Ryan Skinner
Skinner will utilize the syllabus review grant to reduce the cost of course materials in the course, Major Readings in African American & African Studies. With the support of university libraries, a subject matter librarian will be assigned to review the course syllabus and find alternate, free or library provided readings for the course. For the racial justice grant, an autobiography will be added to the list of readings and will focus on Jason “Timbuktu” Diakité’s book, A Drop of Midnight. A landmark text in Sweden, this translated book is a notable addition to the literary canon of contemporary Black Studies.
The Affordable Learning Exchange (ALX) has been awarding grants for the past seven years to instructors who want to transform their courses. Grant winners were primarily focused on reducing the cost of their course materials for students. “While these goals remain at the core of the ALX mission, the murder of George Floyd in 2020 prompted us to [...] expand our scope to encompass broader social justice topics," said Ashley Miller. Several instructors at Ohio State share Miller's passion and have taken the opportunity ALX provides to infuse their courses with racial justice.
