Francis Gourrier

Segment Synopsis: Prof. Francis (Frankie) Gourrier, class of 2008, is from New Orleans and currently teaches in the History and American Studies departments.

Segment Synopsis: Prof. Gourrier was not initially interested in the humanities and decided to explore other classes because he could not enroll in Introductory Psychology. Wanted to be an International Studies major. Was encouraged to explore other courses by his academic advisor, Prof. Marla Kohlman.

Segment Synopsis: After Prof. Marla Kohlman encouraged him to branch out, Prof. Gourrier enrolled in Prof. McNair's course. He reflects on how impactful the class was.

Segment Synopsis: Prof. Gourrier reflects on the Contemporary African American history course as a point where he realized he wanted to be a critical thinker with a course of study tailored to his interest in African American history.

Segment Synopsis: No exposure in high school, but learned African American history through television programming. Was passionate about justice and claims for justice within African American history.

Segment Synopsis: Went home and planned his course of study with American Studies major in mind, one of his last memories at his house in New Orleans before Hurricane Katrina. Was not yet committed to African and African American Studies concentration.

Segment Synopsis: Prof. Gourrier explains what a concentration (interdisciplinary minor) is versus a major (within one academic department).

Segment Synopsis: Decides on concentration sophomore year (2005-'06). First factor in this decision was wanting to take as many classes with Black professors as possible. Decided to take class with Prof. Mason, who was offering Introduction to African and African American Studies. At the time, there were four tenured Black professors (Prof. Ric Sheffield, Prof. Ted Mason, Prof. Ted Mason, and Prof. Glenn McNair).

Segment Synopsis: Second part of deciding to concentrate was his experience in learning about diasporic identities in the SIT Brazil: Culture, Development, and Social Justice program in Northeastern part of the nation.

Segment Synopsis: Consulted with Prof. Kohlman about courses in study abroad program that would count toward African and African American Studies concentration. His experiences in Brazil made him seriously consider the African diaspora outside of the U.S. and prepared him to take Introduction to African and African American Studies with Prof. Mason.

Segment Synopsis: Within SIT program, Prof. Gourrier conducted a research project that considered race and class. Prof. Kohlman later introduced him to the term "intersectionality" to describe the research he wanted to do.

Segment Synopsis: Prof. Gourrier added gender to his analysis of race and class (intersectionality) and decided to pursue these topics in his remaining coursework at Kenyon. In order to do this, took a Sociology course with Prof. Allison Hurst on Class Studies in the Law. Also, Introduction to Sociology with Prof. Kohlman.

Segment Synopsis: Prof. Gourrier recounts Prof. Kohlman wanting to change the name of the program to more accurately reflect its aims in 2005. Name changed in 2009.

Segment Synopsis: Wishes he had started African history earlier. Took courses with Prof. Stephen Volz.

Segment Synopsis: When Prof. Gourrier was a student, faculty and students gathered monthly to watch Sidney Poitier films. Was an environment where students and faculty discussed together, not a panel structure. Professors who were involved in African and African American Studies and/or the Crossroads faculty group.

Segment Synopsis: Professors encouraged students interested in African diaspora to write a paper and present it at a small conference on campus. Had written a paper about rapper, Flavor Flav.

Segment Synopsis: Prof. McNair's encouragement in the Contemporary Black History course and the Crossroads conference contributed to his desire to be a professor. Realized that being vulnerable and sharing work was part of the profession.

Segment Synopsis: Felt like the Crossroads conference contributed to the sense of being a peer as part of an academic discussion and community.

Segment Synopsis: In conversations with founding member of BSU, Eugene Peterson, Class of 1970, became aware of the history of the organization. The founding statement (1969) of BSU had calls for a Black Studies program. Prof. Gourrier saw his academic pursuits as the product of others' work and a larger mission of change.

Segment Synopsis: Was taught by a Marilyn Yarbrough Dissertation fellow during his time at Kenyon (Prof. Sarah Kaplan). Knew he wanted to do that and applied in 2016. Presented his research on campus in same room he presented for Crossroads in as part of his interview. Started at Kenyon in 2016-'17 school year.

Segment Synopsis: Taught Race, Gender, and Sexuality in the Civil Rights Movement, and another course on the Great Migration in connection with the development of Black student organization in the 1960s. Joy of the classroom paralleled his experience at Kenyon as a student.

Segment Synopsis: Currently team teaching Introduction to American Studies with Prof. Peter Rutkoff and another course, Blacks in the Age of Jim Crow. Also teaching special topic course, Race, Education, and Student Rebellion, which explores topics he engaged with as an undergraduate.

Segment Synopsis: Recounts his experience instructing in University of Wisconsin Madison and in public middle schools.

Segment Synopsis: Always thinking about past instructor's strengths, specifically the affirmation and questioning model used by Prof. Pamela Jensen, who taught Prof. Gourrier African American Political Theory his junior year at Kenyon.

Segment Synopsis: Prof. Gourrier laments students no longer be able to engage with Crossroads conference or film series. There is still a Crossroads course, team-taught by professors, which allows for taste of African Diaspora scholarships by professors.

Segment Synopsis: Prof. Gourrier thinks students no longer have the opportunity to collectively think and talk about the African diaspora. Felt like there was a "cohort" engaging with African Diaspora Studies program together when he was a student at Kenyon.

Segment Synopsis: Prof. Gourrier sees his experience in the African and African American Studies program as what the founders of BSU envisioned. He also desires to see the program's work done on a larger scale (more Black faculty, more Black Studies courses) and to regain the sense of collectivity ("doing it together") that he experienced during his time at Kenyon.

Segment Synopsis: Prof. Gourrier reflects on dwindling numbers of students interested in the humanities.

Segment Synopsis: African Diaspora Studies reflects the mission of the liberal arts education by tying together different academic disciplines. Builds intellectual curiosity and critical thinking.

Segment Synopsis: Prof. Gourrier hopes this project will be a historical document and source of research for faculty and administrators to think and re-think the program.