Guest professors invite NU students, faculty to explore Black anarchism

Guest professors invite NU students, faculty to explore Black anarchism Guest professors invite NU students, faculty to explore Black anarchism Daily file photo by Thomas Hurley Both professors were introduced to their work through the prison system. Isabella Mason, Assistant Video Editor October 15, 2026 Indiana University Indianapolis Prof. Rachel McMillian and University of Pittsburgh Prof. Sabina Vaught welcomed Northwestern students and faculty for a conversation about Black anarchism at 2001 Sheridan on Wednesday.  The event’s flyer defined Black anarchism as “an intellectual, political movement for Black liberation, self-determination, and autonomy.” Both professors were introduced to their life’s work through the prison system.  McMillian worked in prisons for over 10 years to create high school and university curricula using stories from incarcerated individuals. Vaught worked directly with incarcerated women and minors.  The talk began by introducing two interrelated projects — a special issue of a journal titled “Educational Studies,” which compensates incarcerated artists and writers, and a living archive of artwork created by incarcerated individuals. According to McMillian, the journal includes works by incarcerated individuals like poems, sermons and collage art.  The living archive is dedicated to collecting artwork created through the lens of Black anarchism and abolition, McMillian said. The two projects critique abolition in universities, which McMillian and Vaught said has been co-opted into “abolition lite,” or mere reform of institutions, rather than dismantling oppressive systems entirely.  “The current absorption of abolition into our field has actually cemented state power,” Vaught said. Drawing on examples such as ending school suspensions, McMillian and Vaught advocated for abolitionist politics that target the root causes of oppression, rather than simply reformulating power.  Vaught referenced protests calling to “defund the police” following the 2020 murder of George Floyd, pointing out that, despite the movement’s strength, Minneapolis is now proposing a property tax increase to funnel money into the city’s police force. “You have to go to the root,” Vaught said. “Anything outside of the root is just making space for the reformation of power.”  Shifting the conversation toward strategies and lessons in self-liberation, McMillian and Vaught asked attendees to recall American chattel slavery and the U.S. Civil War.  Vaught explained that Black Americans relied on collective organizing to lead rebellions during enslavement, describing their movement to Union lines after abandoning their plantations.  “You have to organize,” Vaught said. “So word of mouth, written, all the ways that people communicate across networks and seemingly impossible contexts, right?” The event ended with an open dialogue about the role of education and educational institutions in the Black liberation movement.  Participants asked whether liberation movements and Black anarchism can exist within oppressive institutions. “Everything around us is oppressive,” McMillian said. “Black anarchism allows us to see, ‘Okay, there’s a different way.’” Attending students emphasized the event’s importance amid the Trump administration’s attempts to eliminate diversity, equity and inclusion statements in higher education. In November 2025, NU reached a deal with the Trump administration to restore at least $790 million in frozen federal funding. With the deal came tight restrictions on speech, policies and DEI initiatives within the University. “I think universities aren’t the most adapted to (these conversations),” said Evanston resident Malcolm Lang. “Just because the way the university is set up is to kind of further its project as part of a colonial entity.” Email: [email protected] Related Stories: — Benji Hart discusses queer perspectives on policing and imprisonment abolition at Black History Month event — Panel spotlights work, lived experiences of six local Black authors — Prison reform activist Yusef Salaam discusses incarceration and spirituality in Family Action Network event 0 Like This Story Share on Facebook Share on X Email this Story Print this Story Tags: Indiana University Indianapolis The Trump Administration University of Pittsburgh More to Discover More in Campus Northwestern first-years navigate application stress, rejection amid competitive club culture Bienen reduces number of private quarterly instruction lessons for students Block Museum of Art hosts discussion on art, women in athletics As an international Ph.D. student faces visa uncertainty, NUGW continues grievances against NU Embracing the wild: A crash course to Northwestern wildlife Spanish Prof. Lexie Cook digs into ongoing research on relics in colonial West Africa More in Events NU dedicates new memorial to 6 alumni killed in 9/11 attacks NU alumni reflect on innovation and the future alongside Nobel laureate MIT Prof. Sara Seager to search for life in the clouds of Venus NU Hillel hosts Oct. 7 commemoration at The Rock Photojournalist Prashant Panjiar gives snapshot of his career at Northwestern ‘October 7: In Their Words’ hosted by NU Hillel at Cahn Auditorium More in Latest Stories Cover to Cover: Kyle MacLachlan’s ‘Fictional Selves’ explores the man in the black suit Cover to Cover: ‘Hollywood, Ending’ offers a witty, compassionate critique of the entertainment industry Gallery: Quavo fills Welsh-Ryan Arena for A&O Blowout Endeavor Health, Rush University System announce plans to merge The Weekly: Hillel commemoration, Finance and Budget Committee meeting, Kirkpatrick Stadium City Council takes first look at FY27 budget, commends outgoing Mayor Daniel Biss