Discussion Question-Vivian

In Ch. 19, "Gender, Race and Radicalism", Joy James compares Native and African American Activists. She compares communities of color to counter notions that women of color can only be compared to "normative" Euro-American activists. Teaching radicalism is not easy, as noted in the reading, because institutions have given students a negative notion of radical activism especially when dealing with women of color who act against the state. James tries to counter the negative view by focusing on the activism of Angela Davis and other prominent figures that were triggered by unjust situations. However, the author does mention that many students in her class may not be fully engaged because they are not activists. What would be a good method to engage non-activists students who have internalized the institution's negative view of radical activism? Does a student need to be engaged in activism to better understand a class on the subject? If so, would encouraging students to engage in protests against current injustices, such as student fee hikes or racist policies, cross the line?