We Refuse: A Forceful History of Black Resistance

The 2026 Maya Angelou and Professor Calvin Sharpe Distinguished LectureBlack resistance to white supremacy is often reduced to a simple binary, between Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s nonviolence and Malcolm X’s “by any means necessary.” In her lecture, "We Refuse," historian Kellie Carter Jackson looks beyond this false choice, offering an unflinching examination of the breadth of Black responses to white oppression, particularly those pioneered by Black women, with emphasis on gun ownership. The dismissal of “Black violence” as an illegitimate form of resistance is itself a manifestation of white supremacy. Force—from work stoppages and property destruction to armed revolt—has played a pivotal part in securing freedom and justice for Black people for centuries. But force is only one tool among many. Carter Jackson examines other, no less vital tactics that have shaped the Black struggle, from the restorative power of finding joy in the face of suffering to the quiet strength of simply walking away. This lecture will provide a deeper historical insight and understanding of how power, violence, and state authority shape legal and social outcomes.