CU-Boulder students in the Democracy and Nonviolent Social Movements class were treated to a unique opportunity to visit with artists and community activists Johnny 5 and Brer Rabbit of the Flobots.

Throughout the course, INVST Community Studies Instructor David Meens works to bring the voices of the authors and activists his students read and hear about into the classroom. The course explores of the history of nonviolent social movements, particularly in the US, with a focus on the intellectual tradition that has evolved along with the movements themselves.  Students conduct their own research in the community, interviewing "elders" who have participated in democratic movements and orchestrating community forums for dialogue on salient issues.  

A week of the class is spent considering the contributions of art and youth sub-cultures in enlivening broader democratic culture. The class reads about the emergence of hip-hop and what Cornel West, a champion for racial justice, describes as its "prophetic" role of giving voice to the experiences of marginalized communities and, in particular, young people.

The members of Flobots, a musical group and non-profit organization from Denver that works to create positive social change by harnessing the power of music, shared their own work and discussed the pragmatic considerations of how media and music can propel conversations and motivate participation in community service and democratic dialogue, to the challenges facing the music industry, and its still-vital role in the production of cultural values in our market-driven society.  

The students also had the opportunity to share their own projects, which range from lobbying and mobilization campaigns on issues of Immigrant's Rights, human trafficking, slavery, youth participation in addressing climate change, and other environmental problems.

 The interest and enthusiasm of the students emerges when the community is brought into the classroom. Other guests have included CU-Boulder Professor Ira Chernus from the Department of Religious Studies, community leader Dr. Vincent Harding, civil rights leader and former speechwriter for Martin Luther King Junior, and local activists such as Ian Engle, Executive Director of Boulder County's Center for People With Disabilities and longtime leader in ADAPT, a national organization working for the rights of individuals with disabilities.