Fordham University offering course on ‘Visualizing Black Queer Feminisms’
The school’s Art History Department is offering the course.
Fordham University is a Jesuit school.
A Catholic university in New York City is currently offering students a course that looks at “art criticism” through the dual lenses of race and gender, specifically Black LGBTQ women.
The course being taught at Fordham University is called “Visualizing Black Queer Feminisms.” The school’s Art History Department is offering the course.
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“This course explores contemporary visual culture through the lens of queer and Black feminist artists, activists, and scholars,” the course description for “Visualizing Black Queer Feminisms” says.
According to the description, students will try to answer questions such as “What does it mean for Black women and queer artists to garner unprecedented mainstream visibility, but Black queer feminism is still marginalized in art criticism?” and “ How can we study art history in such a way that this separation is remedied?.”
“Together we study Black lesbian and queer feminist texts alongside 21st century [sic] new media art, photography, cinema, sculpture, and painting,” it continues.
Alexandra Thomas, an assistant professor of Art History, is not listed as teaching the class in the description, but her bio indicates “Visualizing Black Queer Feminisms” is her course.
Her research interests “focus on African and African diasporic art histories with an emphasis on gender, sexuality, and migration.” She has also taught “African and African Diaspora Art History” and “Black and Indigenous Contemporary Art.”
Fordham University is a Jesuit school and describes itself as a “top-ranked Catholic university in NYC.”
In 2023, Campus Reform reported that the school had hosted the “Ignatian Q Conference.” A Catholic priest who spoke at the conference had previously said his “dream wedding” is a same-sex one. A picture was later posted to social media showing the priest speaking behind an altar with rainbow Pride flags draped over it.
Other mainstream Catholic universities have also demonstrated support for LGBTQ Pride. For example, Notre Dame University in South Bend, Indiana, has celebrated “Pride Month” in June since 2021.
Meanwhile, videos released last year revealed that the University of Saint Thomas in Saint Paul, Minnesota, allowed students to live in dormitories according to their gender identity without telling other students.
Campus Reform contacted Fordham University, the Department of Art History, and Alexandra Thomas for comment.
