The class I completed for this requirement is CRJS 450 (Blacks, Crime, and Justice).
While in this course, I learned about so many things within the African-American history. It was definitely an eye-opening course because I learned things that are not common knowledge and not taught in most history books. Professor Wood was a phenomenal instructor and got me thinking about things in a different prospective. This course had us analyzing different periods of time, societal events, justice systems, stereotypes, and so much more.
One of the assignments done in this class was reading an article and having to teach a lesson about the overall theme of it. My article was about racial disparities in legal outcomes and I had to research supporting information in order to have a class discussion about the topic. The assignment helped me get a deeper understanding of the material and how important these topics are in the world. I have included my lesson plan below.
This course was based heavily on verbal discussions about the course content and it helped me develop my communication skills. Classes with participation credit push you to get out of your comfort zone and I definitely appreciated that. Being able to communicate is an invaluable skill that can be transferred into any aspect of life. This course helped to better articulate my thoughts into an intellectual discussion and express differing opinions in a respectable manner.
This course was vital in my decision to pursue my future career. I want to work towards criminal justice reform and I believe this course was one of the main reasons why I chose to pursue this. I will use what I learned in the class to educate others and translate these skills to new career opportunities.