Becoming Human
Becoming Human is rooted in the idea that the racial history people in the United States inherit is dehumanizing for all of us, though it is dehumanizing for white folks in different ways than it is dehumanizing for people of color.
The only way to "become human" is to transform systems that distribute advantages and disadvantages unequally on the basis of pigmentation in the skin, thereby creating a world where the dignity of all is upheld and valued.
This course on "Becoming Human" examines race relations in America by recovering history from the days of settlement and slavery to the Civil War and reconstruction era, through Jim Crow and the Civil Rights era, and up to the modern era with the war on drugs and the emergent issue of mass incarceration. Two modules in the middle provide holistic care for Black folks studying this traumatic history and for White folks who want to participate in a different way of being human that promotes the flourishing of all. The last modules invite participants to think about stages of racial identity development and to produce an action plan to mobilize for social change.
Becoming Human is a project of the Racial Justice Initiative at the University of St. Thomas in partnership with the College of Arts and Sciences and the Basilica of Saint Mary.
Program Details
Program Format: Online, self-guided
Cost: $50
Length of Program: It will take approximately 10-12 hours to review all of the content and complete all of the learning activities.
Time Limit: 180 days (this indicates the amount of time you have to complete the course once you have completed Registration & Payment)
What You’ll Learn
When you've completed "Becoming Human," you will be able to:
- Recognize how white supremacy has been embedded within the law code of the United States.
- Differentiate personal and relational forms of racism from structural or institutional forms of racism.
- Identify one's implicit biases in relation to race.
- Articulate the ways in which the "white savior" is problematic.
- Identify strengths and gifts you personally bring to anti-racism work.
- Articulate the ways in which racism harms white people.
- Determine one's stage of racial identity development.
Topics Covered
Course Outline:
- Module 1: Civil War to Civil Rights
- Module 2: War on Drugs
- Module 3: Mass Incarceration
- Module 4: Radical Healing
- Module 5: Overcoming the White Savior Complex
- Module 6: Mobilizing for Change
- Module 7: Understanding the Stages of Development
Program Author and Contributors
Becoming Human is authored and designed by Dr. Kimberly Vrudny
Dr. Vrudny is professor of systematic theology at the University of St. Thomas. She has been on faculty since 2001 and teaches in the areas of theological aesthetics, theology and the arts, and political theology.
Read Dr. Vrudny's full biography
Contributors
- Dr. David Williard (History Department)
- Dr. Jessica Siegel (formerly in the Psychology Department)
- Dr. Amy Levad (Theology Department)
- Dr. Bryana French (Graduate School of Professional Psychology, Morrison Family College of Health)
- Dr. Amy Finnegan (Justice and Society Studies Department)
- Dr. Mike Klein (Justice and Society Studies Department)
Program Details
Program Format: Online, self-guided
Cost: $50
Length of Program: It will take approximately 10-12 hours to review all of the content and complete all of the learning activities.
Time Limit: 180 days (this indicates the amount of time you have to complete the course once you have completed Registration & Payment)
What You’ll Learn
When you've completed "Becoming Human," you will be able to:
- Recognize how white supremacy has been embedded within the law code of the United States.
- Differentiate personal and relational forms of racism from structural or institutional forms of racism.
- Identify one's implicit biases in relation to race.
- Articulate the ways in which the "white savior" is problematic.
- Identify strengths and gifts you personally bring to anti-racism work.
- Articulate the ways in which racism harms white people.
- Determine one's stage of racial identity development.
Topics Covered
Course Outline:
- Module 1: Civil War to Civil Rights
- Module 2: War on Drugs
- Module 3: Mass Incarceration
- Module 4: Radical Healing
- Module 5: Overcoming the White Savior Complex
- Module 6: Mobilizing for Change
- Module 7: Understanding the Stages of Development
Program Author and Contributors
Becoming Human is authored and designed by Dr. Kimberly Vrudny
Dr. Vrudny is professor of systematic theology at the University of St. Thomas. She has been on faculty since 2001 and teaches in the areas of theological aesthetics, theology and the arts, and political theology.
Read Dr. Vrudny's full biography
Contributors
- Dr. David Williard (History Department)
- Dr. Jessica Siegel (formerly in the Psychology Department)
- Dr. Amy Levad (Theology Department)
- Dr. Bryana French (Graduate School of Professional Psychology, Morrison Family College of Health)
- Dr. Amy Finnegan (Justice and Society Studies Department)
- Dr. Mike Klein (Justice and Society Studies Department)
Take the Next Step
Continuing Education from St. Thomas can help you enlarge your understanding of the world.