williams. Brandi talked about her experience growing up as a person of color in the US and students asked lots of questions on topics which included the use of force by police, how to cope with prejudice, and the effectiveness of the Black Lives Matter movement. Having the opportunity to speak to someone who has personal experience of key issues which are affecting the world today had a significant impact on the students’ thinking. After the lesson they commented on how the interview had helped them understand the daily struggles that People of Color tend to face in the world today and that interviewing Brandi had turned their theoretical knowledge into something more real.