The Center for Teaching and the Good Life was grateful to host Dr. Lionel Kimble for a lunch conversation with Trinity staff and faculty on teaching the history of Black Chicago. Dr. Kimble is an Associate Professor of History and Africana Studies at Chicago State University. His work primarily focuses on African American labor and politics in Chicago during the New Deal and World War II.
Dr. Kimble began the lunch conversation by offering some initial reflection on the topic. He discussed the importance of teaching students to view themselves as historical actors – people who learn about history so they can go on to shape history. Kimble described the success he has had using stories as a pedagogical method to help students see themselves and the people they learn about in this light.
After his initial reflections, Dr. Kimble engaged in an unstructured conversation with attendees, who asked questions about helping students learn through feelings of pain or discomfort and strategies for teaching students how to be critical thinkers.
Later in the day, Dr. Kimble spoke alongside Trinity’s own Dr. David Brodnax, Sr. (professor of history) as co-lecturer at Trinity’s annual Black History Month lecture, hosted by the History Department.
