Cultural Production and Political Power

Du Bois offers residents the opportunity to take part in either or both of our two house-wide signature programs. There are no specific rooms or wings attached to these two programs; students may live on any floor or wing in Du Bois. While there are no special requirements, other than interest, students who express interest are expected to work with the directors of the two programs to help plan activities and events, and to participate  in such activities on a regular basis, as well.

The Cultural Production and Political Power (C3P) Program explores the various modes and mediums through which Black people produce culture in both its expressive and aesthetic forms within specific historical contexts. The program aims to help participants identify the ways these activities shape self-identity and create community. It also seeks to show how these activities influence political engagement and perceptions of both individual and group efficacy in effecting change. Through encounters with film, theatre, spoken word, music, and museum exhibits, students will develop critical intellectual understanding of these personal and political expressions, and of their implications. Additionally, C3P collaborates with the Greenfield Intercultural Center in supporting specific activities and initiatives critical to the expansion of Native student presence at Penn.

Goals: This program will provide residents with the ability to analyze modes of cultural expression, particularly as they relate to issues of the Black community. Students will develop the confidence and ability to discuss their views with students of differing perspectives and to become more knowledgeable and engaged in contemporary political processes, issues, and policies that impact Black Americans, Native Americans, and other underrepresented peoples, both nationally and globally.