This past term, Lisa Guenther taught a “Principal’s Dream Course” on Critical Perspectives on Social Diversity. The students collectively created a rich website, Our Critical Perspective, that brings together philosophical accounts of epistemic injustice, a focus on colonial structures and racial disparities in the carceral system, and attention to knowledge and justice in Ka’tarohkwi/Kingston.
The students came together as a class to create an educational resource to inspire their peers to reflect on how they interact with their surroundings and each other. Essays by different students reflect on the ethical and political implications of knowledge and ignorance. They also reflect on epistemic injustice and resistance at Queen’s, from the banning of Black medical students in 1918 to recent efforts to increase equity, diversity and inclusion on campus. The essays are illustrated with photographs of Kingston carceral infrastructure and monuments. T.J. Skulstad-Brown, who was the teaching assistant for the course, facilitated weekly workshops to help the students organize their collective project. We invite you to take a look at the site.